Chapters 23-24 (LeUnes) Youth Sports Psychology of Sport Dec 2, 2009 Class #39.
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Transcript of Chapters 23-24 (LeUnes) Youth Sports Psychology of Sport Dec 2, 2009 Class #39.
Youth sports 40 years ago
Free from adult interaction - the sandlot.
Kids played for the sake of playing - learning the same lessons they learn today, but from each other rather than from adults.
Very few organized youth sports programs.
Youth Sports Today
Most towns have organized leagues for children as young as 5 years old.
Both school-sponsored and non-school youth sports programs have drastically increased their offerings.
Increased involvement of parents as coaches and spectators has led to increased pressure to win and succeed.
Good or Bad?
Good: Involvement of parents and coaches in young people’s lives through the intentional teaching of positive values, social interactions, and physical skills.
Bad: Over-emphasis on winning, competition and specialization can diminish the potential benefits youth sports have to offer and even lead to “burnout” in athletes.
Achievement By Proxy
Parents and coaches who live vicariously through their kids “Frustrated jock syndrome”
Its not fun anymore...
Studies conducted by the National Youth Sports Coaches Association showed that nearly three out of four children in organized sports programs drop out between the ages of 8 and 13.
The two most common reasons? The sport was no longer fun and players felt abused by their coaches.
Defining Burnout
A syndrome of physical/emotional exhaustion, sport devaluation, and reduced athletic accomplishment.
A multi-dimensional problem that can have many causes including increased stress, loss of investment, and an over-controlling social structure.
Physiological Symptoms of Burnout
Increased resting and exercise heart rate
Increased resting systolic blood pressure
Increased muscle soreness
Increased presence of biochemical indicators of stress in the blood
Increased sleep loss
Increased cold and respiratory issues
Decreased body weight
Decreased maximal aerobic power
Decreased libido and appetite
Psychological Symptoms of Burnout
Increased mood disturbances
Increased perception of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion
Decreased self-esteem
Negative change in the quality of personal interaction with others (cynicism, lack of feeling, impersonal relating)
Negative cumulative reaction to chronic everyday stress as opposed to acute doses of stress
Can premature specialization lead to burnout in youth sports?
American Association of Pediatrics: “Children involved in sports should be encouraged to participate in a variety of different activities and develop a wide range of skills”. “Those who participate in a variety of sports and specialize only after reaching the age of puberty tend to be more consistent performers, have fewer injuries, and adhere to sports play longer than those who specialize early”.
Burnout
Journal of American Chiropractic Association: “Young children who have played in structured sport programs tend to have higher levels of pre-competitive anxiety that predisposes them to emotional trauma and injuries. Also, higher levels of pre-competitive anxiety have been linked to low levels of enjoyment
Sport psychologists have determined that a lack of fun and enjoyment is the No. 1 reason children leave organized sport.”*
What was your youth sports experience like?
Did you specialize in a sport?
At what age did you specialize?
Would you want your children to specialize?
McElroy and Kirkendal (1980)
2,000+ children, average age 11.9 selected one of the following as their most important reason for playing a sport:
to defeat your opponent or the other team (winning orientation)
to play as well as you can (personal performance) to play fairly, by the rules at all times (fair play) everyone on the team should get to play (total
participation)
McElroy and Kirkendal (1980)
Most Important Reason for Playing Sports
Males Females
Winning 13.5% 04.6%
Personal Perform. 51.0% 48.3%
Fair Play 24.4% 37.6%
Total Participation 11.0% 09.4%
American Youth and Sport Participation Study
Ewing & Seefeldt (1990)
The Athletic Footwear Association commissioned Drs. Martha Ewing and Vern Seefeldt of the Youth Sport Institute at Michigan State University to investigate children’s reasons for participation and/or dropping out from nonschool youth programs.
Boys’ and girls’ (N=10,000) were asked: Why they participate? Why they quit? How they feel about winning?
American Youth and Sport Participation Study
Ewing & Seefeldt (1990)
Highlights of the Study:
Sport participation, and the desire to participate in sports, decline sharply and steadily between ages 10 and 18.
“Fun” is a pivotal reason for being in a sport, and lack of fun is a leading reason for dropping out.
Young participants do not consider winning as a major benefit of sport competition.
Motivations to participate differ greatly within and in between athletes.
