Lessons Through Sports Essay

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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.
Sports have always been a vast part of American culture. We give our babies different sports items to play with. From the time they can walk they have sports pushed on them. If you go to any store to buy toys for children you can find all sorts of different sports items for kids. Many parents push these sports items on their child hoping that they will be the next phenom in the world of sports. Who wouldn’t want this for their child? Athletics can open up all types of opportunities. It can pay for college and if they happen to play at the professional level they will be making vast amounts of money. Although sports can be great are these parents pushing their kids to hard? No matter if there are some detrimental aspects to sports there is always the positive of the life lessons that can be learned.
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...

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...ased on their performance compared to other children. This can make them measure their self-worth based on their performance compared to others. It might just start with sports but it will expand into all areas of life. Sports can be a great emotional and physical outlet. They can relieve stress and help boost self-confidence.
Humans are naturally competitive and through athletics this competitiveness can be released in a positive and focused way. Competition is a basic function of nature. Those that can best compete with their environment survive. Those who can’t compete die out. Competition is a powerful drive in all humans. We compete as groups, against our selves, and each other. Sports give us a channel to let this out in a safe way.
Sports teach you to be resiant. They teach that even when there is defeat you must move on to the next opportunity to compete.

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