About NCYS

The newly established National Research Centre for Youth Sports (NCYS) is based within the discipline of sport science at Karlstad University and builds on more than two decades of extensive research in the field. The centre exists to develop and disseminate high-quality scientific knowledge about children's and youth sports, both in Sweden and internationally. We aim to be a natural research partner in this area and a go-to resource for media and the public seeking up-to-date, research-based insights into children's and youth sports.

By pooling resources, we strive to create a network of researchers working on issues related to children's and youth sports, apply for research funding together with these scholars, and initiate collaborations with organizations and companies that want to support youth sports. In doing so, we can launch targeted research projects that contribute to stronger and more sustainable knowledge development in the field.

Our primary research areas address key issues related to children's and young people's participation in sports. This includes studying reasons for dropout and disengagement, processes surrounding talent development, and risks associated with early specialization. Another important focus is parental involvement and engagement, as well as how sports can support young people's psychosocial development and promote what is internationally known as Positive Youth Development. We also investigate risks of burnout and explore how sports can reach and include inactive children and youth. Additionally, we examine costs, commercialization, and professionalization within children's and youth sports, and how these factors affect accessibility and participation.