Abstract
There are numerous benefits attached to the idea of lifelong physical activity. Because of this, various governmental and sports organisations seek to promote positive behaviours and potential health aspirations through the use of sport. This critical commentary seeks to highlight some of the issues that surround this topic, most notably the lack of suitable training or understanding for many of the practitioners who deliver youth sport (coaches and teachers). The implications for incorrect or limited understanding within the context of youth sport practice sessions are numerous, particularly when the ideas of performance, competition, and talent are used but not necessarily understood, with increased drop-out rates perhaps of most significance. The contention of this commentary is that those delivering youth sport must develop an appreciation of evidence-based practice that, fundamentally, places the developmental needs of youth at its heart, prioritises participation, and sees the use of competition as a means to an end, not the end itself
Highlights
There are numerous benefits attached to the idea of lifelong physical activity
There are a number of areas of concern here, when we consider that the people who most often articulate and socialise young people into the habit of participating in sport and physical activity (PA) are sports coaches and sport and physical education (PE) teachers
There is a seemingly difficult navigation between how sports coaches and sport and PE teachers can alternate, or perhaps reconcile, any differences between the terms and practice of performance and development. This is so when we consider the aforementioned benefits of youth sport and what might be considered to be the most important element of encouraging sport for this age group, that to keep and promote healthy nations and populaces, young people need to develop lifelong sporting or PA habits
Summary
There are numerous benefits attached to the idea of lifelong physical activity. Because of this, various governmental and sports organisations seek to promote positive behaviours and potential health aspirations through the use of sport. Even if we promote coaching philosophies that incorporate a more humanistic, inclusive, and holistic approach to fostering excellence (performance) whilst still ensuring development, there are a range of areas that sports coaches and sport and PE teachers should know and understand in terms of the development of young people.
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