Many parents and coaches are living out their dreams of being a champion athlete rather than encouraging participation. This leads to unrealistic expectations manifested, for example, in shouting, swearing and emotional blackmail.
An example of this is the lengths that some sports will go to in training.
I have heard of primary-age children swimming for up to three hours at a session, having started at 6am.
Few, if any, sports have guidelines to protect children. In my sport, cricket, a 10-year-old can bat and field for up to six hours with only a 20-minute break. When questioned about this, one cricket development officer said: "If they can't stand the heat, they can get out of the kitchen."
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