Elite youth sport policy and management (2017)

Elite youth sport competitions have increased significantly in number in recent years, with the Youth Olympic Games representing the high point of this phenomenon. This book examines the global context within which elite youth sport has emerged and continues to grow. It explores elite youth sport policy across 15 countries, in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia, adressing the questions of how youth talent development is organised and why elite youth sport has become so popular. Taking a comparative global perspective, the book analyses the growth in more systematic approaches to young athlete development and the increasing emphasis on early talent identification. It discusses the attitude of stakeholders (such as NGBs, governments and sponsors) towards elite youth sport, while also considering how, and the extent to which, young elite athletes’ interests are protected and how the growth in elite youth sport affects a sport’s development strategy. Written by a team of internationally renowned researchers, this book is fascinating reading for all students, scholars, managers, policy-makers and coaches with an interest in youth sport, elite sport development, talent identification and sports policy.