Why Should Kids Participate In Competitive Sports
Everyone is aware of the stories, “Young football player went to the hospital with concussion” and “Teenager breaks her leg at hockey practice” but how many of those headlines are actually a frequent occurrence? Today, this essay will examine an issue with numerous opposing opinions: Should kids participate in competitive sports? Countless people have commonly argued this topic in view of the injuries and potential stress the sports might bring. However, this essay will explain why, kids should play competitive sports. The main reasons are as follows: they teach kids life lessons, they promote a positive self image, and competitive sports keep kids active.
The main reason for kids to participate in competitive sports that they bring a plethora …show more content…
of life lessons and basic manners to children. For example, according to Eileen Booker, in an article in Sports World, kids learn important life skills such as, how to accept criticism, how to work quickly under pressure, how to work with a team, and how to win and lose graciously. (Booker, 2014). This shows how sports can be an important source of life lessons for children who otherwise could en up spoiled or unprepared.
Kids are like sponges, soaking up the environment they are put into. It is important to make sure they are put in a good environment with lots to learn from, an environment that competitive sports can bring. Would you want that to be your kid? To further explain, Booker mentioned working quickly under pressure, in school students can use these skills if they have a test or quiz. A set amount of time is usually given to children and teenagers to complete the assessments mentioned above, and competitive sports can teach them how to manage their time and not be stressed or overwhelmed by their deadline. Without competitive sports it would be harder for them to learn the lessons for the future. In addition, Sarah Davis, holder of a bachelor's degree in nutrition from San Diego University. In an article for livestrong.com, she supports this claim. She argues that, “Participating in sports teaches children and teenagers how to compete in the real world … Playing sports can help kids understand how competition works in a friendly environment, and that if you try your hardest, you have a …show more content…
better chance to succeed.”. (Davis, 2017) This shows how the lessons can help students academically, socially, and in their everyday lives, and it would be a shame to remove them. This quote also explains that competitive sports are a way to learn these lessons in a friendly environment, if someone makes a mistake, such as missing a pass or having poor sportsmanship one game, it would not be a problem since the kid is learning. The mistake will simply help them in the future when these lessons become unquestionably important. To add on, Anne Josephson, the President and CEO of J.A.G. Gym in Los Angeles, argues for a similar point, in her Huffington Post Article. She argues that sports push us to try harder. Josephson argues that, “Competition teaches us to bring our best effort. Keeping score gives us extra motivation to do our best. We pursue excellence when we compete.” (Josephson, 2017). The lessons mentioned above are so important to a child’s future in the real world, and children can learn them quickly in a fun and healthy way. People may think that there are other ways to learn the lessons, however, competitive sports are the easiest and most fun ways to experience the lessons of life. Stopping their involvement is like getting rid of the highway since the back roads that take another hour, work just as well. This is how competitive sports teach life lessons and why kids involvement in said sports are important. My second reason is that, sports provide a positive self image.
Imagine this: you are running down the field with the ball between your feet, dodging past each and every defender until the only barricade stopping you from a goal is the green-gloved goalkeeper staring right at you. You fake left and shoot right. Time stops as the ball whirls through the air, narrowly missing the pleading hands of the goalie, and swishes into the back of the net. You scored the winning goal just as you hear the sharp whine of the ref’s whistle. Game over. How would you feel? ‘Upset’ would probably not your vocabulary at the moment and research agrees. For example, according to, Get off that couch and play, an article in Sports World, people that are on a team experience a heightened sense of belonging to something larger, while on the team, and that studies have shown that this causes an increased signs of confidence and self esteem. (Booker, 2014). Confidence and heightened self-esteem are important qualities to have while growing up and can also prepare people for the future when the children need to complete a difficult task such as a job interview or speech. Furthermore, Eileen Booker has said that, sports are even more important during their teenage years when students are developing a self-image and social skills. (Booker, 2014). She has shown that sports are more than just a hobby, sports are an important part of growing up and can increase self-image, as mentioned before. To add on,
according to the Huffington Post, “Competition is one way kids earn self-esteem. When you develop a talent and work hard for a result, it feels great. When you fail and learn that you can bounce back, you feel more confident in yourself because you understand that you have resilience.” (Josephson, 2017). She says that even when people do not win or sustain an injury, the kids learn from that and feel confident about your ability to pick yourself back up. The final source that shows that sports provide children and teens with a positive self image and confidence, comes from The Huffington Post. They said, “Competition teaches us to take risks. Once we realize that competition is not a terrifying thing, we can take risks. We can develop our confidence to do things that are hard or uncomfortable.”. (Josephson, 2017). Which sums up the whole purpose for competitive sports. Some may think that the tryout process would actually do the opposite for students’ self-image, however, this goes back to the first reason that competitive sports teach kids life lessons. While preparing for one of these tests, kids build character and a work ethic. If they do not make the team then the kid knows that they could have worked harder. This will prepare them for the next one and teach perseverance. This shows that even not getting on the team can be a positive. The experience will teach how much harder to try next time. To take this away from the kids who have devoted their lives to the sports they play would take away all of the benefits the sports bring.
