Children participate in sport at all levels, from school involvement to international competitions. With the growing concern about the mental and physical pressures which can be exerted on a child, the coaches' traditional role is developing and expanding. They now need to be aware of how problems like depression, anxiety, sports injuries, etc occur and how they can be prevented.
This book has arisen out of a need for a text which tackles the special issues relating to coaching children (from 6 - 16) in sport. Academics (many with coaching experience) and practitioners have been commissioned to write on their specialist areas. The book contains clear, accessible information divided up into five parts: children in the world of sport, developmental changes in children, psychological aspects of participation, applications to the coaching process, and good practice in coaching. In these parts the theory behind the need for good communication, counselling, training, dealing with injuries, nutrition, etc is given with ample examples of how to put these ideas into practice.