For Youth?” By Sarah Davis, it states “Participating in sports teaches children and teenagers how to compete in the real world.” (Davis 1) This proves that sports get younger people prepared for life down the road. “Improved self-esteem is another benefit of youth competitive sports. When a child wins a game with his team, he feels accomplished and recognized. Even when he doesn’t win, he can learn a valuable lesson: That you can’t win every time.”(Davis 1). This shows that even when a team doesn’t win each individual doesn’t feel as bad, which is good because sometimes a loss can ruin a child’s day. “According to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, youth sports can help deter negative behavior, such as joining a gang, because competitive sports provide an outlet for expression, friendship and controlled aggression. Teens who have positive influences and friends feel less of a need to participate in risky behaviors.”(Davis 1). This is an example of when kids play sports there is less of a chance of them joining a gang, which in the long run would lower their self-esteem. To add on, youth competitive sports help kids learn good sportsmanship.
“If your child plays a team sport, he will quickly learn the art of sportsmanship, sharing credit and sharing responsibility.”(Davis 1). This proves that sports help people have better sportsmanship, which is important because it’s not good to be a sore loser. In the article “Sports: The Benefit of Competitive Athletic Sports Participation in Today’s Sports Climate”, by Kirk Mango. “No matter how good an athlete becomes there will always be times when they "fail." It is what one does after a failure, how they cope, that will determine future positive outcomes.”(Mango 1) This shows that if you don’t accept the fact that failing is a way of life, you will never keep going, and you might quit. Sports teach you to never quit. “It is not that good character and integrity are automatically developed by participating in sports but rather are revealed through circumstances that normally arise in the competitive arena.”(Mango 1). This shows when you are under the pressure of sports you have to prove what you’ve been practicing. After each football or soccer game I play in, we shake hands with the other team, which shows respect. You can’t always win, but it’s how you prepare yourself for next
time.
Some critics may say that competitive sports are bad for children and teens, because they cause a lot of injuries. I know they do cause injuries, which cost a lot, and are a pain. But with the right gear and following rules you could minimize the chance of your child getting hurt. “Millions of American children and teenagers are overweight. This obesity epidemic has make the early onset of health problems such as diabetes more common. Participating in competitive youth sports burns calories and helps to prevent obesity. Additionally, many children who are active in sports are motivated to eat healthier foods, such as fruits and vegetables.”(Davis 1) This shows that not only will sports help youth have good self-esteem or sportsmanship, but it makes them have less of a chance of becoming overweight, which is becoming a big problem in America these days.
So, I’m sure that now you can see that youth competitive sports are beneficial. Although some critics say competitive sports cause too many injuries, hey help teenagers accept criticism, and teach them good sportsmanship. For these reasons, youth should play sports, because it will help them farther along in life. Sports also help children live healthy lifestyles. You would hate for you child to because overweight or unhealthy.