Chapter 10: Sports for Children

Question 1

what were the lessons taught to boys through sports?

Answer 1

• teach boys how to obey rules and work together productively
• toughen boys to toughen them into competitive men

Question 2

what are the years for the baby boom generation?

Answer 2

1946 to 1964

Question 3

what were the roles of mothers and fathers in youth sports during the baby boom?

Answer 3

• mothers did the laundry and were chauffeurs and cooked meals
• fathers were coaches, managers, and league administrators

Question 4

what is a neoliberal societies?

Answer 4

societies where individualism and material success are highly valued and where publicly funded programs/services are eliminated and replaced by private programs

Question 5

what are the 6 changes that contributed to the growth of organized youth sports?

Answer 5

1. many families have both parents who work
2. parents think of themselves as a “good parents” due to a cultural shift
3. sports keep them occupied and out of trouble
4. sports are a safe place for children and the outside world is dangerous
5. visibility of high performance/professional sports increased organized sports
6. childhood play has decreased and organized sports increased

Question 6

what are 5 trends that have impacted who is capable of playing organized youth sports?

Answer 6

1. organized sports are becoming privatized
2. organized sports heavily emphasize the performance ethic
3. there is an increase in private, elite sport-training facilities to produce specialized athletes
4. parents are more involved in the success of their children
5. participation in alternative/action sports increased

Question 7

what are 2 negative consequences of privatizing youth sports?

Answer 7

1. they reproduce the inequalities that exist in society

2. as public parks/recreation centers stop offering programs, they become rented out to private sport programs

Question 8

what is the performance ethic?

Answer 8

a set of ideas and beliefs that emphasize the quality of sport experience measured in terms of improved skill and competitive success

Question 9

why are alternative/action sports popular for kids?

Answer 9

• children want to stray away from the highly structured organized sports run by adults
• it is a more open and welcoming community

Question 10

why are informal sports/games unpopular in today’s society?

Answer 10

• children are specializing in one sport
• they don’t have time
• parents fear what may happen if they go out on their own with neighborhood kids

Question 11

why is action and exciting challenges important in sport?

Answer 11

• action keep the “spirit of play” alive

- challenge requires players to focus on testing and extending their skill

Question 12

why has the French developmental approach been successful in youth sports?

Answer 12

• emphasizes informal play

- they learn to improvise and develop a playing style that makes them unique

Question 13

what are 3 recommendations for youth sports?

Answer 13

• children under 8 should not play highly organized sports or on teams with more that 5 players
• from 8-14 games can be organized but positional play should not be emphasized, no travel teams, no more than one game per week or 35 games per year
• all coaches must complete a coaching education course and be regularly re-certified

Question 14

how does talent develop in stages?

Answer 14

• begins with exploration, play, and expressive fun
• claiming of the activity as their own
• identifying skills they want to master

Question 15

what are the 5 topics within the Sports National Report Card?

Answer 15

1. child-centered philosophy
2. coaches
3. health and safety
4. officiating
5. parental behavior/involvement

Question 16

what are 5 problems within youth sport organizations today?

Answer 16

1. loss of child-centered focus, more winning and less experience
2. distorted by over invested parents
3. fail to properly train and evaluate sport coaches
4. overemphasize early sports specialization
5. ignore age-based interests and developmental abilities of children

Question 17

what are the 3 report cards that were implemented to evaluate youth sports?

Answer 17

1. sports national report card
2. youth sports community report card for parents
3. one designed for youth sports leaders to evaluate their programs

Question 18

what is project play?

Answer 18

an attempt to re-form youth sports in the United States, based on child development research and positive consequences on lifelong physical activity

Question 19

what is physical literacy?

Answer 19

the ability, competence, and desire to be physically active for life

Question 20

how can physical literacy be achieved?

Answer 20

• age-appropriate play
• universal access to safe participation opportunities
• quality coach education
• support from public and private sectors

Question 21

why do cities decide to host tournaments in term of economic growth?

Answer 21

families of athletes come and spend money in the city for a number of days

Question 22

what is a challenge that Project Play faces?

Answer 22

they must provide incentives to managers and coaches of youth sports in order for play to happen

Question 23

what are hybrid sports?

Answer 23

sports that combine player-controlled informal games and adult-controlled organized sports

Question 24

what are the 2 forms of hybrid sports?

Answer 24

1. adults provide subtle guidance to children, children create and control majority of the game
2. organized sports teams in which parents encourage un/semi-structured play during practice