Abstract des Autors

As an increasing number of young children are receiving professional coaching in sport, the question arises whether the social adjustment of a child can be influenced by participating in specialised competitive sport at such an early age. The study group comprised 134 Std. 5 pupils from four Bloemfontein primary schools. The schools were selected randomly. The group was divided into 69 pupils who participated in team sport and 74 who participated professionaly in an individual sport. Information on their social adjustment was obtained by applying the Interpersonal Relations Questionnaire. After the effect of a number of perturbation variables had been set off, Hotelling's T2 test was used to study to social adjustment of the children who participated in team sport and those who participated professionally in an individual sport. No significant differences were found. It is suggested that this study be done on a group of Std. 9 or 10 pupils, as problems with social adjustment in the middle childhood years should be evident at that stage. Verf.-Referat