Youth sports are a prevalent activity in the world’s youth, however with any activity children are involved in, comes overbearing parents. While children enjoy playing their sports simply for themselves, helicopter parenthood is getting increasingly worse as the years go by. Helicopter parenting not only stresses kids out, but also usually ends up making children hate their sport because of the pressure put on them at a young age to succeed. In the article “Helicopter parents in youth sports may increase kids’ stress levels: psychologists”, author Deirdre Reilly uses credited sources’ thoughts as well as his own to argue the way parents should behave while at sports games for their children. Helicopter parents are known to be prevalent in youth sports, but the consequences of the constant berating by …show more content…
Reilly’s article seems to be an informative piece, as conveyed by his serious tone. Reilly conveys this tone when he states, “parents must take care to avoid becoming critical or over-involved in their children’s sports experience” (Reilly). The use of the word “must” grabs the attention of parents because most parents are constantly trying to do what is best for their child. While these helicopter parents are extremely critical of their children, they may not realize what they are doing has the negative impact that it does. Mental health awareness has become increasingly mainstream over the past decade. This has opened many parents' eyes to the struggles that many kids and teens all over the world go through, and in turn, makes them worry about their own child’s mental health. Reilly portrays logos, or a lack thereof, by stating the contradiction of parents worrying about their child’s mental health but then putting extreme pressure on them and yelling at them if they don’t perform well in their sports
Extremely Competitive Youth Sports Parents. In the United States today, the age for a kid to start playing competitive sports continues to get lower and lower. Parents in America have started getting their children involved in sports at a much earlier age than they used to, hoping that their child will be the next superstar. Parents are placing too much emphasis on winning and being the best, instead of teaching their children how to have fun.
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
pp. 58-59. Kidman, Lynn, McKenzie, Alex, and Brigid. The nature of target parents' comments during youth sport competitions. Journal of Sport Behavior 98:1 (March 1999): 54-68.
Heffernan, L. E. (2013, October 10). Parents Ruin Sports for Their Kids by Obsessing About Winning. Retrieved April 28, 2014
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.
Everyone agrees that parent involvement is a good thing. But when the parent behaves inappropriately, it creates a poor environment for the children to learn and enjoy themselves. "Sideline rage" with parents behaving badly at youth sports events is such an epidemic, that 76% of respondents from 60 high school athletic associations said increased spectator interference is causing many officials to quit (Associated Press, 6/3/01). Parents are supposed to be role models, and the lessons they teach will determine their values and actions in the future. These days violence in children's sports is not limited to the playing field; overbearing parents are creating dangerous situations on the field.
In the articles, “The secret life of Tiger Woods” by Wright Thompson, and “Are parents ruining youth sports? Fewer kids play amid pressure” by Michael S. Rosenwald, there is a very similar occuring theme that is portrayed. It is if becoming an “elite athlete” is worth making big sacrifices like friends, family, and a normal childhood. I believe that the quest to become an elite athlete, is ultimately not worth the sacrifices it requires. One of the effects of being an “elite athlete” is that you will probably not learn the basic ways of how to live life. One time Tiger Woods was with the navy SEAL’s that he did fun things with like shoot guns, and jump out of airplanes, but one time they went out to eat, and when the waiter brought the
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.
Jessica Statsky, in her essay, “Children need to Play, Not Compete” attempts to refute the common belief that organized sports are good for children. She sees organized sports not as healthy pass-times for children, but as onerous tasks that children do not truly enjoy. She also notes that not only are organized sports not enjoyable for children, they may cause irreparable harm to the children, both emotionally and physically. In her thesis statement, Statsky states, “When overzealous parents and coaches impose adult standards on children's sports, the result can be activities that are neither satisfying nor beneficial to children” (627). While this statement is strong, her defense of it is weak.
Confucius once said, "he who does not do well is less guilty than he who pushes too hard." People found that competitive sports are often physically straining and it is detrimental to proper emotional development. This blows away the misconception that competitive sports create a healthy and engaging atmosphere for kids. This and an overly strong obsession with winning create a toxic mix for the child’s wellbeing. People have begun to realize the world of competitive may be doing more harm than good for their children. Parents have also begun to notice that competitive sports often injure their children severely and also make the child feel left out, which in turn is detrimental to the child 's emotional health. Therefore, competitive sports
Sometimes professional kids sports are good for kids, encouraging them to improve, but they can also be very problematic. One example of pressure, the over-enthusiasm from parents, is called “achievement by proxy distortion”. When kids feel successful, parents also feel successful. But according
Parental Support & Pressure in Youth Sport Madison Salisbury 110708050 Wilfrid Laurier University Youth sport is a social system involving children, peers, coaches, and parents, all of whom impact the outcomes children derive from their participation (Horn & Horn, 2007). Although peers and coaches may play a large role in one’s sporting life, it is imperative to consider the influence of parents within the sporting context. In recent years, the behavior of parents in competitive youth sport settings have been scrutinized in the media and targeted by youth sport organizations (Holt, Tamminen, Black, Sehn & Wall, 2008). For some individuals, the role their parents play within sport is very prominent, however, it is often
III. Parental Involvement Parents choosing the sport their children will play based on their socioeconomic class affects the child’s sport career early in their children’s youth sport experience, but parents continue their impact by how involved they are with the child’s sport. The amount of parental involvement in a child’s youth sport experience can either make the child enjoy playing youth sports or be miserable while playing youth sports. Positive parental support has been shown to make a child’s youth sport experience more enjoyable during these years and help build a love for playing sports. Unfortunately, some parents over support their child, which can burden them to try to live up to impossible standards.
Many life lessons can be taught through sports. Children can learn the importance of work ethic, working with others, perseverance, and the list goes on. There are studies that have shown that kids who are involved in athletics are more successful in the business world. It is only when parents turn the sporting events into an ultra-competitive requirement for their child that it can become detrimental. The lessons that sports teach kids about real life is one of the greatest benefits that can be gained from sports. Because so much can be learned through sports we need to make sure that we put focus on teaching lessons through sports rather than making it all about winning. It is a sad when parents turn a great beneficial thing into something that can be harmful for their children.