CHILDREN’S RANK ORDER OF THE MOST IMPORTANT REASONS FOR PLAYING THEIR BEST SCHOOL SPORT OR DROPPING OUT FROM YOUTH SPORTS
REASON FOR PLAYING REASON FOR DROPPING OUT
01 TO HAVE FUN 01 I LOST INTEREST02 TO IMPROVE MY SKILLS 02 I WAS NOT HAVING FUN03 TO STAY IN SHAPE 03 IT TOOK TOO MUCH TIME04 TO DO SOMETHING 04 COACH WAS A POOR I’M GOOD AT TEACHER 05 FOR THE EXCITEMENT OF 05 TOO MUCH PRESSURE (WORRY)
COMPETITION06 TO GET EXERCISE 06 WANTED NON-SPORT ACTIVITY07 TO PLAY AS PART OF A 07 I WAS TIRED OF IT
TEAM08 FOR THE CHALLENGE OF 08 NEEDED MORE STUDY TIME
COMPETITION09 TO LEARN NEW SKILLS 09 COACH PLAYED FAVORITES10 TO WIN 10 SPORT WAS BORING
11 OVER-EMPHASIS ON WINNING
Reproduced from Ewing, M. E., & Seefeldt, V. (1990). American youth sports participation: A study of 10,000 students and their feelings about sport. North Palm Beach, FL: Athletic Footwear Association.
THE 12 MOST IMPORTANT REASONS I PLAY MY BEST SCHOOL SPORT
BOYS GIRLS01 TO HAVE FUN 01 TO HAVE FUN02 TO IMPROVE SKILLS 02 TO STAY IN SHAPE03 FOR THE EXCITEMENT 03 TO GET EXERCISE
OF COMPETITION04 TO DO SOMETHING 04 TO IMPROVE SKILLS
I’M GOOD AT05 TO STAY IN SHAPE 05 TO DO SOMETHING I'M
GOOD AT06 FOR THE CHALLENGE 06 TO BE PART OF A TEAM
OF COMPETITION07 TO BE PART OF A TEAM 07 FOR THE EXCITEMENT OF
COMPETITION08 TO WIN 08 TO LEARN NEW SKILLS09 TO GO TO A HIGHER 09 FOR THE TEAM SPIRIT
LEVEL OF COMPETITION10 TO GET EXERCISE 10 FOR THE CHALLENGE OF
COMPETITION11 TO LEARN NEW SKILLS 11 TO GO TO A HIGHER LEVEL OF COMPETITION12 FOR THE TEAM SPIRIT 12 TO WIN
Reproduced from Ewing, M. E., & Seefeldt, V. (1990)
THE 6 MOST IMPORTANT CHANGES I WOULD MAKE TO GET INVOLVED AGAIN IN A SPORT I DROPPED
“I would play again if…”
BOYS GIRLS01 PRACTICES WERE 01 PRACTICES WERE MORE FUN MORE FUN02 I COULD PLAY MORE 02 NO CONFLICT WITH STUDIES03 COACHES UNDERSTOOD 03 COACHES UNDERSTOOD
PLAYERS BETTER PLAYERS BETTER04 NO CONFLICT WITH 04 NO CONFLICT WITH SOCIAL
STUDIES LIFE 05 COACHES WERE BETTER 05 I COULD PLAY MORE TEACHERS
06 NO CONFLICT WITH 06 COACHES WERE BETTER
SOCIAL LIFE TEACHERS
Reproduced from Ewing, M. E., & Seefeldt, V. (1990)
Achievement Goal Theory
3 major factors in determining the motivation levels of children in youth sport settings:
1. Goal Orientation Task-orientation – success is defined as self-referent
improvement Ego-orientation – success is defined by social comparison and
out-doing others2. Motivational Climate
Mastery climate – focus is on learning, effort, cooperative strategies, and skill development
Performance climate – competitive, beating teammates, demonstrating superiority over others
3. Perceived ability High – greater competence Low – less competence
Violence in Youth SportViolence in Youth Sport
45.3% of young athletes have been called names, yelled at or insulted while participating in sports
17.5% of young athletes say they have been hit, kicked or slapped while participating in sports
Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission
Stats in Youth Stats in Youth SportsSports
15% of parents at youth sporting events display 15% of parents at youth sporting events display obnoxious, unruly, or unsportsmanlike behavior obnoxious, unruly, or unsportsmanlike behavior ******
8.2% of young athletes report that they were 8.2% of young athletes report that they were pressured to intentionally harm others while pressured to intentionally harm others while playing sports **playing sports **
19,000 members of the National 19,000 members of the National Association of Sports Officials are now Association of Sports Officials are now offered assault insurance****offered assault insurance****
*The Institute for the Study of Youth Sports of Michigan State *The Institute for the Study of Youth Sports of Michigan State UniversityUniversity
** Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission** Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission*** National Alliance for Youth Sports*** National Alliance for Youth Sports**** US World News & World Report (2000)**** US World News & World Report (2000)
Intervention StrategiesIntervention Strategies Sport psychology consultants
Sport administrators
Parents
Athletes/Teammates
Media
League officials/referees
Coaches
Credits
http://www.basketballalberta.ca/clientuploads/Youth_Sports_Web.ppt#309,25,Conclusions
http://academic.missouriwestern.edu/wrussell/
WhatisSportPsychPresentation.ppt#259,4,Global Sport Psychology Specialties:
http://scott.allenby.com/Site/Sports_Psychology_files/Specialization%20and%20Burnout.ppt
http://ajvisek.com/ss493H/Classnotes6_YouthSport.ppt#281,2,Violence in Youth Sport: Case Studies