Ethics in Youth Sport

The influence of professional, adult sport on youth sport is now a global concern. Children are involved in high-stakes competitive sport at national and international levels at an increasingly young age. In addition, the use of sport as a medium for positive youth development by governments and within the community has fuelled ambitious targets for young people's participation in sport at all levels. In this important study of ethical issues in and around youth sport, leading international experts argue for the development of strong ethical codes for the conduct of youth sport and for effective policy and pedagogical applications to ensure that the positive benefits of sport are optimized and the negative aspects diminished.
At the heart of the discussion are the prevailing standards and expectations of youth sport in developed societies, typically consisting of the development of motor competence, the development of a safe and healthy lifestyle and competitive style, and the development of a positive self-image and good relationship skills. The book examines the recommendations emerging from the 'Panathlon Declaration' and the debates that have followed, and covers a wide range of key ethical issues, including:
emotional and physical abuse
aggression and violence
doping and cheating
values and norms
teaching and coaching
integrity management.
Ethics in Youth Sport is focused on the application of ethical policy and pedagogies and is grounded in practice. It assumes no prior ethical training on the part of the reader and is essential reading for all students, researchers, policy makers and professionals working with children and young people in sport across school, community and professional settings.

Stephen Harvey is Senior Lecturer in Physical Education and Sport Studies at the University of Bedfordshire, UK Richard L. Light is Professorial Research Fellow in the School of Health Sciences at the University of Ballarat, Australia.

Introduction 1. Managing Ethics in Youth Sport: An Application of the Integrity Management Framework 2. Putting the Child Back in Children's Sport: Nurturing Young Talent in a Developmentally-Appropriate Manner 3. The First Youth Olympic Games: Innovations, Challenges and Ethical Issues 4. Youth Sport Ethics: Teaching Pro-Social Behaviour 5. The Good and the Bad of Youth Sport Today: What are the Unforseen Ethical Issues 6. Game Sense Pegagogy in Youth Sport: An Applied Ethics Perspective 7. Sport Education as a Pedagogy for Promoting Sport as an Ethical Practice 8. Sports from a Pedagogical Perspective 9. Getting Naked: Aspirations, Delusions and Confusions about Gender Equity in Sport 10. Exploring Ethics: Reflections of a University Coach Educator 11. Examining Morality in Physical Education and Youth Sport from a Social Constructionist Perspective 12. Doing Moral Philosophy with Youth in Urban Programs: Strategies from the Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility and the Philsophy of Children Movement 13. Rethinking Inclusion through a Lens of Ethical Education Conclusions