The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) has released landmark national guidelines designed to better support young athletes on the road to Brisbane 2032 and beyond.
The Elite Youth Athlete Guidelines focus on the wellbeing, development and performance of athletes under the age of 18 across high performance sport.
Sports are already finding innovative ways to implement the Guidelines, including Surfing Australia, who are encouraging parents to simply have an ice cream with their kids after training instead of over-analysing their session.
Recommendations are grouped into eight themes:
- Safe and engaging environments
- Mental health and emotional wellbeing
- Medical and injury management
- Holistic athlete development
- Safeguarding, child protection and compliance
- Support networks
- Governance and accountability
- Recognition of this cohort as a distinct group
The Guidelines are a useful tool for sports to ensure the environment they’re creating for their athletes gives them the best opportunity to thrive in performance and in life.
AIS Director Matti Clements said the Guidelines were developed in collaboration with the sport sector and align with the International Olympic Committee’s consensus statement on youth athletes.
“Too often, promising youth athletes get treated like seasoned professionals despite their lack of maturity,” Clements said.
“We want children to have balance and research shows there are benefits to playing multiple sports. Those that enter an elite system under the age of 18 need to be treated differently for their own physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.
“These guidelines align with the Win Well Strategy’s ethos of building athletes who perform well in life, not just in sport, and I’m confident organisations across the country will benefit from the development of these resources.”
With more than a third of their categorised athletes under the age of 18, Surfing Australia is leading the way with creative approaches and are eager to embed the guidelines across their organisation.
Surfing Australia’s Parent Program takes a deliberately different approach to supporting young athletes, with connection, wellbeing and long-term development at its core.
Designed by Athlete Wellbeing and Engagement Lead Michelle Mitchell, the program invites parents to “eat ice cream” with their children after training sessions or competition heats, rather than coach, critique or dissect performance.
Parents have embraced the initiative, with ice cream emojis now regularly appearing in the parent group chats, and some families even creating ice cream theme shirts to wear at events as a light-hearted but meaningful symbol of Surfing Australia’s approach.
“We are a unique sport with many of our top athletes still maturing,” Luke MacDonald, Head of Pathway Programs at Surfing Australia said.
“We’re committed to developing the world’s best surfers while also shaping strong, well-rounded people along the way.
“By bringing parents along the journey, Surfing Australia supports families to understand how and when to help, reinforcing positive environments where athletes feel safe, supported and empowered to grow.
“Sometimes the most powerful support isn’t advice or analysis, it’s simply sitting down, sharing an ice cream and reminding young surfers they’re valued for who they are, not just how they perform.
“These Guidelines will maintain Australia’s reputation as world leaders when it comes to the holistic development of young athletes, balancing their performance and wellbeing in a sustainable way.”