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Article

Kids In Sport

20-08-2009

A fight erupted at the end of a Rugby game in New Zealand last week. The first XV’s of two prominent rugby nurseries in Auckland went toe-to-toe after the full-time siren. Some spectators were also involved. The video footage was graphic. These ”boys” looked more like “men” than adolescents.

The fact that this happened indicated that there was a bit on the line in this match. The obvious clash was that between the private (privileged) grammar school and the public (less privileged) high school. This would lead one to presume some racial tension (Caucasians versus the Maori/Pacific Islanders). However, the boys on both sides seemed to be predominantly of Maori or Pacific Islander background.

I wondered whether these two schools had attracted boys keen to establish rugby careers. Achievement in sports is often seen as a mark of success by schools, especially those selling a private education. Most private schools have established systems for developing their gifted athletes. With people staying at school well into their adolescence, they are not far away from a career in professional sport by the time they leave. For the gifted ones seeking a sports career, the role of sport is fairly straight forward; develop your skills to a point where you attract the eye of the talent scouts in your particular sport. This will result in the offer of a contract and/or a place in a sports institute devoted to your particular discipline.

What roles does sport play for the non elite people?

As background, it is worth noting that in Australia kids are involved in competitive sports from about 7 years of age through to year 12. This covers some important developmental phases; childhood, puberty and adolescence. The other thing to keep in mind is the huge variation in rates of physical and psychological maturity during these phases.

Sport as Healthy Activity

Australia lucked in with climate. All year round outside activity is possible here. No excuses. In kids of all ages there are profound benefits from regular exercise. We lead the world in obesity rates. A lot of this stems from “learning” a sedentary lifestyle in childhood. The most powerful preventative medicine we could prescribe would be to establish a habit of regular physical exercise in childhood. The secret is to keep kids interested. This is where sport comes in. It doesn’t matter what they play, so long as they are encouraged to be active. It might mean using your imagination to find something they enjoy. It doesn’t have to be a team sport.
Teamwork
The advantage of team sports is that it gives kids the sense of being part of something. There is the potential to discover that cooperation with others can produce something “bigger than the sum of the parts”. Don’t expect too much here until kids are 10-12 years of age. Abstract notions such as “team spirit” don’t hold much water until their brains can understand them.
Socialisation

For kids from small families, their team mates and their families play an important role. The messages here are about getting on with people and learning about differences. They will also learn about compromise and considering the needs of others.
Winning and Losing

In sport, this is a regular occurrence. At one end of the emotional scale is the euphoria of a triumph over an opponent. At the other end is the experience of having lost the contest despite our best efforts. Coach and parents have an important role in making sense of this. Once again, this becomes more important psychologically as kids get into puberty. In team sports there is the benefit of sharing the experience, no matter which end of the scale your emotions lie on.
The Benefits of Application and Hard Work

During childhood the accent in sport is on outdoor activity, experiencing a range of activities and improving coordination and dexterity. It is less about excellence and achievement. As kids enter their teens they tend to focus on a couple of activities and learn something about the benefits of training. Those who apply themselves to a sport will usually experience the improvements in performance associated with this. It is a very individual thing and a lesson which can often generalise into everyday life.
Sportsmanship and Fairness

A lot rests with parents and coaches here. Kids also watch sport role models very carefully. This is a difficult area as it also concerns family, cultural and societal values. Aussies have a tradition of being fair but tough competitors. This might stem from the Irish troublemakers who formed a third of the white population in 1800. We have tended not to take ourselves or life very seriously; “easygoing” is the term applied to us. It is hard to see sport as a major life threatening issue. However, at another level, sport has been a way of establishing our place in the world. A world which was dominated by the cultures of the northern hemisphere. For all that, there is the sense of being hard, but fair, generous in defeat and gracious in victory. These are probably values which kids need to learn from a early stage.