Top-level sports and children; practice for life? A discussion on how to best serve the child’s interest in top-level sports; freedom, happiness and virtue.

Abstract

The central question is whether one-sided development, i.e. focus on top-level sport, is problematic and, if so, how, from different points of view on the child’s best interest, this problem can be handled with by sport associations and parents. An interpretation from the notion of child’s best interest and one-sided development is given from the liberal view as brought forward by Feinberg, from the utilitarian view as brought forward by Hare and from the virtue-ethical view as brought forward by MacIntyre. The purpose of this discussion on the child’s best interest is to offer tools to parents, sport associations and clubs, to structure debate about this subject and increase sensitivity to this subject.