Children and their parents are sacraficing much of their time and money with youth sports. This research has shown that the main reasons are that sports are no longer fun and they are too stressful. Competing in these sports causes the children to be vulnerable to many risks and many other negative impacts. Who your child is as a person shouldn't be tied closely to the ability to hit home runs or score touchdowns. And kids sports injuries are on the rise. Are Youth Sports too Intense? Over 3.5 million children and teens ages six to fourteen are injuring themselves purposely participating in sports they do not want to participate in. Kid and teenagers get injured because they play sports all year around. Some kids will play rougher and more physically than others trying to do better than kids on the opposing team. These sports programs are causing mental and physical damage for these developing kids and the intensity of parents and coached have made it even more overwhelming. They have been more involved and effect the childs performance. Plus, kids who are serious about sports learn the importance of hard work and determination, which can help them succeed as adultsand not just in sports. However, after reading the article, Have Youth Sports Become Too Intense?, where the issue of competitive youth sports becoming too intense or extreme is debated, my perspective was changed. Practicing day after day will physically mess up the childs growth (Merkel). Uncovering the Reasons Kids Drop Out of Youth Sports, How to Increase Youth Sports Participation in Your Community, Youth Sports Parenting - 7 Ways to Support Young Athletes, How to Motivate a Youth Sports Team - 4 Tips to Drive Your Players, How Sports Team Management Software Helps Youth Sports, more than 3.5 million children under the age of 14 experience a sports-related injury each year, Single-sport athletes are 73 to 90 percent more likely to be injured, only 2% of high school athletes earn scholarships, f motivating them to work hard and be dedicated, 5 Things Young Athletes Can Learn from Pro Athletes, an outlet that lets them grow at an accelerated pace. Children and young teens when playing a sport are 70-90% more likely of getting injured when playing sports. It also discourages sportsman spirit. Between the years of 2008 and 2013, the total number of children participating in competitive sports has dropped by approximately 2.6 million. While there may be some negatives to competitive sports, thats just life, and to add on to that; there are plenty of benefits which are sure to override to medias facts. The highest rates of injury occur in sports that involve contact and collisions. The rest of the children who are part of these games are in a constant pressure from their parents and coaches that cause the stress and anxiety. Many coaches are now treating their players like Military recruits. The families of these children not only spend hundreds of dollars, but also are one of the top reasons youth sports have become so intense. In fact, early sport specialization is the leading causes of sports-related injury. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and is the founder of of ESME.com (Empowering Solo Moms Everywhere). For example, in one recent Super Bowl,96 percent of players were multi-sport athletes. It is a very controversial topics in our community. In Statskys essay she explained how there was a child about seven-years-old who was playing a Peewee Football game and no longer wanted to play. Your ultimate goal should be fostering enjoyment, health, and growth for your kids. Rogan is one of countless young athletes across the U.S. who dream of one day going pro. The amount of children participating in competitive sports has been on a steady decline in the past decade. In addition, a lot of parents say theyd rather see their kids playing sports than spending their free time on their phones or playing video games. While teaching Sociology of Sport at Northwestern University (a Big 10, Division 1 school), I did the research and heard from hundreds of students. The youth are being put in danger due to how competitive, aggressive, and intense youth sports have become. Most sports have situations that put athletes in tight spots. Each year in the United States, more than 36 million school-aged children participate in an organized sport (Youth Sports Statistics). Children have strived for years to make their parents, teachers and coaches proud of them. Claims that youth sports are too intense are completely false, as many of the social benefits and life skills that adolescents benefit from come from the intensity of their sport. Furthermore, the writer states that this sport becomes job like. No! Approximately 100,000 high schoolers report concussions each year, The importance of childrens athletics is for kids to have fun. The very first coach that a child encounter plays a very important role in the childs sports life. Those encouraging words from his coach, its ok; youll get it next time, helps him realize it will become better with practice. Trust your instincts. "When playing sports becomes a job or an obligation, kids lose interest," says Mark Hyman, a professor at . Children should not take part in organized sports for more hours per week than their age, according to the National Athletic Trainers Association. Others argue however, that sports help to teach young athletes the values of discipline and hardwork. Source: National Collegiate Athletic Association. Against a backdrop of increasing childhood obesity, the physical benefits of sports participation are clear. Furthermore, parents will also push their child into sports frequently for their own enjoyment as well as pushing them into sports to keep them in shape. Our newest Text Set collection features articles and videos about Black history and cultureplus graphic organizers, close-reading questions, and other teaching resources to help students compare texts and integrate information. Among all injuries, the most Making them experience healthy competition and become more well rounded contributing members of society. Competitive sports involve sports where competition is encouraged, and where winning is more important than anything else. The play starts. The adult standards that are unfit for the children, need to be eradicated from children sports as they are inappropriate for their better physical growth. It could potentially stunt their growth if a vital area of their body is injured. I believe that kids should be allowed to play competitive sports due to the health benefits, the lessons that they can teach, and as a result of the advanced equipment and rules that are focused on making sports safe, as well as the fact that sports can keep kids out of trouble. Kids look up to their parents and coaches and would never want to disappoint them. This is mainly due to the many negative impacts that young athletes face when partaking in these sports. Its the way in which children are playing or how their parents are arranging for them to play that may be cause for concern (Ferguson). The boy goes to the base. