Sports Specialization
analytical Essay
1826 words
Sports Specialization 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. Sports specialization among young people is when a child or teenager trains for and competes in only one sport. They work extremely hard year-round in order to become well-rounded in every aspect of the game. They make sacrifices and put their health in jeopardy in order to become the ultimate participant in their sport. One of the many young athletes who is only participating in and focusing on one sport is fifteen-year-old OJ Mayo from Cincinnati, Ohio. He is the young talented athlete who is predicted to be the next LeBron James in the National Basketball Association (NBA). This young athlete provides evidence of striving for perfection in this single sport when reviewing his daily schedule versus that of his siblings. He says, “The other kids go home and sleep. I come back to the gym” (Thompson, 2004). He is obviously putting forth a lot of effort in his sport to become successful at an early age. Not only is this young athlete a single sport athlete, but also Mayo provides a prime example of why this trend is occurring. The reason is primarily because of the increase in the commercialization of sports. The media a... ... middle of paper ... ...p://www.aabss.org/journal2000/ f22Gray.jmm.html Jeffers, N. (n.d.). Training youths for a sound future in athletics. Intensity Magazine. Retrieved March 17, 2004, from http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/inmag51.htm Specialization in youth sports: some guidelines. (n.d.). Retrieved March 17, 2004, from www.soccerpark.com/lasher/Specialization.pdf Starr, M. (2004, January 6). Freddy Adu: a strong kick for the American soccer. Newsweek. Retrieved March 17, 2004, from http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3067737/ Thompson, C. R. (2004, December). Fresh squeezed. ESPN The Magazine. Retrieved March 17, 2004, from http://insider.espn.go.com/insider/story?id=1669821&contentType =insider Wahl, G. (2003, March). Who’s next? Freddy Adu. Sports Illustrated Magazine. Retrieved March 17, 2004, from http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_online/news/2003/03/03/freddy/
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how adu is a prime example of how young people who specialize in sports are not allowed to be children anymore. they are required to work hard and strive for perfection.
- Explains that sports are a popular pastime among all ages and types of people. sports specialization for young people is an increasing trend that results in sports having negative impact on individuals and society.
- Argues that single-sport athletes have caused the level of competition in sports to sky-rocket.
- Cites brown, j., and denoon, d. on the dangers of sports specialization for children.
- Cites starr, m., thompson, c. r. and wahl, g. (2003, march). who’s next? freddy adu.
Related
- opinion
- analytical
- explanatory
- They can see what their body is capable of doing; athletes do small things to help their level of play which can also help their overall fitness. These small things will become daily habits. Sports are a tremendous way to stay active everyday; Sports offer tremendous stress-relief for youth athletes. “During exams, Duke University opens its gyms twenty-four hours a day to provide stress relief for its students” (Watkins 13). A good practice can change the course of a bad day. Also, kids can feel satisfaction and accomplishment through mastery of a specific skill. It’s an immediate gratification when an athlete finally fixes what they were struggling to do. They can see the changes in their performance as it is
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how child athletics is becoming primitive. it's like fighting to the death for a scrap of food, and the course is littered with former athletes struggling with physical and mental health issues.
- Narrates how a boston father was charged with manslaughter after he recklessly assaulted the referee of his child's hockey game. the blow to the head killed him, but junta continued to pummel him.
- Explains that anxiety is the body's natural response to an important moment in a person’s life. an inescapable form of stress for young athletes is cutthroat culture of youth athletics.
- Analyzes how stress and anxiety can affect athletes over time. larry sanders was suspended for five games after testing positive for marijuana and began using it to deal with his anxiety problems.
- Opines that stopping sport related stress in a young athlete’s life would be beneficial to their mental health.
- Opines that sports have tremendous, positive impacts on kids. athletes can learn how to achieve a goal with another player, even if we can’t get along when we are off the court.
- Explains that sports can show the importance of fitness in a person's daily life. sports offer tremendous stress-relief for youth athletes.
