Anxiety-Inducing Factors in Competitive Youth Sports

The growth evidenced in organized competitive youth sports participation over the past decade is staggering. Recent estimates indicate that 20 million children between 6 and 16 years of age are involved in competitive sport programs ( Parker, 1975 ). Paralleling the growth has been increasing concern over the psychological and social effects of the competitive sport experience on children. The concern is warranted not because sport competition is inherently good or bad, but because any social process involving so many children should be clearly understood. Currently, little empirical evidence exists on which to derive this necessary understanding; and many relevant questions remain unanswered. Fortunately, an increasing number of researchers are becoming involved in investigating the competitive youth sport experience. The project presented in this chapter represents one of these research efforts.