My final reason why children should be able to play sports competitively is that they keep kids active. For example, Anahad O’Connor is a Yale graduate with a degree in psychology. He writes for the The New York Times and studies neuroscience (the study of the structure and function of the nervous system and the brain) and child studies. He says in an article in the New York Times, “Nationwide, about a third of high school students are overweight or obese, a figure that has prompted federal efforts to boost physical activity of any kind among teenagers”. (O’Connor 2012). Competitive sports are a way for that number to plummet, which can only be beneficial. Having children no longer participate in these sports would keep the number the same or even higher, a price this country cannot afford to pay. He also found that, “Teenagers can significantly lower their likelihood of being overweight or obese by … playing on at least one high school sports team…”. (O’Connor, 2012) This proves that competitive sports can be a key factor in eliminating this epidemic. Keeping kids from playing competitive sports would rid students of this important opportunity. This is especially important, according to an article for Sports World. She has said, “In a nation with an obesity epidemic and a rate of diabetes that is continuing to grow, physical activity is becoming more and more important. Participating on teams can teach young people how to live a healthy lifestyle.” (Booker, 2014) Booker argues for a similar point, she says that if competitive sports allow kids to play on their teams, then, they will be more open to exercising and living a healthier life in the future. Think about it, on a normal weekend or summer day, what are most kids doing? Nowadays, with the amount of technology kids have, it is easy for them to want to stay inside for most it. Competitive sports keep kids outside and exercising away from the television. “Why can they not just exercise during Gym class?” some say, however, gym class alone is hardly enough exercise for a growing child. According to Anahad O’Connor in the New York Times article titled, Sports Promote Healthy Weight in Teenagers, “...Physical education classes, the research found, did not reduce or prevent weight gain, likely because they do not offer students the same level of...challenging exercise as competitive sports.” (O’Connor, 2012). This proves that gym class is not an alternative source of exercise than competitive sports and that, if students solely rely on gym class for exercise, they will not be as healthy as they could have been. Furthermore, by removing kids from competitive sports, you would be taking away the main source of exercise for an abundance of children. A great deal of them will not want to play any other sports which could result in them not exercising at all.
As this essay reaches the conclusion, competitive sports should have students participate for the reasons that, (as research has shown) they provide a multitude of life lessons, they boost kids’ self esteem, and keeps them active. While the issue of kids’ participation in competitive sports has an abundance different opinions surrounding it, some believe they should not play competitive sports seeing that they can be dangerous, however, that is not an excuse to stop them all together. The kids know what they are getting into when they sign up for the sport. If they think the sport is too dangerous their participation should be their decision to make. That would be like forbidding people from going outside for the minor possibility that a bee could sting them. I’ll take my chances. Dr. Diane R. Stoler Ed.D. a neuropsychologist and board-certified health psychologist, wrote an article to support this idea, titled, Would You Rather Let Your Teen Play Football or Drive a Car? Psychology Today published this article which states, “...there are 500,000 football related injuries … while there are over 2.6 million automobile accidents each year... The reality is that it is safer for you to allow your 17-year-old to play football than it is to let him or her drive your car”. The same thing occurs with multiple other sports. This proves that if humanity is safer on the field than in a car, then you can not possibly forbid student’s participation in competitive sports as then you would have to ban everything that was any bit more dangerous would, or your achievement would be insignificant. That list would include everything from going fishing to driving to the store. What I mean by this is that competitive sports may be a minor danger, however, compared to the activities we perform everyday (such as driving) it is next to nothing. You cannot eliminate these activities that are so important to us, so why is it not the same for competitive sports? The reality is that competitive sports are an important part of growing up, and it would be absolutely ridiculous to remove children's participation of them in light of a slight danger. Although this may not be a topic that affects everyone competitive sports do affect the younger generations, (grades 7-17) and everyone will want them to be as well rounded as possible when they are deciding your taxes, or voting for your president. If you want to help this cause, encourage the truth, do not let miscalculations or incorrect facts emerge and persuade people against these sports.
