Youth Sports, Psychology of

Abstract

Youth sports are adult-organized sports programs for children and youth, typically between the ages of 7 and 18 years which have designated coaches, organized practices, and scheduled competitions. An estimated 22 million youth in the USA participate in nonschool youth sports programs. There are equally high percentages of children and youth in Australia, Brazil, Canada, and many Asian and European countries, who participate in youth sport programs through clubs or schools. Most of these programs are aimed at mass participation rather than focused on developing elite athletes. The psychology of youth sports as an area of scholarly inquiry is relatively new. Research in this field did not start to proliferate until the 1980s. The research developed out of concern by professionals for the educational value of youth sport participation and the well-being of the children involved. The topics that have been most often addressed on the psychology of youth sports include psychological readiness for youth sports participation, the benefits and detriments of youth sports participation, participant motivation, and adult involvement in youth sports. However, few systematic lines of research have been conducted, and not many have been theoretically based. Probable future directions regarding psychological aspects of youth sports include more biopsychosocial perspectives, more longitudinal, prospective, and experimental designs, and more wide-scale evaluation research.