Creating safe and inclusive elite preparation environments : A qualitative interview study on strategies and challenges in sports environments within children's and youth sports based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

The purpose of this study was to examine how elite preparatory team sports environments in children's and youth sports relate to and work towards creating a safe sports environment for children and young people, based on the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The study used a qualitative design where seven semi-structured interviews were conducted with youth coordinators in elite sports organizations. The collected material was analyzed using a thematic analysis and a PPCT model to understand how different factors affect children's rights. The results showed that elite preparatory want to pursue significant results because that is the purpose of the sport, but there is an underlying performance requirement in the form of early specialization, talent selection and external pressures that risk counteracting security in the environments. The study highlights the importance of education and knowledge and that a child rights perspective needs to be integrated into the activities more clearly. A development-focused environment that drives level adaptation, complicity, holistic thinking and good collaboration between different actors increases the opportunity for children to stay in sports. The conclusion is that a safe and developing elite environment in team sports can be created by implementing the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in the activities. Keywords: UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, youth sports, elite preparatory environments, safety, performance development, talent selection, PPCT model.