A critical examination of children’s well-being and well-becoming in a professional youth football academy
Authors: Gennings, E., Kavanagh, E., Hunter, A. and Jones, I.
Journal: Sport in Society
ISSN: 1743-0437
DOI: 10.1080/17430437.2025.2543805
Abstract:This paper offers a novel application of the concepts of well-being and well-becoming to Professional Youth Sport (PYS). Analysing data from a category one football academy in the United Kingdom, we examine a representation of the lived experiences of children, parents, and the sporting entourage. Through reflexive thematic analysis, we identify three key themes: the academy’s structural prioritisation of future success, the normalisation of accelerated adulthood, and the burden placed on children to cope in these environments. The study addresses a gap in sports sociology by critically applying well-becoming to PYS, revealing how a hyper-focus on future potential undermines children’s immediate well-being and their human rights. The significance of this study lies in its reframing of children’s well-being and points for reflection, which challenge the status-quo of PYS to prioritise both children’s well-being and well-becoming while aligning practices with their human rights.
Source: Scopus
A critical examination of children's well-being and well-becoming in a professional youth football academy
Authors: Gennings, E., Kavanagh, E., Hunter, A. and Jones, I.
Journal: SPORT IN SOCIETY
eISSN: 1743-0445
ISSN: 1743-0437
DOI: 10.1080/17430437.2025.2543805
Source: Web of Science (Lite)
A critical examination of children’s well-being and well-becoming in a professional youth football academy
Authors: Gennings, E., Kavanagh, E., Hunter, A. and Jones, I.
Journal: Sport in Society
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
eISSN: 1743-0445
ISSN: 1743-0437
DOI: 10.1080/17430437.2025.2543805
Abstract:This paper offers a novel application of the concepts of well-being and well-becoming to Professional Youth Sport (PYS). Analysing data from a category one football academy in the United Kingdom, we examine a representation of the lived experiences of children, parents, and the sporting entourage. Through reflexive thematic analysis, we identify three key themes: the academy’s structural prioritisation of future success, the normalisation of accelerated adulthood, and the burden placed on children to cope in these environments. The study addresses a gap in sports sociology by critically applying well-becoming to PYS, revealing how a hyper-focus on future potential undermines children’s immediate well-being and their human rights. The significance of this study lies in its reframing of children’s well-being and points for reflection, which challenge the status-quo of PYS to prioritise both children’s well-being and well-becoming while aligning practices with their human rights.
Source: Manual