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Impact of sports on children
Essay about youth sports on the decline
Value of sports to children in class and to their physical, mental, psychological and social development
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Today’s children participate in all kinds of activities. A sport is the biggest and the best way for children to gain the skills necessary to succeed in life as responsible citizens and adults. Skills are taught that are needed to be healthy and happy, but do these positive skills outweigh the negative effects children could suffer?
Children and Sports: A Beginning to Something Great?
In today’s world some parents push their children to extreme measures in sports, and some parents have absolutely no interest in their child’s participation in sports. Should adults push children to excel in sports, or simply stand aside and do nothing? Are there substantial benefits for the child who is driven to excel, or are the benefits greater for the child who is not driven to participate in sports? Do these sports pose a safety risk for the children; either driven to participate or not? The findings only touch on baseball and football, but can be applied to various other sports as well.
Angry adults
Have you ever been to the baseball field or the football field when there was an overly aggressive parent screaming at his or her child? Sadly enough this is what most people think of when this scenario is mentioned, this picture of someone filled with rage over a youth sporting event. We can all see this picture clearly if we have been to one such event. What do the children gain from this? Do the children become angry adults? Possibly the children gain nothing, possibly some tough love guidance, it is possible the child could gain hatred toward his parents; or toward the adult in question. According to research children suffer most from an angry confrontation between two adults more than a confrontation between an adult and a chil...
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...child to not play any sports? Yes, it can be very dangerous to them in several ways. Children need sports to succeed in life.
Works Cited
Gregory, S. (2010). The Problem With Football. (Cover story). Time, 175(5), 36-43. Retrieved from EBSCOhost
Ogden, D. C., & Warneke, K. (2010). Theoretical Considerations in College Baseball's Relationship with Youth Select Baseball. Journal of Sport Behavior, 33(3), 256-275. Retrieved from EBSCOhost
Omli, J., & LaVoi, N. M. (2009). Background Anger in Youth Sport: A Perfect Storm?. Journal of Sport Behavior, 32(2), 242-260. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Zarrett, N., Fay, K., Li, Y., Carrano, J., Phelps, E., & Lerner, R. M. (2009). More than child's play: Variable- and pattern-centered approaches for examining effects of sports participation on youth development. Developmental Psychology, 45(2), 368-382. doi:10.1037/a00145
The amount of unnecessary behavior by parents at youth sporting events is increasing rapidly and is ruining the kid's experiences and their passion for the sports. Parents in the United States are becoming more involved in their children's sports than the kids themselves. The reason that so many young American athletes are quitting at such an early age is because their parents are making the sports a joyless experience and are placing too much pressure on the kids to win and to be the best. Parents have become out of control at youth sports and it seems that the kids are showing more civility than the parents these days. Parents need to get back to teaching their kids that sports should be played for fun and not just for showing who's the best.
Stephen D. Keener, writer for the New York Times, says in his article Sports Teach Kids Valuable Lessons, “The lessons young players gain between the foul lines have guided some to become astronauts, emergency first responders, bestselling authors, military heroes, professional athletes and even president of the United States” (Keener). Keener talks about how playing on a sports team as a child can teach the kid very important characteristics, like: teamwork, leadership, and sportsmanship. Any kid who wants to get a job when they’re older is going to have to know how to work well with people, which is where learning the skill of teamwork is so huge. Considering Ripley’s point about sports lowering academics, Keener argues, “These lessons directly translate into the classroom and beyond” (Keener). These are some very important lessons I think that kids can benefit from
Participating in a sport at an early age can be essential to the overall growth process during a child’s upbringing. Whether the participation is through some sort of organized league or just getting together amongst friends and playing, the lessons learned from this can help teach these kids and provide a positive message to them as they develop. There is a certain point, however, when organized sports can hinder progress, which is when adults get too involved and forget about the underlying reason to why they are helping. While adult involvement is necessary, adult involvement can sometimes send the wrong message to children when they try to make participation become more than just about fun and learning. According to Coakley (2009), “organized sports are worth the effort put forth by adults, as long as they do what is in the best interest of their children and put that thought ahead of their own agenda” (Coakley, p. 151). This is a valid argument because once adults put themselves in front of the children and their values, it needs to be re-evaluated as to why they first got involved in the beginning. Partaking in organized sport and activity from a young age can be beneficial to the overall development of children, as long as decisions actions are made in the best interest of the children and not stemming from ulterior motives of adults.
Sports are a popular pastime among all ages and types of people. People not only participate in them for fun, but also for money, physical fitness, rush of competition, and for many other personal reasons. Playing sports is especially common among young people in schools. Athletics are great and enjoyable for many reasons, but there can be a point where sports participation can go too far and become negative for children and adults. Sports specialization for young people is an increasing trend that results in sports having a negative impact on individuals and society.
In the United States some sports are dangerous for could hurt future. Football has become a national topic of if football is really dangerous for kids today. The national football league has put much pressure on pop Warner with a lot head injuries and deaths with people who had concussions while playing. Physical play gas suffered the brain after the effect years of playing football and resulting in suicide, violence. Kids shouldn't play football it has many risk factors while playing because head injuries, promotes violence, and depends on football for future devalues education.
