ABSTRACT
Sport and those who run it have an important duty to ensure the safety and wellbeing of young participants. This text presents the findings of a unique research project into the experiences of a wide range of stakeholders in contemporary youth soccer, exploring crucial issues of child protection, social policy, and the culture and governance of sport. It covers:
- The youth soccer context — twenty-first century family life, the sports policy background, and the organisation, governance and culture of the English game
- Research findings — the experiences of children and young people, parents and carers, coaches, teachers, referees, Child Protection Officers, Football Development Officers, and those involved in women’s, disability and professional soccer
- Issues in social policy research — methodological, ethical and management challenges
- Conclusions and implications — the benefits and limitations of different approaches to the protection of children and young people in sport.
For researchers, professionals and decision-makers, this text provides important new insight into the impact of child protection policies, and into the potential for evidence-based practice in youth sport.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
chapter |6 pages
Introduction
part |2 pages
Part I Context
chapter |12 pages
Families and football in the twenty-first century
chapter |21 pages
Child protection and the sports policy agenda
chapter |14 pages
Youth football
chapter |13 pages
Researching the football family
part |2 pages
Part II Findings
chapter |12 pages
Children and young people
chapter |13 pages
Parents and carers
chapter |14 pages
Referees
chapter |14 pages
The Professional Game
chapter |11 pages
Coaches
chapter |13 pages
School teachers
chapter |9 pages
Disability football and vulnerable people
chapter |13 pages
The women’s game
chapter |15 pages
Scouts
part |2 pages
Part III Reflections
chapter |10 pages
Managing the research process
chapter |10 pages
Conclusions: Dream-makers or dream-breakers?
part |2 pages
Appendices