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. The benefits of participating in competitive youth sports are worth the drawbacks because athletes learn to use pressure to their advantage later in life along with how to block out negativity. Coaches need to motivate the children to play and continue athletic involvement. Parents sometimes expect too much from their children. Kids should play competitive sports because competitive sports teach children powerful life lessons, contributes to their social and mental stability, and because of the physical gain competitive sports provides. In these games, a child may crash into one another accidently that creates a fear of getting hurt. Study after study has revealed the dangers of single-sport focus at an early age. In addition, kids learn problem-solving skills that may help them surpass obstacles in their later lives (Website). Along with the rise of Sport Specialization, concerns pertaining to a childs physical and psychological health have begun to increase as well. Youth sports ages are considered to be high school sports and below. The rest of the children who are part of these games are in a constant pressure from their parents and coaches that cause the stress and anxiety. This book not only takes a look into youth sports today it will expose a lot of the negativity surrounding it. English II Eighty-eight percent ofcollege athletes played multiple sportsas well. (Word count: 196), An estimated 1,442,533 injuries occurred among U.S. high school student athletes participating in practices or competitions for the nine sports studied. They found about 20% of the kids reported high levels of stress before the game, and many of them reported high anxiety after games that their teams lost. Explain. Children are playing just to win and the real spirit of the game fades out. I love the game, Rogan says. Not all youth sports are doing that these days, though. The fun aspect of the fundamentals are: decreasing injuries, increasing enthusiasm and eagerness, and prolonging the involvement in sports. Despite what many experts would like you to believe, both of these statements are completely true. Frequently parents push their child into sports to keep what they perceive as the American Dream of an intact family alive: A Happily married family, with smart children and who succeed in sports. Despite the downsides of competitive leagues, they play a vital role in the world of youth sports. "Still the benefits outweigh the costs. Hyman does not just point the finger at other parents but offers his own account of. Illustrating. In fact, 7 out of 10 kids who play organized sports quit by age 13, according to the National Alliance for Youth Sports. Parents want their kids to succeed and do well, but many are now going way overboard (Exchange). Football, although fun and exciting, plays an immense role in many long term health issues especially for people who start at a young age. It doesnt feel like work.. In order to make sure you have, there are a few steps you can take. For example young athletes are being out in danger. Kids have come to practice Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday, and Friday to get better, while their academics are suffering. Haven't signed into your Scholastic account before? These regimens also can exact a psychological toll, increasing the. Going along with the childrens families, the parents of these young athletes are spending large amounts of money to make their kid the best and go onto the professional league. Theres nothing wrong with working hard to reach your goals. The writer further explains that the idea of winning sometimes causes severe injuries that may prevail for a lifetime. Heres how to make sure that competitive sports are a positive experience for your child. Student athletes are not getting the opportunity to play multiple sports during the year, because they are expected to spelize in one sport and focus on it year round, leaving no opportunity to play other sports or do other activities. Just to protect themselves some children back out of many games and are left behind when it comes to the development of their bodies. Middle school students are competing in competitive sports which both have a positive and negative side. Find all our Student Opinion questions here. If youre putting pressure on your 4-year old at practice, youre doing it wrong. Children are playing just to win and the real spirit of the game fades out. With kids starting at such a young age playing such intense sports it is increasing the amount of injuries that occur at younger ages. These children have no more time for themselves or with their families. Children and kids often continue to play sports even after injuring themselves or after being injured by another person because of the fear of their parent and or coaches expectations(s) for them to win and continue playing (Muller). Sports also promote life skills and help kids later in life Sports should be for all ages and kids. The child told the coach that his tummy hurts in order to not play, but the coach did not accept his statement, so the little boy made himself vomit right onto the ground. The media teaches people simply that sports leads to horrific injuries and can cause stress, but what the mainstream media hardly discusses are the great benefits of competitive sports. Are now treating their players like Military recruits motivate the children to be school. Is increasing the amount of injuries that occur at younger ages look into youth sports importance childrens. Few steps you can take kids on the opposing team have come to practice,. 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