Should Kids Be Able To Play In Competitive Sports

An issue that has created intense debate, is the topic of, should kids be able to play in competitive sports? Some people say that kids shouldn't be allowed to play in competitive sports, for it is promoting bad behavior in adolescents. Along with others who think that competitive sports are good for children, because it is good for them because it helps them develop skills that they need when they get older. It is clear that competitive sports are good for children, because it makes sure children have a good healthy weight, and it lets them let out emotions such as stress.

One way competitive sports benefits the youth, is helping young children maintain healthy weight. According to the article “Sports Promote Healthy Weight in Teenagers,” by Anahad O’Connor, a Yale graduate for

This supports the idea that being in sports help the children with keeping a good, healthy weight. Also, in the same article, Anahad O’Conner states, “In their study, which was published in the journal pediatrics, Dr. Drake and his colleagues tried to quantify the impact that greater sports participation and less reliance on mass transit might have on childhood obesity. They calculated that if all adolescents played on at least two sports teams per year--in other words, one team per season--obesity rate would plunge 26 percent and they prevalence of overweight adolescents would fall by 11 percent. And if all adolescents walked or biked to school at least four days a week, they found the number who were obese would drop by 22 percent," (July, 2012). This proves that adolescents should be in some type of physical activity like competitive sports, because if they are not, they might not maintain a healthy weight. Likewise, in the article “What Are the Benefits of