Reimagining Youth Sport – Towards a More Inclusive and Responsible Youth Sport System
Youth sport systems around the world are currently facing an important challenge: how can we balance athletic development with the wellbeing of young people, access to sport, and responsible governance of sports organizations?
The recently published report “Reimagining Youth Sport – A Decision-Making Playbook” attempts to answer this question by proposing new decision-making frameworks for youth sport. The authors encourage policymakers, sports organizations, and sport leaders to rethink the way youth sport systems are designed and governed. Instead of focusing solely on sporting results and the selection of elite athletes, the report highlights the need to build more inclusive, sustainable, and participatory sport structures.
Youth Agency as the Foundation of the System
One of the key concepts analyzed in the report is youth agency. In the traditional model of youth sport, young athletes often function primarily as participants within systems designed by adults—coaches, administrators, or sports institutions.
However, the authors argue that young people should have a real influence on decisions concerning their sporting environment, including the organization of training, the structure of competition, and the direction of sport development programs. Strengthening the agency of young athletes can not only increase their engagement in sport, but also support the development of social competences such as responsibility, cooperation, and decision-making skills.
A New Approach to Youth Sport Governance
The report also highlights the need to rethink the governance model of youth sport. In many countries, decisions regarding the functioning of sport systems are made in a highly centralized manner and often do not take into account the perspectives of all stakeholders.
The authors propose a more participatory governance model, in which different groups are involved in decision-making processes, including sports organizations, schools, local authorities, coaches, parents, and young athletes themselves. Such an approach can contribute to better aligning sport systems with the needs of local communities while also increasing transparency and accountability in sports organizations.
From Pressure to Perform to Long-Term Development
Another important conclusion of the report is the need to reconsider the approach to competition in youth sport. In many sport systems, the dominant model still places strong emphasis on early talent identification and sporting success at the earliest stages of an athlete’s career.
The authors point out that such an approach may lead to the exclusion of many young people from sport and increase psychological pressure associated with competition. As an alternative, the report promotes a model focused on long-term development, cooperation, and building lasting engagement in sport, regardless of the participants’ performance level.
Sport as a Space for Social Development
The report also emphasizes that youth sport should be seen not only as a space for competition, but also as an important tool for social development.
Participation in sport can support the development of social skills, strengthen a sense of belonging within communities, and contribute to the integration of different social groups. Well-designed sport programs can therefore play a significant role in building more open and cohesive local communities.
Towards a More Sustainable Youth Sport System
The decision-making playbook presented in the report offers practical guidance for policymakers, sports organizations, and sport leaders on how to design youth sport systems that are fairer, more inclusive, and focused on the long-term development of young people.
In the face of growing social and organizational challenges, youth sport requires new governance models and greater inclusion of the perspectives of young participants. Initiatives such as Reimagining Youth Sport demonstrate that it is possible to build a sport system that not only develops athletic talent, but also supports the social and civic development of the younger generation.
We encourage readers to explore the full report, “Reimagining Youth Sport – A Decision-Making Playbook,” which provides detailed recommendations and practical tools to support the design of more inclusive and sustainable youth sport systems.
