It's okay to want to be the best – as long as the journey is positive and meaningful
Children who pursue sports deserve an environment that promotes performance, health, and personal development. We aim to create safe and nurturing performance environments where young athletes can grow – both as individuals and as athletes. We take seriously both the dream of pursuing excellence and the need to stay healthy, motivated, and happy along the way.
When the body doesn’t have enough energy to maintain normal functions, an athlete’s health and performance will be negatively affected.
From REDs to GREEN. How can we create a sustainable sports environment where children and young people want to be?
The brains of children and adolescents develop at record speed, which greatly affects how they think, learn, feel, and perform. When they also pursue sports at a high level, the demands on focus, motivation, and mental resilience become even greater.
The Surrounding Environment Is a Crucial Factor
It's not just about performance, results, and physical fitness. The training environment that children and young people are part of is just as important. Feeling included, having a place to belong—somewhere you're seen and valued—can make a big difference. When you're part of a supportive group, it provides not only motivation during success but also security during setbacks.
A good sports environment offers more than just a space to burn off energy. It gives you a sense of community, identity, and a safe base to return to—regardless of how things go on the field, in the gym, or on the mat. You gain a place within the group, and that place matters. It's not just about who is the best, but about being part of something bigger than yourself.
This sense of belonging becomes especially important when things aren’t going well—when injuries occur, results don’t come, or motivation drops. That’s why it’s essential for sports, together with coaches and parents, to build safe, supportive, and inclusive environments where the focus isn’t only on top performance.
Updates
News, Features, and Research
– We kill their motivation
One in five Norwegian coaches has a mentality that can be very harmful to young athletes, according to new research from NIH. "When we make decisions that show we don’t believe in our athletes, we kill their motivation," says a national team coach
Changes in admissions at the Royal Ballet School
From September 2026, we will offer training to students of Year 7 age (11-12 years) in our national Associate centres, through our International Scholars programme, and through a new UK Scholars programme, rather than in a full-time vocational setting.
What You Should Know About the Syndrome Affecting Many Young Athletes
For mother Hanne Hjelbak, it was an eye-opener when her son was diagnosed with osteoporosis at the age of 17. Iver was a dedicated and exceptionally disciplined young athlete.
