A case study of Gymnastics Canada Gymnastique aided in creating a contemporary framework for youth sport policy development. Youth involved in elite sport are in a subsidiary position to those who control the sport environment, and therefore are in need of certain levels of protection. High performance youth athletes may be subject to numerous problems such as competitive anxiety, disrupted family life, and excessive physiological and psychological stress. In order to explore these issues in relation to federal sport policy, the following sub-problems were identified: (a) What are the process(es), legitimation(s) (rationale) and attribution(s) (strategies for action) of federal government sport policies (1961--2000) in relation to youth, elite athletes, and youth elite athletes? (b) What structure currently exists within Gymnastics Canada Gymnastique (GCG) in relation to youth elite athletes? (c) What issues are relevant to those affected by policy (i.e., coaches and athletes)? (d) How are the proposed process(es), emerging legitimation(s), and attribution(s) for the development of federal sport policies pertaining to youth elite athletes reflective of academic/activist approaches concerning youth sport
