The Evolution Of Youth Sports Development Over the past few decades sports have continued to elevate, evolve, and most of all develop especially in the youth of this age. Most children tend to play only one sport, and limit themselves from the endless possibilities that they may have as a young athlete. This is considered a problem in this time period, because by playing only one sport you are only limiting yourself from achieving greater heights as a young athlete. Young kids should be trying to play as many sports as possible for not only physically, but also mentally, and socially. These things can turn young kids into great athletic leaders at a young age. Kids that play multiple sports will develop physically, mentally, and socially …show more content…
Young athletes have different ways on how the learn things, and what they gain from whatever that they chose to do. University of California, L.A had a study comparing its athletes to students who played sports in high school but did not receive a scholarship to play in college. The study found that the athletes that played in one sport no earlier than 15.4 years of age. The students who had not received a college scholarship began specializing in one sport before the age of 14. The students who had not received a college scholarship began specializing in one sport before the age of 14 (Caleb Lukitic).“One is under age twelve, most sports psychologists will say a child really doesn't have the capacity to understand what that commitment is. So it could lead to burnout. It could also lead to serious overuse injuries. Children should be playing multiple sports, using multiple muscles, not just one sport for ten, eleven, twelve months out of the year. It's also a lot of pressure” (Jennifer Wallace). The main idea for me choosing these these two examples are to talk about how kids, and why kids should be playing multiple sports. Studies have shown that young children should not use only certain muscles to play sports they should try to use as many as they can, because this will prevent not only injuries, but a child becoming burnt out of a single sport that it has been playing for so long. Research has also proven how many more kids get sports scholarships when they chose to play more than one sport their entire life in L.A in the University of California. Knowing these facts has shown why it is much better to start putting young children into playing multiple sports to reduce injuries, and aid them at a higher percentage of gaining a
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.
Kids are deciding by ages 9-10 they want to excel in one sport in order to win a college scholarship. Some are trading the fun and experience of diversifying between basketball, baseball, soccer, etc. for year-round football. As a result, overuse injuries are occurring at an alarming rate among these one-sport wonders.
Sports specialization is an intense training in a single sport while excluding others (Jayanthi et al., 2013). In my opinion, athletes should not begin to specialize in one sport before adolescence. Rates of sports specialization appear to increase with age. Although numerous people would agree that the number of hours spent in practice and training generally positively correlates with the level of achievement in sports, specializing in sports at an early age can cause burnout which would ultimately be more detrimental than beneficial. Swimmers who specialized early spent less time on the national team and retired earlier than athletes who specialized later. They reported that the foremost reasons for leaving the sport were psychological fatigue, general health, and difficult loads (Barynina & Vaitsekhovskii, 1992). Rhythmic gymnasts, those who specialized earlier and spent more hours training from age 4 to 16 years, rated their health lower and experienced less fun (Law et al., 2007). Despite early specialization being beneficial to attain elite-level skill in a sport, intense training in a single sport and the exclusion of others should be delayed until adolescence to optimize success, while minimizing the potential for
However, is the number of these children who have taken to specializing in a single sport at very young ages (Kauffman). This sudden, growing increase has escalated the idea of sport specialization rapidly. With that being said, I believe that early sport specialization is not the right choice for some children. A recent study of issues and concerns related to present-day school sports revealed that the coaches, athletic directors, school principals, parents of athletes, and also the athletes felt that there was a pressure to specialize in a single sport and to do so at an early age (“Journal of Physical Education,” n.d.).
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.
There are positive effects for playing multiple sports. Some people feel that being a single sport athlete is better, but they both have pros and cons. Coaches like it when kids are playing multiple sports, “... college coaches want to know how an athlete move, how an athlete thinks, how good of a teammate the athlete is, how the athlete competes. All of these can be easier to witness when an athlete is playing a sport that comes less naturally to them.” (Rerick 2).
