Why child-rights education belongs in sport

Child athletes spend years learning the rules of their sport. They learn how competitions work, what is expected of them and where the boundaries of acceptable play lie. But how much do they learn about another set of rules that accompanies them onto the field of play: their rights?

This question is particularly timely as child athletes prepare for the Youth Olympic Games in Senegal. From 31 October to 13 November 2026, around 2,700 athletes aged up to 17 will come together for the first Olympic sporting event ever held in Africa. Alongside competition, the Games offer an important educational opportunity. The Athlete Education Programme planned for the event recognises that preparing child athletes goes beyond sporting performance. It covers mental health, safeguarding, the prevention of competition manipulation and anti-doping.

Safeguarding, which involves preventing and responding to physical, psychological and sexual abuse, neglect and exploitation while promoting children's well-being in sport, should be part of that education . But we can go one step further. Child athletes should not only know how to identify safeguarding concerns or where to seek help. They should understand that the protections surrounding them stem from rights they hold as children.

Athletes as rights-holders

Every athlete under 18 is protected by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Those rights do not stop when a child enters a training centre, joins a federation or competes internationally. Many CRC provisions translate directly into the sporting environment: the right to non-discrimination; the best interests of the child; respect for children's evolving capacities; the right to be heard; privacy; protection from violence; education; and rest and leisure.

One provision gets far less attention in sport: Article 42. It requires States to make the principles and provisions of the Convention widely known to adults and children alike. This matters because children are better able to exercise their rights when they know those rights exist. For a child athlete, knowing about children's rights does not mean memorising treaty articles. It means knowing what those rights look like in everyday sporting situations.

Can I express concerns about a training decision affecting me? What should happen if I feel uncomfortable during a medical examination? Is it acceptable for an adult in sport to ask me to keep certain interactions secret? Who can I talk to if something does not feel right? Will my views be taken seriously? These are questions of rights and, just as much, questions of safeguarding.

From knowing rights to strengthening safeguarding

The connection between rights education and safeguarding is not simply a matter of good practice.  As the Committee on the Rights of the Child has underlined, making the Convention known to children is part of recognising them as holders of rights.

Safeguarding does not become effective simply because a policy or procedure exists. The challenge is to translate standards into everyday practice: into the way coaches communicate with athletes, how medical examinations are conducted, how adults respond when a child raises a concern, how reporting mechanisms are explained and how safeguarding responsibilities are understood throughout an organisation. Safeguarding must be part of the daily culture of sport, rather than confined to policy documents or a single department.

UNESCO's International Charter of Physical Education, Physical Activity and Sport, states that sport should take place in environments that protect the dignity, rights and health of participants. It specifically identifies risks affecting children, including excessive training, inappropriate training methods, psychological pressures, exploitation and violence.

Rights education is therefore one element of prevention. It helps children recognise what principles such as dignity, participation, privacy and protection mean in practice, whether during training, medical examinations, competitions or interactions with adults and other children in sport.

Empowerment does not mean transferring responsibility

The aim is not to turn child athletes into safeguarding experts. It is to ensure that the people whom safeguarding systems are designed to protect can understand those systems, recognise their purpose and know how to access support. Encouraging child athletes to understand and exercise their rights must never imply that they are responsible for protecting themselves. Safeguarding remains first and foremost an adult and institutional responsibility.

Coaches, federations, clubs, event organisers and governing bodies must create environments in which risks are reduced, appropriate behaviours are clear, reporting channels are accessible and concerns are handled safely and effectively. A child may understand their rights perfectly and still find it difficult to challenge an adult on whom their sporting opportunities depend. They may be uncertain about what has happened, worry about the consequences or simply not feel ready to speak.

Rules and rights, side by side

This is why rights education should complement strong institutional safeguarding systems. As young athletes gather in Senegal, the Athlete Education Programme presents an important opportunity to ensure that learning about sport also means learning about children's rights.

Understanding these rights can help young athletes recognise when they are not respected, express concerns and seek support, while the responsibility to protect them remains firmly with adults and institutions. After all, knowing the rules helps children navigate their sport; knowing their rights, helps ensure they can enjoy it safely.