- Explains that children have started specializing in a specific sport at young ages. repeated use of the same muscles can cause injuries to young athletes.
- Explains that starting kids too young in athletics can damage their growth plates. growth sites are on the ends of longer bones and involve joints like the knee or elbow.
- Explains that young, girl runners are at a risk for the female athlete triad, which includes disordered eating in the runner.
- Explains that lowering the intake of nutrients will cause the second factor of the female athlete triad. puberty is an important time for a girl's bones to grow.
- Explains that a young girl's body will stop producing as many hormones, like estrogen, and the lack of menstrual periods. girls are at risk of eating disorders as young as 9, so stopping the female athlete triad early is important.
- Explains that childhood sports are becoming too expensive for working-class families. parents spend thousands of dollars for a kid to play on the traveling team, including travel, equipment, food, and entry into the competition.
- Explains that parents often have more than one kid who is interested in sports. the question is, which kid gets to play this year and who has to watch from the sidelines.
- Opines that as traveling teams become more popular and start even younger, high school athletics becomes more competitive.
- Explains that indoor track is now an option for runners in the winter, and artificial snow makes winter sports possible all year-round.
- Opines that by forcing children into sports at young ages, parents have cancelled out the child’s chance for the rich experience of childhood discovery.
- Explains that children in youth athletics miss out on a lot of school. it is not uncommon to see an all-state linebacker not play in college because his grades weren’t good enough.
- Opines that child athletics should still be for kids, not for their over-involved parents; sports are too adult-directed. only 1% of high school athletes will get division i scholarships.
- Explains that children will play on courts and fields that a professional will use. a court with stadium seating can intimidate young players and make them feel like they are stars.
- Explains that usa volleyball has national championships for girls at the age of thirteen. the girls haven't even started high school, but have experience playing under more pressure than some college athletes will feel.
- Analyzes how luis llosa coached a little kid's soccer team, and his daughter voiced her opinions in front of her father, who told him her daughter couldn't play goalie because she had horrible hands.
- Opines that sports can have many positive effects on a child's life, but it is important to remember that too much good can make it bad.
2061 wordsRead More - Masculinity, Violence, and the American Sports Cultureanalytical essayThe sports culture produces some of the most revered and idolized figures in American society. Athletic achievements are glorified and the achievers are often elevated to an extraordinary, super-human status. The rewards, praise, honor, power, and privilege that come from exhibited athletic talent and ability can be enticing as well as addicting. Heroes emerge in our society when a line is crossed in record time, an unfathomable amount of points are scored, or beautifully placed, even lucky shots result in game-winning goals. For many athletes their sport defines them. They have participated in a sport their entire lives, modeled the moves and strategies of their predecessors in practice after practice, devoted to becoming the star that they dream of. For many young boys especially, sports are a way to gain acceptance within a peer group, identify with the male sex, and establish relationships. It is a context wherein boys learn how to be boys, to be masculine, to achieve status within our success-driven culture (Messner, 1).
In this essay, the author
- Explains that sports culture produces some of the most revered and idolized figures in american society. the rewards, praise, honor, power, and privilege that come from exhibited athletic talent and ability can be enticing and addicting.
- Opines that sports promote masculinity through the development of a morally compromised masculine identity. boys are judged by their ability, inability, interest, or ambivalence toward sport.
- Opines that when examining the influences of the american sports culture and athletic heroes on the lives of young boys, it is important to differentiate between athletic achievement and talent and the ethics of success.
- Argues that the need for unity between males can be accomplished through sport without diminishing a masculine identity.
- Opines that if one person said the truth, we're all in a big mess.
- Explains that at one point they were just going to deny everything, completely lie about everything. they figured that wasn't the best way to go.
- Analyzes how even the coach tried to mitigate the seriousness of the incident in a comment that can be seen as an attempt to downplay the immoral nature of hazing.
