Imagine a child who spends hours training, sacrifices weekends with friends, balances schoolwork with competitive sport and knows that a place in the first team could determine their future opportunities. Now imagine that same child making a mistake during an important match. Instead of simply being disappointed, they are terrified of going home because they know their parents will be angry, their coach may drop them, or their teammates may lose respect for them. For that child, sport is no longer just about playing, learning and enjoying the game. It has become a test of their worth. So, how do we get the balance right? How do we raise children who are ambitious and competitive but who also understand that losing is part of sport, resting is not weakness, and being dropped from a
team does not make them failures? How can parents recognise when their child needs support rather than another motivational speech? And what responsibility do schools and coaches have to
protect the wellbeing of the young people entrusted to them? Tonight, we're looking at the darker side of competitive youth sport and asking how we can equip parents to support their children's
ambitions without sacrificing their mental health. Joining us is Dr Bonginkosi Mafuze, head of the Sports and Exercise Psychiatry Special Interest Group at the South African Society of Psychiatrists.