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Tykes and ‘Timbits’: A Critical Examination of Organized Sport Programs for Preschoolers

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Sport and Physical Activity across the Lifespan

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a trend of children participating in sport at earlier ages, coupled with increased program availability and enrolments for children under the age of six. Despite growing concern regarding preschooler physical activity levels, specific attention to sport has been limited. In this chapter, we draw upon original research among 8 childcare providers, 19 parents, and 57 preschoolers (aged 2–5 years) in central Canada, to explore the perceived objectives and outcomes of preschooler sport. Interview and focus group data was analyzed through inductive and deductive techniques, guided by key concepts of the Developmental Model of Sport Participation and Long Term Athlete Development Model. Findings reflect perceived objectives and outcomes of preschooler sport paralleling those of youth sport, with participants speaking most prominently about sport as a platform for psychosocial and life skill development (i.e., interpersonal skills, confidence, competence, being a team player, learning to win and lose), in addition to being a pathway to physical health and motor skill development; however, there was often little consensus on whether developmental outcomes were actually attained, and what the mechanisms and processes were within preschooler sport, which facilitated such development. As such, we question the relevance of organized sport for preschoolers, while also highlighting a need for further research to best optimize preschoolers’ development through sport—a field that remains in its infancy. Given current participation trends are unlikely to reverse, we conclude by integrating participants’ insights, to make preliminary recommendations for improved preschooler sport programming.

In Canada, Timbits™ are popular mini-donuts from the iconic Tim Hortons coffee chain. They are also the name bestowed upon participants in the Timbits Minor Sports Program , a Tim Hortons™ sponsored community program for children between the ages of four and eight years all across the country.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Similar models exist in other western nations, such as Australia’s Foundations, Talent, Elite, and Mastery Model (Australian Institute of Sport 2015) and England’s Participant Development Model (National Coaching Foundation 2009).

  2. 2.

    Sportball™ originated in Canada in 1995 and now has several hundred franchises across North America; it provides instruction for children of ages 16 months to 12 years in several popular sports such as soccer, baseball, basketball, ball hockey, tennis, volleyball, golf, and football.

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Acknowledgments

Support for this project was provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, through the Sport Participation Research Initiative. The authors would like to acknowledge the contributions of Theresa Beesley, Sunita Tanna, and Lauren Tristani for their involvement in the data collection process of this project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. York University, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Jessica Fraser-Thomas & Parissa Safai

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  1. Jessica Fraser-Thomas
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  2. Parissa Safai
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Charles Sturt University, Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia

    Rylee A. Dionigi

  2. University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

    Michael Gard

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Fraser-Thomas, J., Safai, P. (2018). Tykes and ‘Timbits’: A Critical Examination of Organized Sport Programs for Preschoolers. In: Dionigi, R., Gard, M. (eds) Sport and Physical Activity across the Lifespan. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-48562-5_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-48562-5_5

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-137-48561-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-137-48562-5

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