Exploratory Essay Kids in Competitve Sports

Are Competitive Sports in Kid’s Lives Healthy? Many parents question whether or not they should sign their kids up for a competitive sports team. Although many parents are skeptical of putting their child in on such an emotional journey, everybody gets a taste of competitiveness sometime in their life, especially in the competitive workforce. There are so many reasons to consider whether or not it is healthy to involve their innocent children in such a competitive atmosphere at a young age. Many parents who put their kids into sports at a young age often grew up playing sports. They see themselves in their children and want them to be as good if not better than they were. It’s very hard for a child to enjoy the sport if they constantly have their parents over their shoulders to practice and win. Parents pushing kids to win or be the best isn’t exactly what a kid wants to do. Growing up kids need to experience a fun sports game, so much intensity at an early age may cause the kid to want to quit the sport. Most kids can’t handle the pressure of parents pushing their kids to win. A lot of kids are naturally competitive but “they sometimes feel (perceive) that they will not be able to perform adequately to the performance demands of competition (Humphrey 23).” A big concern with competitive sports is the emotional stress that can affect a child’s physical well-being. Competitiveness makes one team successful and the other team a failure. Because losing can be a threat to one’s self-esteem, the negative emotion and anxiety can be personally threatening. Once kids adapt to these negative feelings, the negative aspects can stay with them for life. If parents encourage their kids that real winners love to play for fun, then it encourages the kids to try their hardest and not be so stressed out and be as upset if they were to lose the game. Self-efficacy is defined as the “can do” attitude. It isn’t based on a person’s skill, but it’s based on how one judges

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