Föreningsidrott är en stor del av många barns liv och idrottsledarna är en viktig del inom föreningsidrotten. Idrottsledare har betydelse för barns hälsa, såväl den fysiska som den psykiska och sociala hälsan. Det finns idag negativa hälsotrender hos barn när det gäller till exempel övervikt, stillasittande och psykisk ohälsa. Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur ledare för barnidrottslag upplever att de kan påverka sina utövares hälsa. Studien syftar även till att söka förståelse för hur en ledare inom föreningsidrotten genom sitt bemötande och agerande kan skapa en hälsofrämjande miljö för barn. Detta kan i sin tur ligga till grund för det fortsatta hälsofrämjande arbetet inom idrottsrörelsen. Metoden som användes vid datainsamlingen var individuella kvalitativa intervjuer. Det genomfördes tio intervjuer med ledare i lagidrotter för barn i tio till tolvårsåldern. Resultatet av studien visade att idrottsledarna upplevde att de hade möjlighet att påverka barnens hälsa, såväl den fysiska som den psykiska och sociala hälsan. De områden som idrottsledarna upplevde som påverkningsbara var bland annat fysisk aktivitet, kost och sömn, delaktighet och inflytande, självförtroende och självkänsla, krav och stress, motivation, kommunikation och klimat. Det framkom även att idrottsledare bör föregå med gott exempel, vara ett socialt stöd samt se och bekräfta alla barn för att gynna barnens hälsa. Utifrån resultatets användbarhet i folkhälsopedagogiska sammanhang drogs slutsatsen att det krävs ökad förståelse för hur en idrottsledare har möjlighet att påverka barns hälsoutveckling för att stärka barnens hälsa och vända de negativa hälsotrenderna. / Organized sports are a main part of many children's lives and sport leaders are an important part of organized sports. Coachesare important for children's health,physical as well as mental and social health. Today, there are negative health trends amongchildren, for example, obesity, sedentaryand mental illness. The purpose of thisstudy was to examine how theleaders of children’s sports teams experience that they caninfluence their practitioner’shealth. The study also aims toseek an understanding of how a leader in organized sports through attitude and behavior can create a healthy environmentfor children. This may serve asthe basis for future healthpromotion within the sports movement. The method used for data collection wasindividual interviews. Teninterviews with leaders in teamsports for children of ten totwelve years old were conducted. Theresult of thestudy showed that sports leadersfelt that they had the possibility toinfluence children's health, physicalas well as mental and social health.The sports leaders experienced that theycould influence physical activity, diet and sleep,participation and empowerment, confidence and self esteem,demands and stress, motivation, communication and the atmosphere. The result also showed that sportsleaders should lead by example,be a social support and acknowledge all children to benefit children's health. Based on the result's usefulnessin public health context,the conclusion wasthat greater understanding of howsports leaders can influence children's health development to enhance children's health and reverse the negative health trends.

An important premise for the study is the pedagogic importance of sports, that children and youth via sports and its leaders consciously and unconsciously incorporate and teach themselves skills, habits and knowledge as well as norms and values. Another premise is that sports leaders, like other teachers and leaders, work in a time where new conditions prevail for children’s upbringing and for the role as a leader. What should be conveyed to children today is not obvious but seems to be dependent on the individual fosterer’s idea on what the role should mean. This is truer for sports leaders, for example, than teachers since the sports movement does not have a prescribed curriculum. The perspective of the study is cultural-sociological and gender-theoretical. In the analyses, Pierre Bourdieu’s key concepts, habitus, capital and field, performed the functions of research tools. A descriptive purpose of the study was to increase the knowledge of who the children and youth leaders of the sports movement are and their views of and valuation of sports, the task and the children. Through studying what the sports leaders are bearers of in terms of personified and symbolic capital, the purpose of the study was also to analyse what was encouraged in the sports environment where many children and young people spend a great deal of their leisure. The analyses were based on an empirical material consisting of questionnaire replies from 525 sport leaders and in-depth interviews with 18 leaders. In addition, more than 1,600 future teachers and youth recreation leaders replied to a questionnaire form. Who the sport movement’s child and youth leaders are cannot be generally answered. It is partly dependent on which sport it is, partly which gender the leader has. The sport leaders’ attitudes to differing aspects of the children’s sports activity varied and various leader groups confronted each other. The leaders primarily appreciated the relations with the children. However, they did not appreciate the parental intervention, children and youths who did not behave themselves and the high demands which leadership signifies. Through sports the leaders primarily wanted to give the children physical and social upbringing. They wanted to educate children to be creative and independent individuals but emphasized at the same time a conscientious ideal. The study showed that differing types of symbolic capital dominate in children and youth’s sports activity and that different leader groups emphasize various values. What is understood as valuable seemed more to be related to the logic of different sports than to gender and the fact that the activities were for children. It is not possible to tell in general how children are fostered and influenced through sports. The results indicate, however, that seriousness dominated over playfulness and that success and achievement are highly valued.