- Analyzes how performance-enhancing drugs, more common in men's sport, detract from its healthy image. male athletes believe these drugs will make them faster, stronger, and more attractive physically.
- Argues that sports can play an extremely positive role in young boys' development, but the value that our culture places on sports heroes needs to be reexamined.
- Cites messner, michael a., and sabo, donald f.
- Explains that many men define sports and athletic achievement as integral components of masculinity and hence male sex role identification as well. in his book power at play, michael messner points out some examples of the cultural support
- Explains that success is equated with masculinity and identity, so failure can be a problem. being physically dominant is one way of commanding respect.
- Explains that professional male athletes are considered the epitome of masculinity. they are powerful, dominant, successful, aggressive, competitive, and hard-working people, given immense privilege as a result of their stardom.
- Analyzes how male athletes are viewed as morally superior when they are physically superior. the pathway to success is not always laden with good-decision making.
- Explains that organized sports in america and around the world serve many productive purposes in terms of a boy's development to manhood.
- Explains that violence on and off the field is a vice that plagues the world of sport.
- Explains how hazing is defined by the university of vermont as a physical, mental, emotional or psychological act that subjects another person to abuse, mistreat, humiliate, harass, or intimidate.
- Explains that the players debated lying about the incident to protect their masculine image during the trials. they didn't want to admit that they had submitted to such degrading behaviors even if it was to be accepted onto a team that exemplified what it means
- Opines that attitudes like this perpetuate immoral behavior. activities such as hazing should not be a requirement for success. the players with seniority clearly took advantage of their power and privilege
- Explains that there is historical evidence of the relationship between violent sports and sexual violence toward women.
- Explains that sport supported male dominance through the exclusion or marginalization of females, and equating force and aggression with physical strength, legitimizing a challenged and faltering system of masculine domination
- Argues that academic dishonesty is the use of cheating by athletes to maintain their eligibility.
- Cites lapchick, richard e., mckay, jim, michael a. messner, and don sabo.
5124 wordsRead More - Fun Should be the Focus of Youth Sportsanalytical essayThe outstanding popularity of the sports industry has had a profound affect on youth sport's organizations. Recent surveys place the number of children participating in various team sports at around 20 million. However, critics estimate that as many as 73 percent quit sports by age thirteen. The majority of children drop out by middle school age because sports are no longer fun for them. There are several contributing factors to this phenomenon, parents and coaches putting excessive pressure on children, over competitiveness, anxiety, and simple loss of interest.
In this essay, the author
- Argues that competition restricts participation in youth sports, especially when children are still learning the basics of their game. lack of participation is another key reason children lose interest in their sport.
- Explains that children are compelled to focus on a single sport because they are never introduced to other sports that they may enjoy.
- Explains that organized youth sport's have gained extreme popularity among parents because they feel it is no longer safe for their children to play a game unsupervised.
- Explains that sports psychologist dr. shane murphy suggests that as a child grows older and is able to make his own decisions on what activities to commit to, it is appropriate to possibly have minor penalties enforced.
- Analyzes how the growth of youth sports has reflected the popularity of professional sports in our society.
- Explains that excessive anxiety, stress, and self perception contribute to why children burn out in their sport.
- Argues that overzealous coaches and parents can embarrass their children by screaming at opponents. parents of exceptionally talented children often become emotionally involved with their child's sports career.
- Suggests that parents should never say to their child "it's time for you to get serious about your sport" because they may associate this with no fun and want to quit.
- Explains creager, ellen, and marty ewing, ph.d., " promoting social and moral development through sports."
- Cites o'dell, and tietjen, as well as salmon, jacqueline l., "youth sports coaches receive coaching of their own."
