Pro Sports Participation Essay

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According to the National Council of Youth Sports (NCYS), there were over 40 million boys and girls participating in organized sports in 2008. With numbers like these, which continue to rise every year, it would certainly be of benefit to highlight the positives behind all this participation. This becomes especially important with the seemingly heavy media concentration on the opposing side of the fence where the negative tends to make a better news story. As a current physical educator and former coach, national champion, and parent of two Division I athletes, the positive aspects of athletic sports participation is a focus having deep meaning for me. Yes, there is always the possibility, maybe even probability, of too much too soon and a …show more content…

In a society where obesity has become a major health issue the physical fitness advantages simply cannot be denied. II. Mental/Conceptual It is the mental and conceptual area that many use to support the importance of participation in competitive sports, something I wholeheartedly agree with. It is also the same area that some point to when behavior exhibited by some athletes does not seem to support what we believe they should be learning. As with anything, however, one can only get out of something what one puts in. Additionally, with good coaches and good programs a positive code of ethical standards (PCES) is of major focus. It is something they most certainly support and work toward instilling in athletes under their direction. When these two things come together, putting in high levels of effort and solid programs/coaches that encourage PCES, amazing things can happen. These amazing things all center on the abstract concepts revered by those without them and necessary for anyone wanting to become successful in sports, and, for that matter, in life as well. They

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