It is a good and noble desire and ambition for any young person to represent her country. Every
player should be challenged to strive for excellence in her abilities in sport and to reach the highest
level. The question is: at what stage should a player be granted such an opportunity and privilege?
As educators, we are concerned for the child, for the development of the whole child and for the
education of the child for life. Education is not about the short-term glory of the child or about the
reputation of the school. Equally, as educators we recognise that the world today is different from
previous generations. There are more sports, more demands, more competition and more pressure.
And now there are more and more age groups. However, two things remain the same: the child is
still a child and values remain values. There are strong grounds for delaying national representation.
Firstly, early national representation does not help youngsters. Emotionally, the youngsters are still
trying to cope with many changes in their lives – extra pressure (and adulation) does not help.
Physically, the youngsters are changing rapidly and extra sporting pressure can make excessive
physical demands. Academically, the youngsters have many subjects to cope with and an excessive
amount of sport may interfere with the all-round progress of the child.

Secondly, early national representation does not help parents. Parents of young children often find it
difficult to handle their child’s success or lack of it and wish to interfere. It too often becomes a
matter of the parents’ reputation, not the child’s development. Few parents think through the whole
issue – they enjoy immediate, instant success, not investment in the long term.

Thirdly, early national representation does not actually develop youngsters – many Under 14
national players are now languishing in senior school 2nd teams. Much of the success at this level is
gained purely through earlier physical development. It can be strongly argued that a child can be
developed considerably more without national representation, free from the unnecessary pressure
of making a team or staying in the team, constantly having to perform at the highest level.

Fourthly, youngsters do not understand early national representation. Representing one’s country
should be the highest honour – it is a massive privilege, a huge responsibility, a tremendous
commitment. It is a long-term challenge which will incorporate putting much back into the game in
that country. Many youngsters only see the tracksuit and the fancy kit, the holiday in another
country and the chance to go to shops.

Fifthly, youngsters do not continue after early national representation, serious or social, after they
leave school. Many will simply focus on other sports, having collected their badge for one sport.
Much of that will be due to the fact that we push recognition and winning higher than anything else.
Sixthly, early national representation does not help schools. Pupils and staff members acting as
coaches miss classes due to national selection (often out of season), placing greater pressure on
other staff. Schools pay all their employees to teach or coach at their school – parents pay fees for
the teachers to be at school.

Seventhly, early national representation is often not true national representation. Increasingly
national representation is becoming a matter of money not talent; players are selected if parents
have the money. Pupils therefore gain an unrealistic and unhealthy perspective.

Schools support ongoing competition at junior levels, preferably within this country, within our
existing seasons, in order to develop national success. Schools support ongoing coaching, again
within this country and within our existing seasons. Players can be watched and noted but do not
need to know that they have made a national level. For the good of the players, the sport, the
schools and the parents, there does not need to be any national representation below the level of
Under 16. Sadly, for all our protestations to the contrary, we have turned the Olympic movement’s
motto of ‘Faster, Higher, Stronger’ into ‘Younger, Lower, Sooner’.