ABSTRACT
Participation in youth sport can provide important opportunities for children and adolescents to engage in physical activity. However, the majority of youth from developed countries do not engage in sufficient levels of physical activity for optimal growth and development (Janssen et al., 2005). For example, a recent nationally representative study of 6–19-year-olds in Canada demonstrated that only 9 percent of boys and 4 percent of girls accumulated the recommended 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity on at least 6 days a week (Colley et al., 2011). However, children and adolescents who participate in sport accumulate more steps per day and are more likely to meet the physical activity guidelines than non-participants (Active Healthy Kids Canada, 2013). The purpose of this chapter is to review issues associated with participation in youth sport and, in the latter part of the chapter, consider some implications for parenting.
