Human Rights in Youth Sport

Does competitive sport respect children's human rights? Is intensive training child labour? Is competitive stress a form of child abuse?

The human rights of children have been recognized in the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and ratified by 192 countries. Paulo David's work makes it clear, however, that too often competitive sport fails to recognize the value of respect for international child rights norms and standards.

Human Rights in Youth Sport offers critical analysis of some very real problems within youth sport and argues that the future development of sport depends on the creation of a child-centred sport system. Areas of particular concern include issues of:

• over-training
• physical, emotional and sexual abuse
• doping and medical ethics
• education
• child labour
• accountability of governments, sports federations, coaches and parents.

The text will be essential reading for anybody with an interest in the ethics of sport, youth sport, coaching and sports development.