ABSTRACT
Although sport for children began as an activity designed to supplement and advance physical, psychological, and social health, it has, for many, become incongruent with developmental needs and children’s rights. Sport for children has shifted away from unstructured play driven by the children themselves, to an endeavour that is highly structured, driven and controlled by adults, and focused on performance outcomes. Early talent identification, early specialisation, and intensive participation of children in elite sport has precluded engagement in other important developmental opportunities. Cited by some as a form of child labour, elite sport participation violates many children’s rights, including the rights to participate, to qualified leadership, to freely express themselves in matters that affect them, to safety and security, and to engage in developmentally appropriate activities. The concerns about elite sport for children are long-standing, and as some suggest, will continue as long as sport remains impermeable to children’s rights.
