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Benefits of youth participation in sports
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Last year I played baseball for a little league team. In order to go to the championship, we needed to win the game we were playing. The other team was too good for us so we lost and didn’t make the championship. We had to face competition and failed. Some people contemplate that competition is good for kids, while others do not. Is it really healthy for kids to face competition? What do you think? I believe that younger kids should not face competition, but when they get older they should learn to lose and not just get praise for participation because if young kids face competition, they may not do well and fail. On the other hand, if older kids do not face competition, they might not even try and be cocky because they think they are the best. …show more content…
In the article, he states that he is convinced that competition is destructive for young kids. I personally agree with him because I think that competition can hurt young kids because if they are not good they may give up. Also a sports journalist named Grantland Rice, who is considered a legend for his time in sports writing, once said, “Its not that you won or lost but how you played the game.” For older kids, coaches should mention this to their kids. I have experienced that some older kids get down on themselves if their team lost. Instead they should focus on how they played the game because at their age they are probably going to lose at that age because they should face competition. John Tauer is a psychologist at the University of St. Thomas. He studies competition and coaches the men’s basketball team for the university. He once said, “You don’t get away from competition unless you go to a system where everybody gets to do whatever they want, whenever they want.” I agree with Dr. Tauer because when kids get older, they can not get away from competition and need to face the defeat. If they lose, they need to build a bridge and get over it, and focus on how they
When the coach turned his head, the seven-year-old stuck a finger down his throat and made himself vomit. When the coach fumed back, the boy pointed to the ground and told him, “Yes, there it is, Coach. See?” (Tosches A33).It emphasizes the fact that if a child gets hurt once, they will fear the possibility of getting hurt again ,so they try to find excuses to prevent themselves from playing the game.Second,Statsky states how competitive adults have drained the fun out of children's sports and made the game unappealing for children.She cites Martin Rablovsky, a former sports editor for the New York Times says that in all his years of watching young children play organized sports, he has noticed very few of them smiling. “I’ve seen children enjoying a spontaneous pre-practice scrimmage become somber and serious when the coach’s whistle blows,” Rablovsky says. “The spirit of play suddenly disappears, and sport becomes job-like” (qtd in Coakley 94). It shows the fact that competitive adults are oblivious to their actions and don't notice that what they are doing can really affect a child mentally.Third, Statsky is concerned that competitive sports will lower a child's self-esteem and make them lack confidence.’’Like adults, children fear failure, and so even those with good physical skills may stay away because they lack
Youth sports are a staple in nearly every American’s childhood as highlighted in “Children Need to Play, Not Compete” by Jessica Statsky. Statsky makes two contentions in favor of this argument: first, that the participants of youth sports are not physically and psychologically ready, and second, that the mentality of win or lose is more harmful than helpful during the formative years of a child’s development. I agree with Statsky that children’s sports are too often over competitive, but some competition is beneficial to their development.
For instance, I am a competition dancer. Going to different competitions you can see the differences in the way the dancers, teachers, judges, and moms view outcomes. The teachers just want you to do your best because no matter the placement received you had fun. When you are on a team, you want your team as a whole group to compete with other teams not each other. You see this with other sports too, such as baseball, basketball, soccer, etc. where kids try to outperform their teammates. This poses risks such as “loss of self-esteem, injuries… increased stress.” (Berger, pg. 245, 2014) However Active play and competition do not only pose risks they contribute to the following as well “Better overall health, less obesity… respect for teammates and opponents.” (Berger, pg. 245, 2014)
Lastly, in youth competitive sports you can learn how to win and lose politely, which is important to the feelings of your competitors. Even though teens can learn these skills in school and in their household, competitive sports provide another way for children to interact and experience how to use life skills in the real world. Another example from the article, “ Pros and Cons of Sports Competition at the Highschool Level,” it
“Show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser,” Vince Lombardi once said. This saying could be the unsung anthem of American sports for children and teenagers. Everyone loves to win. In sports there is always competition. Is there too much emphasis on “the win” for kids and teens? This issue is important because it essentially develops the way children and teenagers think and react; it will affect them later on in life. Too much emphasis on winning is a problem because there is extensive pressure from parents and coaches, and the consequences can be severe.
"Debate: Is Competition Good for Kids?" Debate: Is Competition Good for Kids? N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2014.
youth sports [were] the one haven for good sportsmanship," says Darrell Burnett, a clinical child psychologist and youth sports psychologist. "Not anymore. It's not just a game anymore." With technology (etc) distracting our children with violence and so on, we cannot afford to ruin what sports may do for them. With sports being just one of the few things left that can contribute to success in life, education, and health, parents need not to put any sort of unnecessary pressure on their kids at such a young age, or any age for that matter, ever.
Statsky also makes another faulty assumption, which is that competition is an adult imposition on the world of children’s play. She says in her article, “The primary goal of a professional athlete – winning – is not appropriate for children” (629). Children compete to win in the same way that adults do, and they do so on their own without any adult pressure. Common playground gam...
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
Healthy competition can drive people forward. Allowing a kid to doing what they want because they enjoy it can open them up socially by allowing them to reach out and teach others that don’t have that same niche. If we force a child to be overly competitive, this decreases the child’s ability to grow in other areas in life because they are too focused on being the best. If they don’t live up their standards of being the best, this will cause the child to be insecure about their abilities and they will constantly seek approval. Unhealthy competition can detrimental later on in life when trying to get into a great school, find a partner or in getting a job.
It can also teach the child about healthy competition competition, which can lead to them learning how to be a good and bad winner as well improving from mistakes that might of caused the loss. But studies have shown that for every child who may derive some benefit from the competition, hundreds of others suffer damage to their self-esteem (Reed 2). Damage to their self esteem can lead to a lot more severe problems such as bulimia and anorexia. Both these illnesses are wrapped around how the child perceives and values their body, making them believe they are fat when in reality they are extremely underweight. Of course there’s an argument that it is just for fun
Competition produces anxiety, which can interfere with learning and disassociates with one’s own body. It is not instinctual because it is taught and it damages people and creates stress in their life. Competition teaches people to give their worst while they only focus on what their fellow mate is doing. I agree with Rubin that “competition limits people’s ability to lead happy and satisfying lives”, for I am assured that competition is destructive to children’s self-esteem, it interferes with learning, sabotages relationships, and isn’t necessary to have a good time.... ...
There is a misconception that competition is bad, if a child can experience the thrill of winning and the disappointment of losing, they will be well equipped for the reality of life. Competition provides stimulation to achieve a goal; to have determination, to overcome challenges, to understand that hard work and commitment leads to a greater chance of success. Life is full of situations where there are winners and losers; getting a job; a sports game; not getting into a desired college. People need to learn how to cope with disappointment and then to look forward to the next opportunity to try again. Competition also teaches us to dig deep and find abilities we never knew we had. The pressure to win or succeed can often inspire more imaginative thinking and inspire us to develop additional
Sports teach you to be resiant. They teach that even when there is defeat you must move on to the next opportunity to compete.
Ever since I was a young child, I was drawn to competition. I was on a swim team and, because of that, I received many skills that have help me; to this day even! I loved when we went up against other teams, because all of my hard work had paid off to bring me to that point. I am not a naturally good swimmer, but I worked at it and got better and better, because I wanted to do well in the meets. I used to think that I deserved the world, but through this I learned that I didn’t and needed to work if I wanted anything. Besides swimming I would also compete with my brother. They would be small things, like who can swing the highest, but even those helped me gain problem solving skills. Competition is a wonderful thing for students because it helps problems be solved, teaches them dedication and improves their character.