Why young athletes quit sports?
70% of children give up sports by the age of 13! For every person who is active in the sports environment and affects children, the above percentage is or should be a source of concern.
There are, according to research, some key factors that “push” children out of sports. The common component of all factors is summed up in one sentence: “Kids stop when they don’t experience pleasure in the sports environment.”
Analyzing the above factors, the first and probably the most important is the loss of fun. In one study, 9 out of 10 athletes (up to 12 years old) reported that the #1 reason they participate in sports is “because it is fun”……
Children defined fun as trying their best, being treated with respect by coaches, parents, and teammates, and having time to play. They listed eighty-one characteristics of fun, and winning (No. 48), participating in leagues (No. 63), and practicing with one-on-one training (No. 66) were not among their top priorities… But are they for us adults? If young athletes aren’t having fun, they will eventually leave, regardless of their talent or how good their team or coach is. As adults, we rarely do volunteer activities such as exercise or doing community service that we don’t derive pleasure from. Why do we think kids will?
Let’s ask the children if they enjoy what they are doing! Chances are, the more they enjoy it the better and the more they will play and the harder they will work. And if it stops being fun, we have to find a way to make it fun again!
An important factor that leads children to pursue other interests than sports is the loss of “ownership” of the experience.
Millions of children are dropping out of sports as adult interference and control increase. This does not mean that there is no room for guidance or teaching. But good training doesn’t take away autonomy. If we doubt that, then let’s ask ourselves: “would the average teenager play 17 hours of video games a week if they had someone constantly by their side giving them instructions?”
If we think of it as “play – run – win – go to training” then we may have removed the child’s ability to feel his sport as something of his own! Which needs….
Children want and need to play. It matters little to them how good their team or club is or how famous their coach is. One study showed that 90% of children cite play as the main factor they look for in training.
Our overemphasis on winning at younger ages creates a sense of pressure that no longer allows children to develop at their own pace. The greater the emphasis on victory, the greater the stress, and the closer the exit!
One of the main reasons kids drop out is because they’re afraid of making mistakes, of being criticized, yelled at, or disparaged for trying. People grow in environments where they are not afraid of mistakes, where they are encouraged to try and fail, and where they are made to understand that failure is a necessary part of the growth process.
As adults involved in youth sports, whether we are parents, coaches, or agents, we have a responsibility to create an environment that serves the needs, values, and priorities of children and not just adults. 70% of our children indicate that something needs to be improved or changed.
Creating an environment that meets the needs and desires of children. In an effort to keep children in sport for the benefits they will receive both physically and mentally.
Now that it might still be early!
Yannis Zarotis
Psychologist-Sports Psychologist
www.psychology.org.gr
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