Today the outrageous pressure of parents on young athletes has been taken out of hand due to parents wanting their children to succeed in athletics. Being involved in athletics used to be the child’s choice, but nowadays parents are forcing their children to participate in sports. From young athletes being pushed emotionally and physically too far, to them having to attend twice-a-day practices that consist of five hour workouts (Schurr 1). Parents go dangerously out of their way to have their children excel in sports. For example, a parent wanted their child to excel in athletics so badly to the point that they asked a surgeon to perform a pelvic surgery to help his/her child to become more flexible. Parents do not take into consideration what the effects of performing a pelvic surgery could have on their child in the …show more content…
Parents argue that due to their child being on a strict schedule that he/she behaves better while at school and at home. Parents believe that during their child’s offseason he/she acts out and has a rough time concentrating on completing their schoolwork and chores. Adolescent athletes have even commented that they believe they perform at higher levels academically because of their strict schedule of sleeping, eating, and completing homework and chores (Kimball 2). Perhaps this is true for some troubled children, but parents need to be aware of how much is too much. Many young athletes have become burnt out due to competing at such a high level at such a young age. As parents there are numerous signs to be aware of that show an athlete is being over trained and/or burnt out. Lack of desire to attend practice, decreased satisfaction in the activity, poor performance, low/falling grades, and loss of appetite and/or sleep are all signs of an athlete being over worked (Kimball 3). Not only does this affect the child physically but also
Athletes in times of difficulty can be important role models.” This shows that sports are in fact helpful because they can grow children into being important role models for the rest of society. Studies have shown time and time again that playing sports can be beneficial to children and we also believe this to be true. Many people still think that sports cause “too many injuries”, or coaches “are not fair enough”, but adolescents will experience these things all throughout their lives because injury can happen anywhere and they will not always be the best at what they are doing. Sports are beneficial to the youth because they can teach children and teens important life skills, help them maintain a fit and healthy lifestyle, all while improving their mental health.
Leff, S., & Hoyle, R. (1995). Young athlete's perceptions of parental support and pressure. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 24(2), 187-203. Retrieved November 18, 2013, from http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF01537149#page-1
Sport Management: Burnout and Early Specialization Every year there are a number of children who withdraw from participating in youth sports. While countless leave sports to pursue other interests, a significant number detest their experience in sport. From the intense practices to pressure-filled competitions, young athletes can feel a considerable amount of stress. If this stress remains for an extended period of time, children experience “burnout” and lose their desire to continue playing.
The pressure was said to come from parents, coaches, and the young athletes themselves (“Journal of Physical Education,” n.d.). Which seems to be very typical in today’s youth sport world. It is not uncommon for the parents and the children to observe how each other acts towards a certain sport, how much encouragement they get, or how much they enjoy a single sport in general. The people who are connected to the school sports, including coaches, principals, athletic directors, etc. are not the only ones voicing their concerns (“Journal of Physical Education,” n.d.). “Journalists and sport scientists have also become worried that young athletes are becoming specialized too early and that this early sport specialization can lead to a number of undesirable effects.
When I go to a gymnastics meet and do really good, so I get that 1st place medal or trophy. It feels amazing, I mean the sport gymnastics is competitive and I sure do love competitive sports. The competitiveness gets you that rush of excitement. You feel nervous, but excited to get in there and try your hardest. Kids make better choices and have committed when they have the drawbacks of participating in competitive youth sports.
One quote that was used was, “Children who specialize in a single sport and train intensively for it are at higher risk of experiencing overuse injuries, as well as burnout, anxiety and depression, according to a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP),” (Perry). She said this because it shows how when children play sports that there is a major health risk involved and they could be depressed and exhausted. Another quote is, “More kids are participating in adult-led organized sports today, and sometimes the goals of the parents and coaches may be different than the young athletes,” (Brenner). Doctor Joel Brenner said this because it shows how the coaches and parents are sometimes more involved in the sport than some of the young athletes. Though this argument may seem accurate it does not fully explain some of the major health risks and what the parents and coaches are doing to prevent as many injuries as possible.
The value placed on the importance of winning in professional sports has hit an all-time high. The astronomical amount of money being spent in the entertainment field of athletics has dictated a win-at-all-costs mentality that has trickled all the way down to negatively affect our youngest athletes - the prepubescent. The athletic world has forever been exploiting our youth as a source of athletic potential, sacrificing the health, safety and welfare of these child-athletes to satiate the intense nationalistic pride of the country and more dishearteningly in the name of the Almighty Dollar. This has caused coaches and athletes to take drastic measures which are sometimes illegal and usually unethical in order to improve performance levels. One of the most controversial training practices center around the impact of strength training in prepubescent children.
