Are Recreational Sports a Relic of the Past OR a Solution for the Future?

Document Type

Editorial

Publication Date

3-1-2024

Identifier

DOI: 10.1249/JSR.0000000000001148

Abstract

Children's participation in sport is a critical component to their physical and social development and as such, efforts should be made to provide all children with the opportunity to play. In recent years, there has been an observed shift in the focus of youth sports from that of participation for the health benefits of physical activity and fun to that of winning and competing. As a result, there has been a rise in club sports offerings and a subsequent reduction in recreational sports opportunities. This change presents unique challenges to children's access to sport and may not adequately support their overall physical, social, and emotional development. This commentary will discuss the benefits and barriers to increasing recreational sport opportunities using the Social Ecological Model as a framework. It also will propose solutions that can be implemented at the intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational, community, and public policy levels to revive recreational sports.

Journal Title

Current sports medicine reports

Volume

23

Issue

3

First Page

62

Last Page

68

MeSH Keywords

Child; Adolescent; Humans; Sports; Exercise; Youth Sports; Emotions

Keywords

Sports; Exercise; Youth Sports; Emotions

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