The main reason for kids to participate in competitive sports that they bring a plethora …show more content…
of life lessons and basic manners to children. For example, according to Eileen Booker, in an article in Sports World, kids learn important life skills such as, how to accept criticism, how to work quickly under pressure, how to work with a team, and how to win and lose graciously. (Booker, 2014). This shows how sports can be an important source of life lessons for children who otherwise could en up spoiled or unprepared.
Kids are like sponges, soaking up the environment they are put into. It is important to make sure they are put in a good environment with lots to learn from, an environment that competitive sports can bring. Would you want that to be your kid? To further explain, Booker mentioned working quickly under pressure, in school students can use these skills if they have a test or quiz. A set amount of time is usually given to children and teenagers to complete the assessments mentioned above, and competitive sports can teach them how to manage their time and not be stressed or overwhelmed by their deadline. Without competitive sports it would be harder for them to learn the lessons for the future. In addition, Sarah Davis, holder of a bachelor's degree in nutrition from San Diego University. In an article for livestrong.com, she supports this claim. She argues that, “Participating in sports teaches children and teenagers how to compete in the real world … Playing sports can help kids understand how competition works in a friendly environment, and that if you try your hardest, you have a …show more content…
better chance to succeed.”. (Davis, 2017) This shows how the lessons can help students academically, socially, and in their everyday lives, and it would be a shame to remove them. This quote also explains that competitive sports are a way to learn these lessons in a friendly environment, if someone makes a mistake, such as missing a pass or having poor sportsmanship one game, it would not be a problem since the kid is learning. The mistake will simply help them in the future when these lessons become unquestionably important. To add on, Anne Josephson, the President and CEO of J.A.G. Gym in Los Angeles, argues for a similar point, in her Huffington Post Article. She argues that sports push us to try harder. Josephson argues that, “Competition teaches us to bring our best effort. Keeping score gives us extra motivation to do our best. We pursue excellence when we compete.” (Josephson, 2017). The lessons mentioned above are so important to a child’s future in the real world, and children can learn them quickly in a fun and healthy way. People may think that there are other ways to learn the lessons, however, competitive sports are the easiest and most fun ways to experience the lessons of life. Stopping their involvement is like getting rid of the highway since the back roads that take another hour, work just as well. This is how competitive sports teach life lessons and why kids involvement in said sports are important. My second reason is that, sports provide a positive self image.
Imagine this: you are running down the field with the ball between your feet, dodging past each and every defender until the only barricade stopping you from a goal is the green-gloved goalkeeper staring right at you. You fake left and shoot right. Time stops as the ball whirls through the air, narrowly missing the pleading hands of the goalie, and swishes into the back of the net. You scored the winning goal just as you hear the sharp whine of the ref’s whistle. Game over. How would you feel? ‘Upset’ would probably not your vocabulary at the moment and research agrees. For example, according to, Get off that couch and play, an article in Sports World, people that are on a team experience a heightened sense of belonging to something larger, while on the team, and that studies have shown that this causes an increased signs of confidence and self esteem. (Booker, 2014). Confidence and heightened self-esteem are important qualities to have while growing up and can also prepare people for the future when the children need to complete a difficult task such as a job interview or speech. Furthermore, Eileen Booker has said that, sports are even more important during their teenage years when students are developing a self-image and social skills. (Booker, 2014). She has shown that sports are more than just a hobby, sports are an important part of growing up and can increase self-image, as mentioned before. To add on,
according to the Huffington Post, “Competition is one way kids earn self-esteem. When you develop a talent and work hard for a result, it feels great. When you fail and learn that you can bounce back, you feel more confident in yourself because you understand that you have resilience.” (Josephson, 2017). She says that even when people do not win or sustain an injury, the kids learn from that and feel confident about your ability to pick yourself back up. The final source that shows that sports provide children and teens with a positive self image and confidence, comes from The Huffington Post. They said, “Competition teaches us to take risks. Once we realize that competition is not a terrifying thing, we can take risks. We can develop our confidence to do things that are hard or uncomfortable.”. (Josephson, 2017). Which sums up the whole purpose for competitive sports. Some may think that the tryout process would actually do the opposite for students’ self-image, however, this goes back to the first reason that competitive sports teach kids life lessons. While preparing for one of these tests, kids build character and a work ethic. If they do not make the team then the kid knows that they could have worked harder. This will prepare them for the next one and teach perseverance. This shows that even not getting on the team can be a positive. The experience will teach how much harder to try next time. To take this away from the kids who have devoted their lives to the sports they play would take away all of the benefits the sports bring.