...es in Youth Sports: A Comparison Between Players' and Parents' Perspectives.". N.P., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.
Jessica Statsky, in her essay, “Children need to Play, Not Compete” attempts to refute the common belief that organized sports are good for children. She sees organized sports not as healthy pass-times for children, but as onerous tasks that children do not truly enjoy. She also notes that not only are organized sports not enjoyable for children, they may cause irreparable harm to the children, both emotionally and physically. In her thesis statement, Statsky states, “When overzealous parents and coaches impose adult standards on children's sports, the result can be activities that are neither satisfying nor beneficial to children” (627). While this statement is strong, her defense of it is weak.
Everyone agrees that parent involvement is a good thing. But when the parent behaves inappropriately, it creates a poor environment for the children to learn and enjoy themselves. "Sideline rage" with parents behaving badly at youth sports events is such an epidemic, that 76% of respondents from 60 high school athletic associations said increased spectator interference is causing many officials to quit (Associated Press, 6/3/01). Parents are supposed to be role models, and the lessons they teach will determine their values and actions in the future. These days violence in children's sports is not limited to the playing field; overbearing parents are creating dangerous situations on the field.
Sports play an important role in American culture, with the top four most popular being football, baseball, basketball and ice hockey. These professional athletes make millions of dollars through their annual salaries and endorsements. Many wonder how they got to where they are today and was it worth it. There are mixed messages about participating in sports as a child and how it affects their development. Some believe that sports will help their child develop better communication skills, self-confidence and build character, while others believe that young athletes will develop aggression traits such as bullying, competitiveness, and aggressiveness. Although some believe that sports participation as a child will lead to aggressive children, there is ample evidence through research that sports benefits a child’s cognitive, social, and, physical development.
Engaging in sports plays a significant role in promoting health and wellness among children and adolescents. Although sports participation provides numerous physical and social benefits, it also has a downside: the risk of sports-related injuries. Many children and adolescents are treated in the emergency department each year for sports and recreation-related injuries. However, by playing competitive sports, you can keep obesity rates down, you can have a very strong mental health, and lastly, you can insure a healthy lifestyle for your future self.
First he talks about other people who oppose his argument saying organized sports are a home run in more ways than one. It is building confidence and teaching kids about emotional self-control. Organized sports not only keep kids healthier physically, but mentally as well. Research shows that children who play organized sports are frequently healthier and physically stronger than their less athletic peers. According to sports psychology author Jim Taylor, Ph.D., endurance sports have been found to enhance brain development. In addition, he says that sports build confidence, develop focus, and teach kids about emotional control. "Kids learn essential life skills, such as hard work, patience, persistence, and how to respond positively to setbacks and failure," Taylor
These days, there is too much pressure on children who participate in organized sports because of the unnecessary parental involvement they experience. A growing concern amongst those involved in youth sports is that certain aspects of parental involvement become detrimental to the development and experiences of young athletes. Early emphasis on winning, making money, and the disruption of education can exceedingly affect ones desire to further participate in a sport later on in his/her life.
Children who participate in sports are developing rapidly in sports skills, sportsmanship, and psychologically, but does this come from organized sports are just nature’s process. Children develop emotional and social benefits from participating in sports. Children experience character and leadership development through peer relations leading to an increase in self-esteem and a decrease in anxiety levels. Children will get opportunities to experience positive and negative emotions throughout their practice and games trials. It is important for the coach to understand the “psychology of youth sports and physical activity participation” (Weinberg & Gould, 2011 p.516).
Being a parent is one of the most rewarding, yet difficult jobs in the world. We want our children to grow up to be well-rounded adults and to succeed in everything they do. As role models, we give direction to our children, motivate and inspire them to reach a goal, and encourage them to do the right thing. We are molding them to be the next generation of successful leaders. We want to teach them life lessons, be high performers, and most of all, we want them to be happy. Parents want school and sports to be positive experiences in their children’s life, however, what if a parent’s leadership creates a negative experience? What if parents push their children too hard? What if parents create such negativity regarding sports, that it results in emotional, physical, and even health related problems?
With correct leadership,the benefits of participation begin to show in childhood and continually appear in adulthood. During adolescents, organized sports enable individuals to exude superior sportsmanship, self-discipline, social skills, teamwork abilities, along with improving health initiatives( Ireland,2015 ). These skills are key components in the development of character and the ability to socially function in society as an adult. For instance, when a child can control their emotions, exuding positive sportsmanship, it gives insight into how they will cope with situations later in life. Athletes require self-discipline physically and emotionally. As adults, there will not be a single day that an individual isn’t compelled to implement self-discipline whether it be in what they eat or the words they choose to speak. Organized sports can be a major impact in a child’s life, but it 's imperative to be paired with positive parenting to reach its maximum potential. Parents have lost sight of the positive lifelong journey that sports can have on their young athlete. Rather, they have shifted their focus on training their future stars with long practices, extensive travel, and constant