Elitsatsningar make children to stop playing sports
the Debaters: Parents impose requirements which allows the sport to become too seriously
This is an opinion piece. It is the writer who stands for the views that are put forward in the text, not the newspaper Aftonbladet.
DEBATE. We all have a responsibility to create a society with more bounce and more spring in the legs. It is too important an issue to be shifting at the movement. It is about our children, about health and to get more people to find the joy in moving.
It is very very good in the barnidrotten, but at the same time, we often see that the desire to invest in our children is misplaced. Instead of having their sights set on a lifelong sportsmen Sweden is today full of tolvåringar who have their sports career behind him.
Tolvåringar who can look back on a few intense years in the action in which the family’s life puzzle tänjdes to bursting with skjutsning to training, competition and camps. Then it suddenly one day. And long before anyone could know how good they could be and, above all, long before they need exercise for their health the most.
There are of course several reasons for it, but it is not difficult to see the trend that it is to be spent early and trained a lot.
There is a life after twelve years as well. The question is why it is in such a hurry? For while we see that many children ends too early, seems the elite continue to play sports longer and longer.
It has also with the expectation on a parent to do. A ”good” parent, choosing the activities, just like school, for their children with care. Then you choose is not the closest one, but those who are considered the best.
Parents who choose also demands on the clubs to deliver activities with quality. This makes the clubs feel that they need to move on up and offer serious training and often. The result is that it becomes too much seriousness too soon.
this is a sad development when we know that the goal should be lifelong sportsmen. It is sad when we know that the early elitsatsningar only works if there is barnelit we want. These early efforts turn out to children long before anyone can know if they can be good and far too early from a public health perspective.
There is a life after twelve years as well. The question is why it is in such a hurry? For while we see that many children ends too early, seems the elite continue to play sports longer and longer.
in the Past, athletes who passed the 30 question of whether it was not time to stop. Now 40 years of age no obstacle for winning the OLYMPIC gold medal or be competing at the very highest level. Tennispelaren Federer is 36, Rule 37, Venus Williams, 38 ,the sprinter Gatlin 36 and athlete Björndalen took the OLYMPIC gold medal after 40. A sporting career at the elite level is becoming increasingly longer.
The short answer to why this is, is that it is possible. Previously ended up many, in order to obtain a livelihood. Now, many earn so well that they hardly can afford to stop. And so they continue and find that they can continue to perform at its peak.
Because men often earn more than women also in sport, it is more men that have the ability to continue than women. Here, it has also been noticed that women received their support from the Swedish olympic committee suspended when they become pregnant.
Just as in professional life, they have also acquired routine, knowledge and experiences so that they can use their capacity better than in the past. It can be about the ability to read the game, decide whether they should go with a breakout and read the competitors ‘ weaknesses. This places new demands on the athletes. They must put up their training in a way that they can keep on longer.
this also applies to barnidrotten. It requires a more long-term thinking. We have forgotten the children in the barnidrotten. We need to listen more to them and what they want. Who is it that determines how many trainings they should be, how many cups or competitions to be on?
When the UN child convention to become law in 2020, it means that all children should have the right to participation, influence over the training, to be heard and to make their own decisions. The structure is not within sport. Der we need to change.
We need a sport where it will be easier to keep on with multiple sports. This would more sports to be seasonal.
the Train, a ten, a sport three times a week and have a competition or match on the weekend, it will be difficult to engage in more sports. It becomes one-sided.
We need a sport where it will be easier to keep on with multiple sports. This would more sports to be seasonal. A nine-year-old who plays hockey, don’t need to run to open field, but can then keep on with another sport. Time, they also start to crave ice age.
Then have the municipalities give priority to children’s places and movement higher. More people need to be able to ride a bike and go to the training. There must be more room for play and movement in children’s everyday lives.
It is a must if the overall goal is public health and a sustainable sport for as long as possible. The percentage will become elite, we have a spin off effect and which child it is, no one knows, even if many believe it.\n
\nKlas Östberg, sports physician\nTobias Östberg, journalist\nNätverket Swedish Barnidrott\nFörfattare to the book Barnidrott –No play\nInstiftat Swedish Barnidrottspriset 2013
\n Join in the debate and comment on the article\n – like Aftonbladet Debate on Facebook.
