Child and Youth Sport:
Developmentally
Appropriate Sport
Garrett Dominy
Major Questions:
• What is developmentally appropriate sport?
• What factors should be considered when planning
developmentally appropriate sports and practices?
Developmentally Appropriate Sport:
• Developmentally appropriate sport includes tasks and
activities that accommodate both the ability and confidence
level of the individual.
• Dependent on the developmental stage of a child
Children are not mini-adults:
• Children’s minds and bodies function differently from adults.
• Children do not yet have specific skills to specialize in a certain
sport.
• While adults play sports for a vast majority of reasons,
children play them for fun.
• Try to:
• Eliminate the negative
• Play cooperative games
Developmental stages of children:
• Early childhood
• Middle childhood
• Late childhood
• Early adolescence
• Late adolescence
Early Childhood:
• Age: 3-5 years old
• Motor skills:
• Limited fundamental sport skills (running, throwing, kicking)
• Vision:
• Not mature until 6 to 7 years of age
• Difficulty tracking and judging the speed of moving objects
• Learning:
• Very short attention span
• Skill emphasis:
• Emphasize fundamental skills
• Play rather than competition
• Suggested activities:
• Running, tumbling, throwing, catching, riding a tricycle or bicycle
with training wheels
Middle Childhood:
• Age: 6-9 years old
• Motor skills:
• Mature fundamental sport skills
• Better posture and balance. Beginning transitional skills (throwing for
distance)
• Vision:
• Improved tracking but limited directionality
• Learning:
• Short attention span
• Limited memory and rapid decision-making skills
• Skill emphasis:
• Emphasize fundamental skills and beginning transitional skills
• Suggested activities:
• Entry-level sports
• Soccer, dancing, swimming, tee-ball, etc.
Late Childhood:
• Age: 10-12 years old
• Motor skills:
• Improving transitional skills
• Mastering complex motor skills
• Vision:
• Mature adult patters
• Learning:
• Selective attention
• Memory skills improving
• Skill emphasis:
• Emphasize skill with increase on tactics and strategy
• Suggested activities:
• Entry-level football, slightly more advanced team sports
Early Adolescence:
• Age: 13-15 years old
• Motor skills:
• Tremendous growth but loss of flexibility
• Vision:
• Adult patters
• Learning:
• Improved attention span
• Good memory skills; able to recognize plays and strategize
• Skill emphasis:
• Individual strengths
• Suggested activities:
• Majority of sports if mature enough
Late Adolescence:
• Age: 16-18 years old
• Motor skills:
• Continued growth into adulthood
• Vision:
• Adult patters
• Learning:
• Good attention span and memory skills
• Skill emphasis
• Continued emphasis on individual strengths
• Suggested activities
• All sports depending on interest
Factors:
• Different factors to think about when planning
developmentally appropriate sport and practices
• Curriculum
• Adapted for those who are ahead as well as those who are
behind
• Process
• Activities used so that learning takes place
• Context
• Why are these sports/activities chosen and why are they learning
these skills?
Teachers and Coaches:
• Appropriate curriculum
• Outdoor/indoor play
• Time/duration
• Focus more on teaching rather than winning or losing
• Age specific
• Observe and evaluate children’s developmental levels
• Ability and confidence
• Health of the child
Pros:
• Advantages of developmentally appropriate sports:
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Children are allowed to learn under their own control
Fewer injuries
Children are able to experience all types of sports
Healthier
Cons/Debated Topics:
• Weightlifting
• Necessary for athletics/sports but potentially harmful to young children
• Gymnastics
• Could potentially stunt growth for young children when started at an early
age
• Professional athlete?
Injuries:
• Physical and mental:
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•
•
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Stunting growth
Broken bones
Concussions
Learning disabilities
Loss of interest in physical activity and sports
• Obesity
• Health later in life
Extraordinary cases:
• In some cases there are children that are more highly
developed than the majority of other kids their age
• Capable of extreme feats of muscular strength, endurance, and
skill well past the expectations for their age
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkrrKvgDWC8
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIqVvRh_cEY
References:
• Paediatr Child Health. 2005 Jul-Aug; 10(6): 343–344.
• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2722975/
• Siedentop, Daryl; van der Mars, Hans. Introduction to Physical
Education, Fitness, and Sport, 8th Edition