EVALUATION BY RELEVANT ADULTS ON THE TIME OF CHILDREN’S INCLUSION INTO SPORTS ? RECOMMENDATIONS AND WARNINGS

Many social and cultural activities, including sport activities and physical activities of children, are under the influence of dominant codex and beliefs. A global trend is present for children to intensively train and compete at an increasingly younger age, before they are, in every way, ready. The main goal of the paper was to explore the sensitive question of the influence of dominant practice on the inclusion of children into sport. The evaluations of sports trainers (N= 33) were tested, regarding the time for including children into various sport disciplines, i.e. the relation between descriptive and prescriptive (how it is in reality, and how it should be according to experts). In the paper the method of systematic non-experimental observation was used, and the instrument was a specially constructed questionnaire. Through the application of Mann Witney U test it was determined that there exists a statistically significant difference (Z = -2,823; p = 0,003) between RGODS variable ? the real age of children's inclusion to certain sport disciplines (Mean = 8,1 godina) and OGODS ? optimal age of children's inclusion into certain sport disciplines (Mean = 10,9 godina). In the context of the gathered results, the authors indicate a possibility and obligation to change the collective and globally imposed belief in adults with the goal supporting the complete development of children and their healthy affirmation into sports.