Informative Essay On Youth Sports

The image of youth sports in America is currently changing. It is becoming more and more common for youth athletes to begin their competitive careers around age 7, and many even getting into organized athletics as early as the age of three. There is currently an estimated 25 million school based athletic programs, and almost 22 million organized community based athletic programs for kids in the United States according to the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports at Michigan State University, making the likelihood of kids getting injured inevitably unpreventable. According to a study done by The Steadman Clinic, athletic injuries are currently the third leading cause of trips to the emergency room for kids under the age of 11, and the largest
Time away from the game or forced inactivity is something everyone wants to avoid. While it is impossible to prevent every injury, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons says research suggests that injury rates could be reduced by 25% if athletes took appropriate preventative action. The rules are designed, in part, to keep things safe. This is extremely important for anyone who participates in a contact sport, and many people including myself have advocated for advanced rule changes to accommodate the safety of our kids starting at a young age. Whether it be from having action sports stars such as skateboarders and bikers wear more protective gear while performing so kids don’t get the impressions that it is “cool” to ride without protective gear, or football players getting more suitable pads to sustain injuries. Any step is a step in the right direction when it comes to keeping our kids safe. With how many benefits youth athletics brings to an individual it’s almost a crime to not allow your kids to participate in these activities and sports at a young age, and with proper treatment of injuries, advanced padding, and slight rule changes it is possible to make sports safer for everyone beginning at the very first