Sampling and Specialising in Children's Sport: Implications for Research and Coaching Practice
Colin D. McLaren, Mark W. Bruner, Alex Murata, Luc J. Martin, Jean Côté
Abstract
There is general agreement within the fields of sport psychology, coaching, child and youth development that early sampling (i.e. engaging in a breadth of activities differing in level of intensity both within and across sports) has a variety of benefits for young athletes. In fact, global leaders in youth sport research contend that the personal assets (i.e. competence, confidence, connection, and character) gained by engaging in these different types of sport settings strongly outweigh the risks (e.g. overuse injuries) and serve as a protective factor against mental health concerns (e.g. burnout and pressure). Despite this, young athletes are increasingly engaging in early sport specialisation (i.e. intensive engagement in a single sport beginning in childhood) to gain an early advantage in terms of skill development. As a result, children relinquish both an opportunity to engage in other sports and to experience different social settings associated with structured and unstructured sporting activities. In this climate, the sport ‘offseason’ has evolved for many child athletes from a time of sampling different sports at lower intensities to the exclusive promotion of specialised training and continued competition. Interestingly, it is often parents and coaches that promote this specialised climate of sport engagement. Through the lens of sport coaching, this chapter considers the nature of sampling and specialising in sport using the Developmental Model of Sport Participation (DMSP) as a guiding framework. Throughout, this chapter will offer a critical review of the existing literature, practical implications for coaching children, and propose a conceptual definition of sport ‘sampling’ to guide future research.