Democracy on the Sidelines: The Erosion and Potential of Youth Sports as Democratic Education
In this philosophical paper, we argue that youth sports, both in and out of schools, are a largely unrealized space for democratic/civic education. Where youth sports leagues used to be low cost, local, and inclusive, much has changed over the last several decades. We are now in the neoliberal era o...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SAGE Publishing
2025-01-01
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| Series: | AERA Open |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584241311810 |
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| author | Kurt Stemhagen Kathy Hytten |
| author_facet | Kurt Stemhagen Kathy Hytten |
| author_sort | Kurt Stemhagen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In this philosophical paper, we argue that youth sports, both in and out of schools, are a largely unrealized space for democratic/civic education. Where youth sports leagues used to be low cost, local, and inclusive, much has changed over the last several decades. We are now in the neoliberal era of exclusive, privatized, and professionalized youth sports. Drawing on Dewey’s robust conception of democracy and Talisse’s concerns about partisan polarization, we argue that youth sports should be spaces to develop democratic habits, dispositions, and values. We explore the benefits of youth sports as well as current challenges, including excessive costs and pressure, disrupted families, and hyperindividualism. We end by offering suggestions for reforming youth sports to recenter their educational and democratic potential and value, including supporting loosely structured play, modeling democratic behavior, teaching democratic habits directly, and learning from more progressive national sports models. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-985f53cb7525431295cbc4ff89027a89 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2332-8584 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | AERA Open |
| spelling | doaj-art-985f53cb7525431295cbc4ff89027a892025-01-13T10:03:26ZengSAGE PublishingAERA Open2332-85842025-01-011110.1177/23328584241311810Democracy on the Sidelines: The Erosion and Potential of Youth Sports as Democratic EducationKurt StemhagenKathy HyttenIn this philosophical paper, we argue that youth sports, both in and out of schools, are a largely unrealized space for democratic/civic education. Where youth sports leagues used to be low cost, local, and inclusive, much has changed over the last several decades. We are now in the neoliberal era of exclusive, privatized, and professionalized youth sports. Drawing on Dewey’s robust conception of democracy and Talisse’s concerns about partisan polarization, we argue that youth sports should be spaces to develop democratic habits, dispositions, and values. We explore the benefits of youth sports as well as current challenges, including excessive costs and pressure, disrupted families, and hyperindividualism. We end by offering suggestions for reforming youth sports to recenter their educational and democratic potential and value, including supporting loosely structured play, modeling democratic behavior, teaching democratic habits directly, and learning from more progressive national sports models.https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584241311810 |
| spellingShingle | Kurt Stemhagen Kathy Hytten Democracy on the Sidelines: The Erosion and Potential of Youth Sports as Democratic Education AERA Open |
| title | Democracy on the Sidelines: The Erosion and Potential of Youth Sports as Democratic Education |
| title_full | Democracy on the Sidelines: The Erosion and Potential of Youth Sports as Democratic Education |
| title_fullStr | Democracy on the Sidelines: The Erosion and Potential of Youth Sports as Democratic Education |
| title_full_unstemmed | Democracy on the Sidelines: The Erosion and Potential of Youth Sports as Democratic Education |
| title_short | Democracy on the Sidelines: The Erosion and Potential of Youth Sports as Democratic Education |
| title_sort | democracy on the sidelines the erosion and potential of youth sports as democratic education |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584241311810 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kurtstemhagen democracyonthesidelinestheerosionandpotentialofyouthsportsasdemocraticeducation AT kathyhytten democracyonthesidelinestheerosionandpotentialofyouthsportsasdemocraticeducation |