2745 wordsRead More - Compare And Contrast Some Critics Believe That Professional Athletes Serve To Empower African American Youthanalytical essayAlthough some critics believe that professional athletes serve to empower African American youth, the unlikelihood of achieving a career in professional sports sets young black adolescent groups up towards a low instance success trajectory.As a result, the media underrepresents the diverse possibilities and successes of African Americans in other career choices. This is due to many high school athletes placing all of their hope of success in professional sports. As a result, they believe that their best chance at success is within this career field. However, the statistics of achieving these goals demonstrate that it is highly unlikely. In addition, racial inequality affects the likelihood of African American athletes succeeding in professional sports. Furthermore, since many African American athletes
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how racial inequality affects the likelihood of african american athletes succeeding in professional sports.
- Explains that young african american athletes dream of making money from playing professional sports by placing all their faith in their athleticism.
- Argues that wealth is one of the many reasons young african americans are inspired to play professional sports.
- Opines that athletics and race are intertwined and that there are many problems that lay between the two that should be dealt with swiftly.
- Concludes that sports take away from students education in general, citing lewis, thabiti, and london, herbert.
- Argues that black athletes have a harder time being successful than white athletes, and that college athletic director need athletes who can balance both grades and athletics.
- Opines that black athletes have a different perception over the world of sports.
- Concludes that most critics believe that professional athletes serve to empower african american youth, but the unlikelihood of achieving a career in professional sports promotes young black adolescents towards low instance success trajectory.
1299 wordsRead More - Youth Sports are Too Intenseopinion essay.In addition young athletes have become more aggressive. Kids that participate in competitive sports are becoming more and more aggressive and competitive the sports have become themselves. Mitchell reveals "traits like bullying and the need to dominate their oppo...
In this essay, the author
- Explains how young athletes are being put in danger by the competition, aggressiveness, and intensity of youth sports.
- Explains that young athletes are being pushed past their limits and worked so hard it is becoming dangerous.
- Analyzes how young athletes are becoming more aggressive and competitive. they are motivated by coaches, parents, and fans chanting "take em' down!"
- Opines that youth sports are putting kids in danger. they are being picked on and yelled at for what may be an honest simple mistake. 74% of kids surveyed said they had witnessed out-of-control adults at their games.
- Compares how michael jordan, walter payton, lou gehrig, and gabi butler didn't get where they are now by being babied. they were worked and pushed, hard.
- Opines that the harder and more intense youth sports get the more kids put in danger, bullied, and feeling like they have been mentally or physically drained.
680 wordsRead More - Sports are not all fun and games. It is implied that athletes go into sports that they love or are talented in, but that love does not cover the fact that it is grueling work. This concept is learned early in a student’s high school career. Stress starts for student athletes immediately when they are considered to be a college player prospect. If high school students have the opportunity to become a student athlete in college, they have to choose which college they must attend, and also realize it is the most important time for them to physically prepare for their future. In “The Student Athletes Guide to Getting Recruited” It says, “For a future student athlete, the summer before the athlete begins college is the most important summer of their athletic career.”(Brown pg#322) This factor puts a lot of pressure on how they must prepare for their new careers.
In this essay, the author
- Argues that college sports are a major benefactor for colleges. when the topic of whether or not students should be paid for their athletic performance is introduced, people against the subject tend to refer to the student athletes as if the college student’s life is walk in the park.
- Explains that sports aren't all fun and games. the concept of grueling work is learned early in a student's high school career.
- Explains that a student soccer player spends about 40-50 hours per week on soccer and other soccer related activities. they have to crunch in time to finish and teach their selves the missed curriculum.
- Opines that sports revolve around everyone and is important to a great amount of people. colleges attract students who have sports interests, which makes the college name popular.
- Opines that the popularity of college sports over other programs is not something that people should be ashamed of.
- Explains that sports bring people together, forming a strong love, and dedication toward universities.
- Explains the benefits of college sports, but it requires strong, flexible, and dedicated student athletes. without them, the big universities would not be as magnificent as they are today.
- Explains that college athletes get the trainers, nutrient specialist, weight room, and equipment all for free, but it veils what college players have to do with what they get. they get little time for summer break because of the "optional" summer workouts.
