Cath Bishop and Norway are right (Norway’s all-conquering Winter Olympians have a message for us all – and it’s not what you think, 26 February) – too much competition kills the joy of sport and risks putting children off physical activity for life. Ten years ago, I attended a good Football Association safeguarding course for new coaches of children’s football. I learned how, in Norway, development is prioritised over winning: when a team is ahead by two goals, they lose a player. This idea was introduced in a discussion on emotional abuse, and I quickly learned why it is needed here.
After a year of watching coaches deny playing time to weaker players, parents screaming at children to win the game, and children in tears, I stopped coaching my local under-nines team. Judging by rising levels of obesity and other health conditions attendant on declining physical activity, I doubt much has changed in our approach to encouraging children to get active.
Michael Frearson
Cambridge
Norway’s indoor sports club structure encourages juniors to be members and play games such as basketball, volleyball and handball. Here in the UK, a club is simply regarded as a source of income to the leisure trusts that control the facilities, and often the halls’ design and equipment are not suited to offer a lot of small courts for children to play.
Sprung wooden floors or Taraflex are not always installed, with lino on concrete or tiles being a cheaper option. Such floors are not suited to young joints and growing bones.
The cost of hall access at weekends can double, so it is hard to book optimum times for consecutive age groups and find suitable volunteer coaches.
Nick Moody
Tingewick, Buckinghamshire
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