Sport for All - Children in American Sport

大眾體育 - 美國的少兒體育

Abstract

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in English; abstract also in Chinese.

Youth sport has much to offer children and society when it is organized and conducted in the best interest or children. While more than 20 million children are involved in youth sport through sport agencies and local service organizations in the United States, educators, physicians, and psychologists have been hesitant to encourage competitive opportunities for children younger than 12. This article addresses youth sport reviewing the purpose of organized, formal sport opportunities for young children, problems associated with young children's sport as it is promoted by parents and interested laypersons, and potential modifications in sport for youth age 5-12 provided by community sponsored organizations. Studies in youth sport indicates that the handling of early sport participation by parents and coaches, rather than the participation experience itself, determines the outcome of organized youth sport experiences.

在美國有兩千多萬少年兒童參加地方體育服務組織和社會代理機構組織的體育活動。當敎育家、醫生和心理學家還在猶豫是否應該為十二歲以下兒童提供競賽機會的時候，他們的父母和一些感興趣的外行人就一直在為此積極奔走。本文總結回顧了美國的少年體育、競賽活動的組織及組織形式的問題，以及探討在贊助圑體提供的五至十二歲兒童的競賽活動中進行改進的可行性。