ABSTRACT
Generally, sport and public authorities have given limited attention to respecting the rights of young athletes. There is still a very low level of awareness and understanding about the specific human rights issues generated by intensive training and competitive sports. Due to their vulnerability, children can be put at risk in any situation, whether in or outside their family environment, in sports or in other activities. But to ensure the rights of young athletes, safeguards must be put in place, and in this regard, society as a whole has too often been unsuccessful, mainly because it has failed to acknowledge that sport can carry serious and potentially harmful side effects. Historically, the clichés surrounding sport have been overwhelmingly flattering; today, however, evidence clearly shows that it is susceptible to many forms of abuse, exploitation and violence that are also common outside the sporting world. Additionally, due to its unique particularities, competitive sport generates specific situations, such as transfer conflicts, intensive training, doping and pressure to win, that may threaten children and that rarely occur at such a young age in any other context.
