25 million American children can not be wrong. Even though at least 20 million of these kids will suffer injury by the age of 15, only 10% of the injuries are serious enough to require more than one visit to the doctor. I have been playing baseball as well as other organized sports for almost 15 years; and in my opinion, sports develop friendship and self-esteem. I believe that coaches should take a "how-to" class on what a coach should and should not do.
Injuries occur for three main reasons. First, because parents push their children past their natural ability level, thus it causes injury to the over worked body parts. Second, an accident occurs such as a turned ankle or a ball taking a bad bounce and hitting a player. The third, and most common reason, a coach teaches a player the wrong way to perform specific task. For example, when I was 12 years old, my baseball coach taught me the wrong way to throw a curve ball. After repeatedly throwing the wrong way, I tore a ligament in my right elbow. If my coach at that time, would have taken some kind of class, he would have known the proper way to teach the technique.
Nevertheless, I feel that sports should greatly benefit a child's self-esteem. Competition also builds self-esteem because children grow both emotionally and physically and sports help to develop a positive view of both themselves and their athletic skills. As long as children feel that they are beneficial to the team, they are developing self-esteem because they see their personal role in the team as important to the whole cause. If a child is not athletically gifted, he can always take up a more non-competitive sport such as jogging or weight-training. This will also build self-esteem because the child can see his improvement and relate to others at the same time (Michelli and Jenkins).
As well as building self-esteem, sports can help develop life-long friendships. Children form all different ethnic and religious backgrounds come together to play a game. This makes a good place for children to mingle with others of the same age. This can in turn give each child a sense of belonging and camaraderie between different races. Athletics also allow children to learn about their abilities as compared to other children of the same age. Children learn about talent that otherwise may have gone unnoticed. If I had not been involved in sports from an early age, I may have never discovered the talent that I have in baseball.
For example, "Little League Elbow" describes overuse injuries in kids who are repetitively throwing the ball. Kids are sustaining severe injuries to their growth plates, neck and spinal cord that could end their career in pro-sports before it begins....
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
Broken bones, jammed fingers, sprained ankles, stitches and so much more; these are some of the many effects of playing youth sports. “Two million injuries and 500,000 doctor visits and 30,000 hospitalizations occur each year for high school athletes.” (Lisa Weisenberger, Stop Sports Injuries) Those numbers aren’t just hundreds and thousands but millions of children and teens getting hurt just from playing a sport. Youth sports programs may be fun and enjoyable but can have many negative consequences.
In class discussion we talked about how in today’s age younger kids do not have the same interest to get involved in sports as they used to. It seems that today younger kids are more interested in playing video games, then to take part in a sport and learn the team aspect of life and how to get along with each other and work as a team. Learning in sports is something people do not understand unless you are a true athlete. In the game of baseball there is so much silent communication not everyone knows about. You have nine men on the field who have the same mind set and that is to do anything you can to win this game and help your teammates. If a kid can learn this at a young age and carry this on with him through life, he will become that much of a better worker when he is at the office or wherever they might be.
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.
The seminars would include such topics as how to maintain control of one’s temper, how to involved a coach should be in a player’s life and where the boundaries are, and also how to use positive reinforcements rather than negative. The coaches would need to go through this training before every new season of their respective sport to stay current on the techniques, as well as be reminded of the importance of being aware of how problems can arise if bullying may occur. Another important aspect of this program would be the evaluation done on the coach’s performance as a coach by the players. This would allow the players a chance to prevent problems from happening in the future by informing the administration. The evaluations would then be
Coach's responsibility is to make sure their team is in shape so nobody get’s an injury,and they have to decide what player fits best in each position. Professional head coaches have to cut players from the team that are not improving because the roster only have room for fifty-three players. Football coaches encourage their players to practice hard so they can compete against other teams. Football coaches must set a good reputation for
One of the positives of youth participation in sports is that it is an effective way of children making new friends and developing social skills. Sports teams provide an introduction for children to talk to other children with whom they may not talk normally. This is a huge opportunity for overweight children that might not socialize with others very often. As Ann Rosewater – a spokeswoman for the organization Up2Us – puts it, “overweight children have reported that the best part of organized sports is making new friends” (13). Teamwork can create a strong bond between athletes who compete together. Working toward a common goal gives children a reason to become good friends in an attempt to reach their endeavor of winning. They learn to help other children when they see them having a tough time and learn to offer words of encouragement to them (Harle par. 3). Children are given a sense of camaraderie by playing a sport with peers and that sense can become so strong that they will go as far as considering each other a second family....
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.
I realized that I was going to school for the wrong reason -- to play ball. The
... conclusion, looking back at the evolution of sports, it has gone from a group of athletes that played a game they loved whole heartedly, to a group of athletes that play a game basically for greed; gone from a group working together and using their experiences to help others, to seeing how good they can make themselves look. Fans have suffered through players’ strikes so they can make more money. They have started using “performance enhancing drugs” to get bigger muscles so they can out do their own teammates. Sports reports talk about how an individual won the game rather than the team winning the game. Integrity and teamwork need to start at the high school level of sports so these young athletes will know how it feels to work together as a whole. It will benefit them in all aspects of their lives, from school to family and that is something to be proud of.
When a child lacks the natural born talent of athleticism, they can be destroyed emotionally and physically. The 2005 Youth Sports Report Card rated parental behavior and involvement as “unacceptable and needing improvement”(Citizenship Through Sports Alliance,2005). Community sports have “lost their child-centered focus” and has become “too specialized and over interested in parents”(Citizenship Through Sports Alliance,2005). Failing parental expectations, the child will lose any enjoyment felt previously in participation. Their desire to play is diminished, confidence decreases and anxiety overwhelms their innocent minds. Something that was created to add enjoyment and positively influence their life becomes a nightmare that they are unable to cope with. They become humiliated due to inadequately fulfilling their peer 's expectations as well as their
It is unquestionable that lessons of teamwork are learned through involvement with sports. Sports are all about working as a team to reach a common goal- winning games, meets, or matches. As most athletes know, this goal is not possible without becoming one joined team rather than a bunch of individuals. According the newspaper, Courier Mail, “It teaches you to always treat others with respect and not to get too cocky about your own abilities” (Sport a Teacher on the Playing Field of Life). If athletes play the game just to benefit themselves and their personal future, it is impossible to improve as a team overall and achieve success as a whole. Along with treating teammates with respect, it is equally important to be honest with not only fellow teammates but with oneself. Quarterback Kemp also said, “I learned that if...
The main goals behind Sport Education are to help students become knowledgeable about different sports and activities to the point where they can participate in these outside of the classroom to stay active. Also it teaches execution and strategies and encourages competitiveness. It is important for kids to be competitive because they will have to be in life and it will teach the importance of winning and losing the right way. “Sports offer kids a great chance to work cooperatively toward a common goal. And working coope...
By being part of a team, you will give and receive praise. Receiving recognition from a team mate or a coach will boost your self esteem because you have been acknowledged for your efforts. As you are praised for your efforts, you will become more confident, thus improving your self esteem. Often times, the bond formed between team mates on the field translates into a friendship off the field. As team mates come to depend on each other and know that they are depended on, their level of commitment or responsibility to the game and skills needed for the game increases.