Child's Play
Child's Play

Author: Michael A. Messner

Publisher: Rutgers University Press

Published: 2016-05

Total Pages: 267

ISBN-13: 0813571472

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Is sport good for kids? When answering this question, both critics and advocates of youth sports tend to fixate on matters of health, whether condemning contact sports for their concussion risk or prescribing athletics as a cure for the childhood obesity epidemic. Child’s Play presents a more nuanced examination of the issue, considering not only the physical impacts of youth athletics, but its psychological and social ramifications as well. The eleven original scholarly essays in this collection provide a probing look into how sports—in community athletic leagues, in schools, and even on television—play a major role in how young people view themselves, shape their identities, and imagine their place in society. Rather than focusing exclusively on self-proclaimed jocks, the book considers how the culture of sports affects a wide variety of children and young people, including those who opt out of athletics. Not only does Child’s Play examine disparities across lines of race, class, and gender, it also offers detailed examinations of how various minority populations, from transgender youth to Muslim immigrant girls, have participated in youth sports. Taken together, these essays offer a wide range of approaches to understanding the sociology of youth sports, including data-driven analyses that examine national trends, as well as ethnographic research that gives a voice to individual kids. Child’s Play thus presents a comprehensive and compelling analysis of how, for better and for worse, the culture of sports is integral to the development of young people—and with them, the future of our society.

Changing the Game
Changing the Game

Author: John O'Sullivan

Publisher: Morgan James Publishing

Published: 2013-12-01

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 1614486468

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The modern day youth sports environment has taken the enjoyment out of athletics for our children. Currently, 70% of kids drop out of organized sports by the age of 13, which has given rise to a generation of overweight, unhealthy young adults. There is a solution. John O’Sullivan shares the secrets of the coaches and parents who have not only raised elite athletes, but have done so by creating an environment that promotes positive core values and teaches life lessons instead of focusing on wins and losses, scholarships, and professional aspirations. Changing the Game gives adults a new paradigm and a game plan for raising happy, high performing children, and provides a national call to action to return youth sports to our kids.

Children in Sport
Children in Sport

Author: Richard A. Magill

Publisher:

Published: 1982

Total Pages: 338

ISBN-13:

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Abstract: This collection of essays cover the wide range of research into children and athletics from historical and future perspectives to the social context of athletes. Of particular importance are the sections on readiness participation, psychological issues, and social processes. The first group contains three essays which discuss the concept of readiness in competitive sports and critical periods in the child's development. These periods can affect competition and achievement motivation in relation to competition. The seven papers about psychological issues of sport competition cover the bulk of the research into children and sports. Primarily the effects of competitive stress on behaviors are discussed and models designed to reduce this stress are presented. The last section includes two relevant essays about socialization of children into the sports world and about sex differences and family influences on this socialization.

Raising Young Athletes
Raising Young Athletes

Author: Jim Taylor, PhD

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2018-10-12

Total Pages: 183

ISBN-13: 1538108127

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Sports are an amazing environment in which to raise children. The benefits they gain from athletic participation are many, including physical, personal, and social. Yet, there is also a dark side to today’s youth sports culture, as an emphasis on winning has made what was once fun become a burden for many young athletes. As a result, parents can’t always be certain their children’s athletic involvement will be safe and enjoyable. In Raising Young Athletes: Parenting Your Children to Victory in Sports and Life, Dr. Jim Taylor—an internationally-recognized authority on sport psychology, child development, and parenting—offers a guiding hand to help parents ensure their children’s sports participation encourages positive attitudes and promotes healthy developments as they move toward adulthood. The role of parents in shaping their children’s sports experience has never been more important, and Dr. Taylor shows parents how to send the right messages to their young athletes with clear and practical advice. Whether playing sports just for fun or with aspirations to play professionally, Raising Young Athletes helps parents steer their children toward a healthy, positive experience. As such, their participation will become an impactful part of their lives that will prepare them to be victorious both in sports and in life.