Lecture 23: Youth Sport Psychological Issues Flashcards
Why should we study youth/children in sport?
A. There are large numbers of youth/children involved in organized youth sport.
B. Youth/Children spend a lot of time in youth sport.
C. Sport is important for youth/children.
D. Youth/Children participate in sport at a critical time
How many people aged 6-18 years play sport in NZ?
Approx. 550,000 participants - 1/6 of the population
Why do NZ youth rate sport as one of the most important activities in their lives? (4)
- prestige of sport participation
- social status, peer pressure
- parental pressure / expectations
- societal expectations
What is the critical time that youth/children participate in sport?
during puberty and adolescence -> massive changes happening physiologically and psychologically
What are the 3 most common motives for participating in youth sport?
(i) improving skills/learn new skills
(ii) having FUN
(iii) being with friends/make new friends (affiliation)
What are the 4th to 6th most common motives for participating in youth sport?
(iv) thrills and excitement
(v) achieving success and winning
(vi) developing fitness
What is the dropout rate for youth sport?
25 to 30%
What are some reasons for dropping out?
- conflict with other activities
- dislike coach
- lack of playing time
- competitive stress
- lack of success
- boredom
- little skill improvement
- injury
- lack of fun
- lack of parental support
What is the major/main reason for dropping out of sport?
Conflicts of interest with other activities
(i.e. other sports, exercise, music, art, hobbies etc. . . )
What are the major/main NEGATIVE reasons for dropping out?
- lack of playing time
- little success
- little skill improvement
- boredom
- excessive competitive stress
How is competitive stress negative?
evaluated by others, sometimes quite publicly, feelings of failure and low self-esteem
Why does psychological readiness for competition matter?
There are key issues of social comparison in competition:
- When you are young the opinion of your friends matters A LOT
- Being compared through the rules of sport
- Young people don’t have the coping skills
- They don’t understand competition and do not compete like adults
What age are do children not have cognitive readiness for competition?
Young children (5-9 yrs) are NOT psychologically ready to fully participate in organised competitive sport.
e.g. ‘beehive’ soccer, netball, rugby, hockey etc.
When do children develop a mature understanding of ‘competition’?
approx. 10-12 yrs.
- need progressive intro of competition (eg., KiwiSport).
Until 10-12 yrs. it is unrealistic to have….
competitive reward structures & competitive relationships as the primary focus in the youth sport experience
