17.6.3: Organized Sports
- Page ID
- 243584
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- Recognize common sports-related injuries in middle childhood and strategies for prevention.
- Discuss the role of coaches in shaping children's experiences in organized sports.
- Evaluate how trends such as e-sports are influencing children's engagement in physical activity.
Organized Sports
Organized sports are structured, adult-led physical activities that involve skill development, teamwork, and competition. For children in middle childhood (typically ages 6–12), participation in organized sports can provide significant benefits when the environment is supportive and developmentally appropriate. These programs are typically offered through schools, community recreation centers, clubs, or private organizations.
Common sports for this age group include soccer, basketball, baseball, softball, gymnastics, swimming, and martial arts (National Council of Youth Sports [NCYS], 2020). Entry into organized sports typically begins between the ages of 5 and 7, with non-competitive, skill-based play, while more formal and competitive leagues usually start around ages 8–10, depending on the sport and local context (Côté & Hancock, 2016). Early involvement helps children develop foundational motor skills, learn game rules, and practice cooperation.
Pros and Cons
A key benefit of organized sports is the opportunity for skill transfer. Movement patterns, strategic thinking, and social competencies acquired in one sport often apply to others. For example, footwork in soccer may benefit basketball performance, while skills such as teamwork and perseverance transcend the context of any single sport (Fraser-Thomas, Côté, & Deakin, 2005).
The primary goal of organized sports in middle childhood should be enjoyment, learning, and development, not merely competition or winning. Emphasizing fun and personal growth encourages continued participation, helping children develop a lifelong appreciation for physical activity. Overemphasis on performance or early specialization in one sport can lead to physical and emotional burnout, with some children withdrawing from sports altogether by adolescence (Jayanthi et al., 2013).
Sports-related Injuries
While physical activity is essential for healthy development, organized sports carry a risk of injury, especially if practices are intense, unbalanced, or poorly supervised. Common injuries in middle childhood include sprains, strains, fractures, and overuse injuries, such as stress fractures or inflammation of the growth plates (DiFiori et al., 2014).
Children’s musculoskeletal systems are still developing, making them more susceptible to injuries when training loads exceed their capacity. Poor technique, insufficient rest, and pressure to perform can also increase the risk of injury. The American Academy of Pediatrics (2016) recommends ensuring proper conditioning, using age-appropriate equipment, limiting repetitive movements, and promoting multi-sport participation to reduce the risk of overuse injuries.
Parental and coach awareness, combined with injury prevention programs, can help create a safer sports environment. Education on warm-ups, cool-downs, hydration, and injury warning signs is also essential.
The Coach's Role
Coaches play a critical role in shaping children’s experiences in organized sports. A positive coaching approach—marked by encouragement, fairness, and attention to development—can boost children's confidence and motivation (Smoll & Smith, 2006). Coaches act not only as skill instructors but also as mentors, helping children manage and work towards goals, as well as through setbacks.
Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\). Effective coaches understand both child development and appropriate communication strategies for working with youth. Image by Scott Cook is licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.
Effective coaches understand child development and adapt their communication and expectations accordingly. Research suggests that children are more likely to stay engaged in sports when coaches prioritize enjoyment, teamwork, and skill improvement over winning (Gould et al., 2007).
Conversely, coaches who use punitive or overly competitive methods can contribute to stress, anxiety, and dropout. Therefore, training programs that promote positive coaching strategies and child-centered practices are essential to fostering a supportive sports climate (Knight et al., 2017). Armed with this knowledge, many organized sports programs are striving to improve their offerings of knowledge and resources to help community and parent volunteer coaches feel more confident and prepared in their roles.
Welcome to the World of E-Sports
References, Contributors and Attributions
27. Lifespan Development: A Psychological Perspective by Martha Lally and Suzanne Valentine-French is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 (modified by Dawn Rymond)
29. Lifespan Development: A Psychological Perspective by Martha Lally and Suzanne Valentine-French is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 (modified by Dawn Rymond)
American Academy of Pediatrics. (2016). Sports specialization and intensive training in young athletes. Pediatrics, 138(3), e20162148. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-2148
Côté, J., & Hancock, D. J. (2016). Evidence-based policies for youth sport programs. International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics, 8(1), 51–65. https://doi.org/10.1080/19406940.2014.919338
DiFiori, J. P., Benjamin, H. J., Brenner, J. S., Gregory, A., Jayanthi, N., Landry, G. L., & Luke, A. (2014). Overuse injuries and burnout in youth sports: A position statement from the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 24(1), 3–20. https://doi.org/10.1097/JSM.0000000000000060
Fraser-Thomas, J. L., Côté, J., & Deakin, J. (2005). Youth sport programs: An avenue to foster positive youth development. Physical Education & Sport Pedagogy, 10(1), 19–40. https://doi.org/10.1080/1740898042000334890
Gould, D., Collins, K., Lauer, L., & Chung, Y. (2007). Coaching life skills through football: A study of award-winning high school coaches. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 19(1), 16–37. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200601113786
Jayanthi, N. A., LaBella, C. R., Fischer, D., Pasulka, J., & Dugas, L. R. (2013). Sports-specialized intensive training and the risk of injury in young athletes: A clinical case-control study. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 43(4), 794–801. https://doi.org/10.1177/0363546514567298
Knight, C. J., Harwood, C. G., & Gould, D. (2017). Sport psychology for young athletes. In R. C. Eklund & G. Tenenbaum (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Sport and Exercise Psychology (pp. 737–740). SAGE Publications.
National Council of Youth Sports. (2020). Report on trends and participation in organized youth sports. https://www.ncys.org
Smoll, F. L., & Smith, R. E. (2006). Enhancing coach–athlete relationships: Cognitive-behavioral principles and applications. In J. M. Williams (Ed.), Applied Sport Psychology: Personal Growth to Peak Performance (5th ed., pp. 40–57). McGraw-Hill.