Youth Sports Research Paper

Youth Sports NPR released an article in 2015 discussing how sports can benefit a child’s mind and heart. Youth sports can teach a child more than just competition. A family of four, with two young athletic children, explains how athletics is important to them. The parents believe physical activity is important for their children, just like any parent would say, but they also believe life lessons, as well as experiences are important, and they gain that from sports. The article states that 76% of adults who have children in high school, or middle school, encourage their kids to play sports at a young age. Having an involvement in sports lets a player gain skill, along with the importance of physical and social activity. Participating

Coaches talk so confidently about character because they still command authority. Kids listen more easily to coaches, rather than a teacher or even a parent. In sports, there is no escape to failure. Good coaches demand practice, and unselfishness. The article The Pros and Cons of Youth Sports Aren’t Only Physical implies “to help young athletes improve, coaches must point out mistakes and faulty technique. Learning to handle this feedback establishes a foundation for adult skill-building and collaboration” (Psychology Today). A typical coach was someone who did not have as much talent as others, but figured they could build their way up to the top by working hard, and they pass that knowledge along to those they teach. Good coaches also believe in loyalty. Life changes multiple times, but the best coaches give the impression that team loyalty is inviolable. That is because most interactions involve people, and their tools are

Children games should be more inclusive and enjoyable for children, rather than competitive. Parents should not put their children through sports pre-high school. It is the adults fault for pushing their children into something they may not want to do. Most adults push their children down a path of their past childhood. Children have their own imagination, and that is how they learn, so they do not need an organized event to improve their skills. Youth sports have also been known to be too dangerous. Cornell President Andrew D. declared, in 1891, the sight of a confused mass of educated young men making batter-rams of their bodies, plunging their heads into each other’s stomachs, piling upon each other or maining each other for life-sometimes indeed … killing each other … is to me a brutal monstrosity.

Kids should have fun and enjoy the activities they are involved in, and not have to worry about the next injury they are going to have to face. An athlete should always be lead by good conductor, but that is not always the case. It would be naive to expect that all coaches have a child’s psychological interests at heart. Coaches may rant, call out or embarrass players, and rave at games, which is not appropriate