My final reason why children should be able to play sports competitively is that they keep kids active. For example, Anahad O’Connor is a Yale graduate with a degree in psychology. He writes for the The New York Times and studies neuroscience (the study of the structure and function of the nervous system and the brain) and child studies. He says in an article in the New York Times, “Nationwide, about a third of high school students are overweight or obese, a figure that has prompted federal efforts to boost physical activity of any kind among teenagers”. (O’Connor 2012). Competitive sports are a way for that number to plummet, which can only be beneficial. Having children no longer participate in these sports would keep the number the same or even higher, a price this country cannot afford to pay. He also found that, “Teenagers can significantly lower their likelihood of being overweight or obese by … playing on at least one high school sports team…”. (O’Connor, 2012) This proves that competitive sports can be a key factor in eliminating this epidemic. Keeping kids from playing competitive sports would rid students of this important opportunity. This is especially important, according to an article for Sports World. She has said, “In a nation with an obesity epidemic and a rate of diabetes that is continuing to grow, physical activity is becoming more and more important. Participating on teams can teach young people how to live a healthy lifestyle.” (Booker, 2014) Booker argues for a similar point, she says that if competitive sports allow kids to play on their teams, then, they will be more open to exercising and living a healthier life in the future. Think about it, on a normal weekend or summer day, what are most kids doing? Nowadays, with the amount of technology kids have, it is easy for them to want to stay inside for most it. Competitive sports keep kids outside and exercising away from the television. “Why can they not just exercise during Gym class?” some say, however, gym class alone is hardly enough exercise for a growing child. According to Anahad O’Connor in the New York Times article titled, Sports Promote Healthy Weight in Teenagers, “...Physical education classes, the research found, did not reduce or prevent weight gain, likely because they do not offer students the same level of...challenging exercise as competitive sports.” (O’Connor, 2012). This proves that gym class is not an alternative source of exercise than competitive sports and that, if students solely rely on gym class for exercise, they will not be as healthy as they could have been. Furthermore, by removing kids from competitive sports, you would be taking away the main source of exercise for an abundance of children. A great deal of them will not want to play any other sports which could result in them not exercising at all.
As this essay reaches the conclusion, competitive sports should have students participate for the reasons that, (as research has shown) they provide a multitude of life lessons, they boost kids’ self esteem, and keeps them active. While the issue of kids’ participation in competitive sports has an abundance different opinions surrounding it, some believe they should not play competitive sports seeing that they can be dangerous, however, that is not an excuse to stop them all together. The kids know what they are getting into when they sign up for the sport. If they think the sport is too dangerous their participation should be their decision to make. That would be like forbidding people from going outside for the minor possibility that a bee could sting them. I’ll take my chances. Dr. Diane R. Stoler Ed.D. a neuropsychologist and board-certified health psychologist, wrote an article to support this idea, titled, Would You Rather Let Your Teen Play Football or Drive a Car? Psychology Today published this article which states, “...there are 500,000 football related injuries … while there are over 2.6 million automobile accidents each year... The reality is that it is safer for you to allow your 17-year-old to play football than it is to let him or her drive your car”. The same thing occurs with multiple other sports. This proves that if humanity is safer on the field than in a car, then you can not possibly forbid student’s participation in competitive sports as then you would have to ban everything that was any bit more dangerous would, or your achievement would be insignificant. That list would include everything from going fishing to driving to the store. What I mean by this is that competitive sports may be a minor danger, however, compared to the activities we perform everyday (such as driving) it is next to nothing. You cannot eliminate these activities that are so important to us, so why is it not the same for competitive sports? The reality is that competitive sports are an important part of growing up, and it would be absolutely ridiculous to remove children's participation of them in light of a slight danger. Although this may not be a topic that affects everyone competitive sports do affect the younger generations, (grades 7-17) and everyone will want them to be as well rounded as possible when they are deciding your taxes, or voting for your president. If you want to help this cause, encourage the truth, do not let miscalculations or incorrect facts emerge and persuade people against these sports.