Competitive sport for children and adolescents: considerations about the rights of gymnasts in relation to sports and athletic training

Participation in sports promotes the physical, mental and social development of children and adolescents, however, when they are submitted to sports specialization at an early age (ESS) the benefits are distorted. In this context, Artistic Gymnastics (AG) is a sport where it is usual to introduce its practitioners to systematized training and competition at an early age, with responsibilities as members of competitive teams where they often prioritize their sporting life to the detriment of other activities which are also part of children's life. Therefore, other aspects of these athletes' lives are impaired, indicating the possibility that some of the fundamental rights of children and adolescents are not adequately experienced. This work is part of a broader research that aimed to analyze and reflect on the sociocultural context of sports training for gymnasts, based on the Child and Adolescent Statute (Law n.º 8069/90). For this purpose, data collection was carried out through bibliographical and documental research on the gymnasts' training routine, documented in reports, biographies and scientific works, which were later analyzed through thematic analysis. The infractions presented below are part of the research results. The demands of competitive sport require dedication and nearly exclusive attention from practitioners, whose routines are summarized in: training, going to school and competing on weekends. Due to the large training load, it is common for education to be neglected, harming the gymnasts' academic formation (FARSTAD, 2007). Thus, the prioritization of sport to the detriment of education interferes with the full development of the person, the preparation as a citizen and qualification for work, functions of education (Art. 53). The lack of time for school, a mandatory activity, indicates that gymnasts have even less time for activities outside the sporting world (SCHIAVON, 2009). In addition, gymnasts have often reduced interaction with their families, either due to the time spent in gyms or living in another city or Residential Training Centers, infringing their right to be raised and educated by the family (Art. 19). This “way of life” imposed on gymnasts is the result of a sports system developed according to the interests of adults and based on the values of professional sports, which makes children and adolescents that participate in competitive sports to be treated as miniature athletes (KNIJNIK et. al, 2008). As a result, the rights of young athletes to education, culture, leisure, family and community life are denied (Art. 4). Thus, the requirements of an athletic program restrict many experiences outside the gym, as they are time consuming and require nearly exclusive attention from practitioners to the sport. As a consequence of all these reasons, it can be said that intensive and specialized competition-oriented training does not respect the principle of the peculiar condition of children and adolescents as people in development (Arts. 6 and 69) and does not constitute a practice dedicated to serving the best interests of children and adolescents.