Social Issues in Sports - Exam #2

organized youth sports

• became popular in the early 20th century when people realized that human development was influenced by the social environment and the everyday experiences of children

• first programs focused on making boys into men - masculinizing them

• grew rapidly in many industrialized countries after WWII

societal desire after WWII

hegemony

• but women had to pick up the work slack

changing ideas about families in the late 20th century

• cultural expectations related to family life, childhood, and parenting have changed over the past four decades in neoliberal societies

neoliberalism

an ideology emphasizign individualism, free markets and economic deregulation, privatization and the reduction of government power, the pursuit of economic self-interest, and competition to boost efficiency and stimulate progress

• especially prevalent in the US since the 1980s when it was formally endorsed by President Reagan

neoliberalism comes with social changes that impact youth sports in the US

• more families with both parents working outside the home

• new definition of what it means to be a “good parent” - control the actions and whereabouts of your children 24/7

• belief that informal activities provide occasions for kids to get into trouble

• decreased importance of the culture of childhood play & belief that spontaneous play was a waste of time relative to “structured learning”

• belief that the wolrd is a dangerous place for children

research shows that when children play on their own, they give priority to…

• action and personal involvement in the action

• exciting challenges relative to skill sets

• personal expression and creativity

• relationships and reaffirming friendships

three models of organized youth sports programs

• skills & excellence

• physical literacy & lifelong participation

• personal growth & development

skills & excellence model

model organized around achievement at progressively higher levels of competition

• emerged as public, tax-supported programs declined and private, pay-to-play youth sports were created and sold to parents as programs that would help their children compete & succeed

• also sold was the idea that year-round specialization in a program was necessary to increase and odds of success (and provide year-round income for coaches and league managers)

• private program marketing emphasizes the skills and the excellence needed to succeed in sports and in life

physical literacy & lifelong participation

model organized around play and access to sports with an ultimate goal of improving health & wellness

personal growth & development

model organized around interventions that teach young people to make responsible choices and become productive individuals

privatization of youth sports

• occurs when public programs are cut

• most common in middle- and upper-income areas

• often reproduces and extends economic and ethnic inequalities and segregation in communities

• not accountable in the same ways that public programs are: they may not be committed to gender equity or equal opportunities, and the rules to do so do not cover private programs