Whatever the reason for children to join a sports programme, coaches have a responsibility to safeguard the flame of “sport enjoyment” to ensure that children stay involved in Sport and Physical activity throughout their lives. Only a very few will ever reach the Olympics or play in a professional league. All children, however, should enjoy their sport experience and develop a love for sport and physical activity that will help them grow into healthy and active adults.

It is our belief that a lot of the principles and ideas we are going to share with you apply to the coaching of younger kids, older kids and indeed adults. So even if you coach older participants, we think you will benefit from engaging in this content.

We encourage all coaches to download and read the below study guide to explore this topic further, including:

Why children join and stay in sport.

Why children drop out of sport.

Childrens' Sport - A Reality Check.

The ICK Pledge

On Being A Coach - What Coaches Really Do