Persuasive Essay On Concussions

Competitive sports are a very hot topic right now, and people have different views on children participating in them. Some may think that competitive sports help children to be healthier, because they are very active during practices and games. Although this is a good reason, sports can lead to concussions and other dangerous injuries. The truth of the matter is that sports can be very dangerous, and they can lead to many other problems. Children shouldn’t be playing competitive sports because they can get concussions or other dangerous injuries, they can develop excessive amounts of stress, and they can develop poor attitude.

First off, children shouldn’t be playing competitive sports is because competitive sports can cause many, many

different injuries. Concussions are a very common sports injury that can be very dangerous (generally in football). This is because of hard impact on the skull by either the ball, another player, or the ground.

The symptoms of concussions can last anywhere from 7 days to a year. According to TheraSpecs, some effects of concussions are “headaches that are anywhere from mild to severe, nausea, sleepiness, confusion, light sensitivity, and in some cases, lack of memory” (Bullock, Greg. "Post-Concussion Syndrome: When Symptoms Like Light Sensitivity Last Long after a Concussion." TheraSpecs. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2017.). There are numerous effects or symptoms of concussions, and some effects of concussions never go away. This is especially dangerous for younger children, and older people. The effects of concussions will stay with the person, causing them to have a harder lifestyle. In addition, there are many cases of concussions. This shows that many people are affected by these terrible symptoms that may stay for a very long time before children can get back to a normal life. According to Protect The Brain, “An estimated 1.6-3.8 million sports- and recreation-related concussions occur in the United States each year”("What Is a Concussion?" What Is a Concussion? | Brain Injury Research Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2017.) Considering how many people play sports, that is a lot of people getting concussions in one year,

and once again concussions are very dangerous. Lastly, concussions can affect school and a children’s schoolwork. According to CDC, “the experience of learning and engaging in academic activities that require concentration can actually cause a student’s concussion symptoms to reappear or worsen”("Secondary Traumatic Stress: A Fact Sheet for Child-Serving Professionals." PsycEXTRA Dataset (n.d.): n. pag. Web.). Concussions can affect children’s learning in school and out of school, and not in a positive way. Concussions can make children’s concussions symptoms worsen, which is bad because it will take longer for the child to heal.
In addition, children shouldn’t be playing competitive sports is because competitive sports have a very big stress impact on children. Whether it be stress because of a game coming up, or pressure during a game, the continuous stress doesn’t affect children in a positive way. According to Psychology Today, sports psychologists have shown that when doing research, “heart averages reached nearly 170 beats-per-minute in Little League Baseball players while they were at bat”("Are Youth Sports Too Stressful?" Psychology Today. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2017.). Although some stress is good for children, because they learn how to deal with it, Mayo Clinic says that “excessive stress levels can lead to problems such as chest pain, sleep problems, anxiety, lack of focus or motivation, irritability, or angry outbursts”("Stress Symptoms: Effects on Your Body and Behavior." Mayo Clinic. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2017.). Excessive amounts for stress can lead to children lashing out at their parents for friends for no apparent reason. Also, stress affects children’s learning in and out of school. According to The Washington Post, “stress negatively affects the way children pay attention in class, stay on task, and are able to move from one activity to another”(Strauss, Valerie. "How Much Does Stress Affect Learning?" The Washington Post. WP Company, 10 June 2011. Web. 11 Apr. 2017.) Being stressed because of sports makes children lose focus in the classroom, causing them to miss out on important lessons that teachers have planned. Excessive amounts of stress stress isn’t healthy for children and their education.
Lastly, children shouldn’t be playing competitive sports is because both children and their parents can develop bad attitude and poor sportsmanship.

Winning is the main goal in competitive sports, and coaches really press players to do their best, and preferably, to win. According to Livestrong, “children sometimes develop a bad attitude while playing sports when they are frustrated or disappointed. Children may also act in an unsportsmanlike manner when imitating the actions and attitudes of teammates or professional athletes”(Richards, Rebekah. "How to Deal With Your Kid's Bad Attitude in Sports."LIVESTRONG.COM. Leaf Group, 11 July 2015. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.). Children can develop these bad habits, and they can not only be rude during games and practices, but they can show these habits outside of sports. This will cause a hard time for children in school, at home, and in the real world, in general. Parents can also develop poor attitude when their child’s team loses or isn’t playing very well. This will cause a hard time for other parents of the sports team. According to NBC News, “Parents -- and coaches -- who push too hard too young, particularly when they emphasize winning above all else, can easily wipe out a child’s motivation to play, says Dr. Henry Goitz, chief of sports medicine at the Medical College of Ohio in Toledo.” (Stenson, Jacqueline. "Pushing Too Hard Too Young." NBCNews.com. NBCUniversal News Group, 29 Apr. 2004. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.). Sometimes it’s not the

child’s fault that sports have a negative effect on them, a lot of the time, it’s the parent’s fault. This is because the parents- and sometimes coaches, push the mindset of winning onto children. So much, that sports aren’t fun for children anymore. They are forced to play sports because the parent want them to. According to Kate Nasser, “Coaching a bad attitude means you are spending time on their mission instead of the mission of the organization”("Leadership Challenge: How Long Do You Coach a Bad Attitude? - Kate Nasser."KateNasser.com. N.p., 05 May 2016. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.). This quote suggests that when a child (or a parent) has a bad attitude towards others, the whole group will be set back because of that one child or parent. Because one person on the whole team has a bad attitude, no one on the team will become a better player because everyone is focused on that person.
In conclusion, there are many pros and cons to children playing competitive sports. Children playing competitive sports can help children be healthier, learn responsibility, and they can make new friends. On the other hand, when children play competitive sports, they can get concussions or other injuries, they can develop excessive amounts of stress, and they can develop bad attitude and poor sportsmanship. Because of these reasons, children shouldn’t be playing competitive sports. Competitive sports are not only dangerous, but they can make other problems that can last a long time.