- Explains that not many students would love the idea of getting a grueling, vomit inducing workout every day.
- Opines that the sports business thrives in the american society. people crave the game atmosphere, jerseys, excitement, and togetherness that sports bring. d1 athletes deserve a pay for their full-time jobs
830 wordsRead More - The Physical, Social, and Cultural Development of Childrenexplanatory essayThe early maturity of physical development in children can be broken into two categories: early advancement of motor skills and precocious puberty. A child’s fine and gross motor skills can become fine tuned because of the growing popularity of youth athletics and physical health programs. The United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals states that “sport has the natural ability to draw on, develop, and showcase individual strengths and capacities.” It also mentions that sports enhance physical growth and development while simultaneously enhancing psychosocial health and development (“Sport for Development”). Programs like S.M.A.R.T., Sports Management, Academics, and ...
In this essay, the author
- Explains that children are more physically, intellectually, and socially advanced than in previous decades although they are not emotionally advanced.
- Explains that early maturity of physical development in children can be broken into two categories: early advancement of motor skills and precocious puberty.
- Explains that precocious puberty is often a result of genetics, but can also be influenced by food hormones and obesity.
- Explains that early social maturity has been an effect of factors like the emphasis of cooperativeness, the rise of the known benefits of play, and many cultural factors.
- Explains that play triggers important features of childhood development. according to life-span human development, play fosters cognitive, motor, and social skills and helps children cope with emotional problems.
- Explains that social maturity has precipitated because of cultural influences. television, movies, books, magazines, and songs all create the image of an "adult" child.
- Explains that children are showing signs of intelligence advancement. experts and teachers have discovered efficient teaching techniques that enhance the learning abilities of children.
- Explains that the american education system is becoming more stringent and raising its standards as we strive to produce the "smartest" generations.
- Explains that although children are more advanced physically, socially, and intelligent, they have remained consistent in their development of emotions and motives.
- Argues that advancements in child development are partly to blame for pushing parents, but this is not entirely true. according to life-span human development, all big five personality traits are genetically influenced.
- Explains that many parents want their children to have more than they had, or reach their full potential. however, this is not always positive; some parents may go over an appropriate amount of goad.
- Explains that they can relate to both themselves and their parents pushing them to be the best and having a tight schedule because of their activities.
- Explains that they have never had a slacked schedule. they spent time with their family in the car traveling from all the events.
- Opines that the advancements of intellectual, social, and physical advancement in today's youth, as well as children’s busy schedules and relentless parents, are signs of a changing society and novel generation.
- Cites the article "u.n.: today's youth are best educated ever." sirs issues researcher.
1958 wordsRead More - Negative Essay: The Dream Of A College Athleteanalytical essayThere is never enough of anything in the life of a college student. there is never enough time to study, or enough food, or enough money, or enough time to sleep. But, if that student becomes a college athlete then all of the “or’s” change to “and’s”. Even though there are many struggles of a college athlete they are not going away. As the youth of America watches their older counterparts excel in many college sports, a dream to become an athlete at the collegiate level is sparked. This dream is fueled through high school sports and then disseminated by high school counselors. Counselors who are quick to remind that sports do not bring home a paycheck. Neverless, this dream of college sports thrives and is present in the mind of every high
In this essay, the author
- Argues that college athletics and their athletes are becoming the face of modern universities and should be paid for their efforts on the field and for the use of their name and likeness.
- Argues that introducing a form of paycheck to college athletes would be beneficial to the college sports world.
- Opines that trust funds do not help those currently being exploited in the athletic system. 85% of college athletes fall under the national poverty line, which is the difference between four year athletes and the infamous one and done athletes.
- Argues that if college athletes were paid, the quality and demand of games would decrease. paying starving, overworked athletes would make them better and capable of great performances.
