Although professional sports are very popular, did you know that less than 1% of high school athletes ever make it to the pros? (Smith). Such a small percent, yet so many high schoolers play sports because sports are the cool and popular thing to do. Most children played sports since they were in preschool. Travel sports start around first grade and most parents tell their kids to go out and play so they get involved in these sports. A lot of time and money is spent to train the young athletes. Many have questioned whether competing in these sports is good for teens and if the desire to win for some has taken over the “fun” aspect. However, the number of young people involved in competitive sports keeps increasing. Young athletes, should not focus so heavily on competitive sports because they put too much pressure on their minds and bodies, the stress they face ruins the enjoyment of sports in this time of their lives, and distracts them from focusing on getting a good education.
A huge problem with youth sports is that the pressures put on teens and high school students can hurt them mentally. Most teens play a sport all year round and intensely. David Geier, who is chairman of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine Public Relations Committee, explains that young athletes face “emotional burnout”. Many times their confidence can be diminished. Nicole LaVoi, an associate director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport, argues that “Girls, compared to boys, more readily internalize criticism”. Girls are more emotional which makes them put more pressure on themselves. Girls can face “anxiety, stress, burnout, negative self-perception, eating disorders” adds LaVoi. Another problem is the par...
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... and school. Ultimately, the question many face is do the pressures of competitive sports ruin all the positive effects they could have?
The focus of competitive sports has taken a wrong turn and the focus on winning has created the athletes to get hurt physically and emotionally. Parents and coaches have made winning in these priority. Also, there is not as much concentration on education which is not good because most times even the star high school athletes do not earn a living off of sports. Although lessons can be learned, they could be learned in a less pressured way. There is no reason to push high school athletes to their breaking points. Physically, the intense training that kids endure is hurting them and creating more injuries. Ultimately, for young athletes competitive sports can hurt them and the focus should be placed more on building strong character.
Athletes in times of difficulty can be important role models.” This shows that sports are in fact helpful because they can grow children into being important role models for the rest of society. Studies have shown time and time again that playing sports can be beneficial to children and we also believe this to be true. Many people still think that sports cause “too many injuries”, or coaches “are not fair enough”, but adolescents will experience these things all throughout their lives because injury can happen anywhere and they will not always be the best at what they are doing. Sports are beneficial to the youth because they can teach children and teens important life skills, help them maintain a fit and healthy lifestyle, all while improving their mental health.
Kids are playing in a pressure pot full of stress and this is dangerous. They feel over-responsible toward team mates, parents and coaches and in consequence, are playing with chronic pain and even concussions. One-Sport Wonder Kids are deciding by ages 9-10 they want to excel in one sport in order to win a college scholarship.
It is said that sport specialization in youth can reduce motor skill development, cause overuse injuries, encourage loss of motivation, and increase emotional stress and burnout” (“Journal of Physical Education,” n.d.).
First of all high school sports are not beneficial because it puts too much stress on the kids because they want to make their parents happy and want to keep their grades up or if they don’t they could get cut from the team . The pressure from the parents is sometimes too much. According to KCRA.com this statement is important because it highlights that they have to worry about not getting dropped from the team because they have to make sure grades are staying up and then they have to worry about their practice and being a valuable player on the team. According to helpguide.org this could lead to, a lot of stress and that could be bad for the student because they might get health
Playing competitive sports affect young people in a good way. They are good because you have that commitment and now its hard to back down. In the "no" section of 'Have Youth Sports Become Too Intense?", it states "Intense training promotes self-confidence, self-discipline, and commitment." Student athletes can agree with all of this because it teaches discipline and a lot of other things. Parents can disagree with my reason, because they don't want their child to go through with intense training. They think it's way too much for the child.
Gatz, Margaret, Michael A. Messner, and Sandra Rokeach. Paradoxes of youth and sport. Albany: State University of New York, 2002.. 12-13.
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.
It receives much more attention than academics. Football players are often treated like celebrities, yielding confidence, and at the same time creating pressure. High school sports are approached with clashing opinions. Some of these opinions are positive, and supportive of athletics. “Athleticism, among many activities, offers teens a physical outlet to express their troubles, anger, emotions, and other feelings” (Chen 1).
