Training elite child athletes: promoting welfare and wellbeing

Abstract

Children can benefit from, and safely engage in, physical conditioning where appropriate supervision is provided. However, elite child athletes represent a unique population who are exposed to potentially large volumes of specialized training and early competition at a time when they are still maturing. This situation can expose the elite child athlete to a variety of risks that could affect their welfare and well-being and have negative consequences in terms of both performance and personal development. This article identifies risks and provides recommendations to help coaches promote the welfare and well-being of elite child athletes during training.