- Opines that athletes are risking their athletic future to play college sports. if an athlete left college early and did not earn a degree, they are at an extreme disadvantage.
- Explains that student athletes don't have time to pick up a third job; their first and second jobs are academics and athletics. athletes spend more time on the field than most students.
- Argues that the multi-billion dollar association does not possess the capital. the college football money business is more than just payouts, there are merchandise and ticket sales.
- Explains that when a college basketball team makes the "march madness" tournament, the application rate of that university increases.
- Explains that college athletes spend their time, their lives, and their talent on creating a spectacle that cannot be matched. athletes are seen more than any other person on any given campus.
2009 wordsRead More - Athletes and Sports Psychology the Full Circleanalytical essayVickers, E. (2014, February 11). Mental Health in the Student-Athlete. - The Sport In Mind – Sport Psychology. Retrieved April 1, 2014, from http://www.thesportinmind.com/articles/mental-health-in-the-student-athlete/
In this essay, the author
- Argues that sports psychology should be available for all athletes instead of being limited to professional athletes.
- Explains that cognitive development is the process of gaining skills by brain development to gain the ability to think and comprehend. sports psychologists can help athletes deal with or assist them in the pressures of competition differently based on age.
- Explains that any type of career change or termination can affect an athlete personally, socially, and emotionally. sugar ray leonard and elena ivashchenkso struggled with retirement for many years.
- Opines that sports psychology could change a large variety of athletes around the world if athletes were given the tools early throughout their life.
- Analyzes how marcus smart suspended three games by the big 12 for pushing fan in oklahoma state's loss to texas tech.
- Cites johnson, r. (n.d.). mind games: weekend athletes seek help from sports psychology.
- Explains nelson, j., sports psychology becoming the locker room's latest rage. the new york times. retrieved april 1, 2014.
- Explains oliver, h., "a new context for coping in sport: age related issues." the sport in mind – sport psychology.
- Opines that olympic failure led to judoka elena ivashchenko's suicide.
- Summarizes suinn, clayton, and clayton's work on psychology in sports: methods and applications.
- Cites vickers, e. (2014, february 11). mental health in the student-athlete.
- Explains that adolescent athletes develop stress-related emotions or stressors to suppress stress. sports psychologists are more qualified to help student athletes when conflicted with difficult choices.
1432 wordsRead More - College Vs. Pros: Athletes Should NOT Skip Collegeopinion essayThe innocence is slowly fading away. Nike, Addidas, Reebok and McDonald are fighting each other off in pursuit of finding a new face to sell and sponsor their products? The camera crews are off course invited, to capture all the action. Films can be later made out of this footage for more revenues. It all about blowing this moment up and making sure it is hyped up to the biggest possible level. The sport news writers have been talking about this for months now. Little kids are now wearing t-shirts with his name on it. His name is increasingly becoming popular all over the world, fans are spending there fortunes on anything with his name on it. We stay eager to here what’s to become of this, as we continued to be rapt up in the hype. The occasion is just as monumental as the coronation of some king or queen. Lights, camera and when the action unfolds, a boy in a man’s body, standing taller than the average, with an ego that has been feed all of his life for his gifted genius as an athlete. He sat in the center of all the attention. The moment we have all been waiting for as arrive, there is complete silence now, to hear him say these words. “I am here today, to declare that I have decided to forgo my college years and make the leap from high school to becoming a professional athlete” We have seen from the recent past the detriments of such decisions. For that reason, it is important that high scholars attend college for at least three years before becoming professional.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how nike, addidas, reebok and mcdonald are fighting each other off in pursuit of finding a new face to sell and sponsor their products.
- Opines that all athletes should go to college before becoming professional.
- Explains that mental and physical maturity is very important for professional athletes. kobe bryant is regarded as the best player in the game, but he was involved in a rape case that almost ended his career.
- Opines that being an athlete is a blessing and if we put money aside, it can be humbling. patience is the opposite of chaos.
1153 wordsRead More