Children's Development Through Sports Competition: Derivative, Adjustive, Generative, and Maladaptive Approaches

Sports competition can play an important role for children because it contributes to developmental outcomes for a healthy lifestyle. Through sports competition, children can learn about physical, social, and cognitive skills. Sports competition can be either positive or negative in terms of development, depending on how experiences are perceived by children and how competitions is designed. This article examines derivative, adjustive, generative, and maladaptive approaches to sports to determine the positive and negative effects on the development of children. Competition in sports related to development in four principal ways: sports competition was a result of development, it can be a respite from developmental pressure, it was a source of development, and it can be detrimental to development. This article discussed the optimal youth competitive sports program after the positive and negative aspects of human development for children were considered. The influence of coaches and family members was important to children's development and transforms the social, psychological, and emotional benefits that children receive through sports competition.