Young athletes put in danger by the competition, aggressiveness, and intensity of sports. Kids everyday are being pushed past limits by coaches parents and fans. The intensity of sports has become so high they are causing mental and physical exhaustion. Sports like wrestling has kids eat different to either lose gain weight. Football player, Baseball player, and even cheerleader have to work out in extreme temperatures. Some kids involved in competitive sports have been taking weight lifting classes and even just conditioning. The youth are being put in danger due to how competitive, aggressive, and intense youth sports have become.
Youth sports are a staple in nearly every American’s childhood as highlighted in “Children Need to Play, Not Compete” by Jessica Statsky. Statsky makes two contentions in favor of this argument: first, that the participants of youth sports are not physically and psychologically ready, and second, that the mentality of win or lose is more harmful than helpful during the formative years of a child’s development. I agree with Statsky that children’s sports are too often over competitive, but some competition is beneficial to their development.
Our society, in terms of world sports, has grown increasingly impressive. Most professional athletes have been playing their specialized sport since grade school, and although impressive, the people we are rooting for are wearing out quickly. Although youth sports programs are a health benefit to society, they also pose disadvantages to a young person’s growth and development.
Each year, parents are spending thousand of dollars on team fees alone not including all the extras like coaching, equipment, and uniforms. Parents are spending all this extra money to one-up each other and to have the better kid. Rosenwald acknowledges, “Parents now start their kids in sports as toddler, jockey to get them on elite teams, and spend small fortunes on private coaching, expensive equipment, sway and travel to tournaments” (Rosenwald). It is like a game for the parents now too. One parent will spend this much money and then the next parent will go spend even more money and it just keeps going. The public refers to these youth sports as the new keeping up with the Joneses. Parents are spending big bucks now to believe the more money they spend now, the more likely their kid will get a college scholarship later on. The article reveals, “The number of children playing a team sport is falling, with experts blaming a parent-driven focus on elite travel clubs, specialization in one sport, and pursuit of scholarships for hurting the country’s youth sports leagues” (Rosenwald). Although this money spending train has made youth sports a large industry, many children are starting to hate sports because of the amount of pressure their parents put on them. The author adds, “Many of the adults trying to fix the problem remember a simpler, less expensive time in youth sports. There was no travel
Participation in sports has proven to increase self-discipline and self-esteem, and can teach athletes to learn from their mistakes and move on (Issitt). Athletes playing team sports also develop the ability to work well with others and use teamwork in their everyday lives. Teammates form relationships that are strengthened over a common passion and goal. These relationships can last long after high school is over (Chen). These social skills translate into better communication used with an athlete’s family, peers, and in the community. Likewise, “A 2006 study in Maryland found that student athletes are 15 percent more likely than non athletes to be involved in their communities and to take the time for civic engagements, including participating in voting and volunteer activities” (Issitt). The same study also concluded that athletes are far more likely to be comfortable with public speaking than non-athletes. This study provides concrete evidence that high school sports can help to gain mental and social skills that will be used later in life
According to statistics gathered by youth sports organizations, “Up to 50 million kids play youth sports in America, and 73 percent who begin playing a sport quit before they turn 13” (Binns). The children could have quit because they did not like the disappointment of losing, or because they are exhausted from their parents pushing them too hard. But parents have their reasons for pushing their children into sports. “Studies show that kids who play sports are less likely to become obese, abuse drugs or alcohol or to perform poorly in school” (McCormick). If children are not active, then they will most likely become overweight, and if they have nothing to do in their pastime, they may turn to drugs and alcohol, which usually leads to a decrease of grades in school. A parent putting his/her child in sports gives the child something to do and keeps them fit. Parents also put their child in a sport hoping that he/she will get success out of it “Eager to nurture the next A-Rod or Michelle Kwan, parents enroll their 5- or 6-year-olds in a competitive sports league or program” (Stenson). While not all parents are pushing for future Olympians, the fight for a sports college scholarship is competitive and parents may feel that their child will have a better chance of gaining one if he/she starts competitive sports early. Parents push their children to succeed, and children--not wanting to disappoint their parents--push themselves, sometimes harder than they should. If done right, pushing a child into sports can have a positive effect on the child’s interaction with other children while teaching them commitment and healthy competition. However, focusing on winning and earning a scholarship versus having fun may backfire, because the cons...
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.