This book explores elite youth sport policy and management across eighteen countries, examining issues such as why elite youth sport events have become more common; the attitude of selected stakeholders towards the growth in elite youth sport; how the interests of young elite athletes are protected; and how elite development systems are adjusted to cater for the requirements of youth athletes.

Elsa Kristiansen is Associate Professor at the University College of Southeast Norway and Visiting Professor at the Norwegian School of Sport Science. She has published over 40 articles and book chapters, the majority of which are in the areas of sport psychology (e.g. motivation, coping with organisational issues and media stress, coping with youth competitions) and sport event management (e.g. volunteerism, Youth Olympic Games, stakeholders involved in talent development).

Milena M. Parent is Associate Professor of sport management at the University of Ottawa and at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences. Her expertise lies in sport event management and some recent publications include the Routledge Handbook of Sports Event Management (with J.-L. Chappelet, Routledge, 2015), The Youth Olympic Games (with D.V. Hanstad and B. Houlihan, Routledge, 2014), and Managing Major Sports Events: Theory and practice (with S. Smith-Swan, Routledge, 2013).

Barrie Houlihan is Professor of Sport Policy at Loughborough University, UK and Visiting Professor at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences. He has authored or edited 20 books and authored over 60 journal articles. His most recent book is Managing Elite Sport Systems: Research and practice (edited with Svein S. Andersen and Lars Tore Ronglan, published by Routledge). He was the founding editor of the International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics.

1. Introduction

[Milena M. Parent, Elsa Kristiansen and Barrie Houlihan]

PART I: Europe

2. England/United Kingdom

[Barrie Houlihan and Pippa Chapman]

3. The Netherlands

[Agnes Elling and Niels Reijgersberg]

4. Germany

[Verena Burk and Karen Petry]

5. Russia

[Vassil Girginov]

6. Norway

[Elsa Kristiansen]

7. France

[Denis Musso]

PART II: The Americas

8. Canada

[Milena M. Parent, David Patterson and Paul Jurbala]

9. United States of America

[Christine B. Green and Matt B. Greenberg]

10. Brazil

[Fernando Marinho Mezzadri, Marcelo Moraes e Silva and Fernando Renato Cavichioli]

PART III: Africa

11. South Africa

[Cora Burnett]

PART IV: Asia

12. China

[Xiaoyan Xing]

13. India

[Packianathan Chelladurai and Usha Sujit Nair]

14. South Korea

[Eunah Hong]

PART V: Oceania

15. Australia

[Russell Hoye]

16. New Zealand

[Michael P. Sam]

17. Conclusion

[Elsa Kristiansen, Milena M. Parent and Barrie Houlihan]