It is not just the injuries that are playing a major effect in kids, but it is the physical and mental draining that is coming from their parents and coaches. Parents are pushing their kids to do all this extra stuff to make them the best on the team. Gerdy reports, “Youth sports programs are no longer about meeting the educational, development, and recreational needs of children but rather about satisfying ego needs of the adults” (Gerdy). These children no longer have a chance to learn the simply fundamentals because of their parents forcing them to the next level too early. Parents are also causing disturbances during their child’s game. Parent misconduct in youth sports refers to any disruptive, abusive, or violent behavior parents. The article responds, “The main purpose of youth sports, that is, to teach and guide young athletes in skill development in their sport of choice, to provide encouragement and support, to build self-esteem, and to allow children to have fun while exercising” (Atkinson). Parents have begun to promote the total opposite but screaming at their kid to do better instead of encouraging. These violent calls from the parents begin to produce emotional suffering and damage to the child because they begin to think too much about being perfect all the time and not enough about just having fun. Also, when these children are the parents and their kids are playing they will
Kids who are pushed into playing multiple sports over multiple sports seasons have a much higher chance of getting injured, as a result of overuse of their bodies. Kids should only be pushed in a sport if they want to play not because their parents want to. In many cases parents determine whether to push the children or not. Kids who train too much are much more susceptible to serious injuries such as torn ACLs which require long periods of rehabilitation (Chronicle). In the article “Sports Should be Fun not Forced” the author states that there is a 30% increase in boys and a 56% increase in girls with fractured forearms as a direct result of overuse. Sports specialization can also result in injuries, In the article “Is it Wise to Specialize?” ,Dr Neeru Jayanthi watched 1200 athletes who “specialized” in a sport and discovered that kids who specialize in sports have a 70% to 93% more likely chance of getting hurt of a child who plays multiple sports (Sagas) . Injuries are inevitable in sports, however, by parents having their kids overwork they are enhancing their children’s chances of getting hurt. Sports injuries are never good and they can deter kids away from sports. Parents need to realize this fact and alleviate a child’s opportunity to get an injury. In our current society athletes are becoming bigger, faster and stronger, and that athletes seem to need to
I agree with the point that the focus of sports has shifted just to winning the game as the world has turned into a big rat race where everyone is trying to bring the others down. These types of sports should not be a part of children’s life. They have a hazardous effect on the development of a child’s body and personality. Due to the demanding nature, the children are affected mentally and physically. Their bodies are not developed to take this much of pressure. Jessica puts it rightly when she says that the inability to perform physically leads the children to develop mental health
“Harder, better, faster, stronger” The unforgettable iconic lyrics from Kanye West’s “Stronger”, shown above, have become the motivation for many children in today’s world and childhood sports are no exception. It is perceived by many children that winning is everything and should be achieved at any cost, but when a child’s long term health is the price to be paid it becomes a concern. The adults in charge such as youth coaches, parents, and league officials need to rethink and assess their responsibilities, question their decisions, and lastly think about the stress they place upon the American youth. The large majority of the injuries in youth sports are preventable with proper safety measures, yet they continue to increase gradually with
Adolescents every year are found with minor and severe injuries when participating in intensive trainings for sports, but is it the training itself causing the injuries or the coaches and parents putting pressure on the athlete? Think of how when you’ve been to a little league game or a sports game for your child or friend. If you listen closely the parent or coach is shouting to the athlete to keep moving or do better. The athlete then begins to feel pressured to do better and some even begin to push themselves so hard they hit a breaking point either physically, mentally or both. To begin with, for some families it is important or traditional that their child participate and excel in sports.
According to statistics gathered by youth sports organizations, “Up to 50 million kids play youth sports in America, and 73 percent of those who begin playing a sport quit before they turn 13” (Binns). The children could have quit because they did not like the disappointment of losing, or because they are exhausted from their parents pushing them too hard. But parents have their reasons for pushing their children into sports. “Studies show that kids who play sports are less likely to become obese, abuse drugs or alcohol or to perform poorly in school” (McCormick). If children are not active, then they will most likely become overweight, and if they have nothing to do in their pastime, they may turn to drugs and alcohol, which usually leads to a decrease in grades in school.
These days, there is too much pressure on children who participate in organized sports because of the unnecessary parental involvement they experience. A growing concern amongst those involved in youth sports is that certain aspects of parental involvement become detrimental to the development and experiences of young athletes. Early emphasis on winning, making money, and the disruption of education can exceedingly affect ones desire to further participate in a sport later on in his/her life.
Many parents put their children into sports for the wrong reason. They try to live their past dreams of sports glory through their kid. They can push and dem...