Participating in a sport at an early age can be essential to the overall growth process during a child’s upbringing. Whether the participation is through some sort of organized league or just getting together amongst friends and playing, the lessons learned from this can help teach these kids and provide a positive message to them as they develop. There is a certain point, however, when organized sports can hinder progress, which is when adults get too involved and forget about the underlying reason to why they are helping. While adult involvement is necessary, adult involvement can sometimes send the wrong message to children when they try to make participation become more than just about fun and learning. According to Coakley (2009), “organized sports are worth the effort put forth by adults, as long as they do what is in the best interest of their children and put that thought ahead of their own agenda” (Coakley, p. 151). This is a valid argument because once adults put themselves in front of the children and their values, it needs to be re-evaluated as to why they first got involved in the beginning. Partaking in organized sport and activity from a young age can be beneficial to the overall development of children, as long as decisions actions are made in the best interest of the children and not stemming from ulterior motives of adults.
Sports are a popular pastime among all ages and types of people. People not only participate in them for fun, but also for money, physical fitness, rush of competition, and for many other personal reasons. Playing sports is especially common among young people in schools. Athletics are great and enjoyable for many reasons, but there can be a point where sports participation can go too far and become negative for children and adults. Sports specialization for young people is an increasing trend that results in sports having a negative impact on individuals and society.
.In addition young athletes have become more aggressive. Kids that participate in competitive sports are becoming more and more aggressive and competitive the sports have become themselves. Mitchell reveals "traits like bullying and the need to dominate their oppo...
More specifically, children are also increasingly pressured--again, usually by parents and coaches--to specialize in one sport and to play it year-round, often on several different teams (Perry). Now, if sports specialization is such a great idea, then why are kids being “pressured”? As stated before, sports specialization can result in severe injury or even retirement from sports all together. Evidently, parents would not want to risk their athlete’s entire athletic career just because of an overuse injury. Knowing this, a diversity in sports activities is the solution to the problem. Additionally, a specialization in sports can lead to the young athlete not experiencing a sport that he or she may truly enjoy in their life. If a parent already makes a child decide on a sport to play, how will the child know if that is the sport they truly want to participate in? As the child ages, they could realize that the sport they play now is not one that they love anymore, so they could just quit. Deciding at such a young age is not only a hasty decision, but also a terrible one. Finally, this specialization can also create social problems. If a child is already so competitively involved in a sport, then their social lives and relationships with friends are at risk. The clear choice here is to let the child live a normal life by allowing them to make friends and play, rather than taking over their lives with competitive
First he talks about other people who oppose his argument saying organized sports are a home run in more ways than one. It is building confidence and teaching kids about emotional self-control. Organized sports not only keep kids healthier physically, but mentally as well. Research shows that children who play organized sports are frequently healthier and physically stronger than their less athletic peers. According to sports psychology author Jim Taylor, Ph.D., endurance sports have been found to enhance brain development. In addition, he says that sports build confidence, develop focus, and teach kids about emotional control. "Kids learn essential life skills, such as hard work, patience, persistence, and how to respond positively to setbacks and failure," Taylor
Our society, in terms of world sports, has grown increasingly impressive. Most professional athletes have been playing their specialized sport since grade school, and although impressive, the people we are rooting for are wearing out quickly. Although youth sports programs are a health benefit to society, they also pose disadvantages to a young person’s growth and development.
According to statistics gathered by youth sports organizations, “Up to 50 million kids play youth sports in America, and 73 percent 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 of grades in school. A parent putting his/her child in sports gives the child something to do and keeps them fit. Parents also put their child in a sport hoping that he/she will get success out of it “Eager to nurture the next A-Rod or Michelle Kwan, parents enroll their 5- or 6-year-olds in a competitive sports league or program” (Stenson). While not all parents are pushing for future Olympians, the fight for a sports college scholarship is competitive and parents may feel that their child will have a better chance of gaining one if he/she starts competitive sports early. Parents push their children to succeed, and children--not wanting to disappoint their parents--push themselves, sometimes harder than they should. If done right, pushing a child into sports can have a positive effect on the child’s interaction with other children while teaching them commitment and healthy competition. However, focusing on winning and earning a scholarship versus having fun may backfire, because the cons...
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.
Children who participate in sports are developing rapidly in sports skills, sportsmanship, and psychologically, but does this come from organized sports are just nature’s process. Children develop emotional and social benefits from participating in sports. Children experience character and leadership development through peer relations leading to an increase in self-esteem and a decrease in anxiety levels. Children will get opportunities to experience positive and negative emotions throughout their practice and games trials. It is important for the coach to understand the “psychology of youth sports and physical activity participation” (Weinberg & Gould, 2011 p.516).