ABSTRACT
During the last decade there has been a substantial increase in the number of children participating in organised sport in the UK. Concern has been expressed about the effect that intensive training may have on the physical and psychological growth and development of the young athletes. For this reason the Sports Council commissioned the Training of Young Athletes (T.O.Y.A.) Study (Rowley, 1986). This study has used a longitudinal method, measuring the same individual at intervals over a certain period of time, to make it possible to separate the effects of training from those of growth and development Four sports were selected, a racket sport (tennis), a contact team sport (soccer), a sport which requires local muscular endurance and stamina (swimming) and a sport which requires flexibility and explosive strength (gymnastics). These sports also have the following in common: a large number of young athletes participate, they start training before puberty and have organised systems of intensive training and standardised age-groups for competition.
