Sports today plays a significant role in our day to day lives. Organized sports have become an extremely popular recreational activity for kids. When I look around I see more and more kids playing youth sports and now at a younger age. With the growth in participation parents might ask, how does sport affect the socialization process of young Americans? Some may argue that it has a negative impact and I believe there are some as well but, I feel like the benefits outweigh the bad. I began playing organized basketball at age 7, as my first sports and this is where I began really meeting other kids. I had just moved to the city from a small town with no recreational sports for my age group, so this was the first experience with kids from the …show more content…
When I asked to be put in sports my parents told me that I could not play if started to fall behind in class. This helped me as I grew up and continued sports going into middle school and high school, when the no pass no play rule was enforced. They also made me do my homework before I could even step outside and I could not rush because they always checked. This influenced me to keep my grades up and do all my work on time. It made sure that I kept my priorities straight and they made sure that I would not fall into a stereotype. Growing up I lived in lower income communities with drugs and violence all around me, for kids to adults. Playing sports kept me out of that atmosphere and made sure I was not a product of my environment. My parents felt that I was safe if I was always doing something productive they did not care whether it was in band, chess club or sports, they just wanted me active in something to stay out the streets. Sports was also a way for me to escape that relax and hang out with friends and forget what I had to go home to for a couple more hours. When I got to high school my teammates and I held each other accountable to make sure we did not fall into none of the wrong things or fail. My teammates were the people I could always go to if I needed help or if I could not be at home for any reason. They also had a huge influence in my life we basically did everything together and we all had …show more content…
One obvious thing taught from sports is teamwork, there are not many sports that do not have some form of teamwork. Teaching us how to work together to achieve a common goal also helped deal with people that I did not necessarily like or want to be around. Teamwork is one of the first things I learned, coaches nailed into my head that there is no I in team. It taught me how to care for other and only about myself. I was not used to being all about a team at first so all of this teamwork talk really helped me understand humility and selflessness. I was taught the difference between cocky and confident. The coaches would show me that I needed my team if I wanted to be successful every time that my head would get big. The punishments taught me to respect adults and those who are in an authoritative role. They made sure that I always answered adults with a sir or ma’am. It ended up helping me be able to make decisions on the fly as well. Playing football and basketball I always had to make decisions quickly or it could hurt the team. This helped me be able to operate under stressful situations as I got older, especially when having to do timed test like the SAT and ACT. Playing sports also gave me leadership qualities like gathering people and inspiring them. Even when I did not accept leadership roles I was forced to if I wanted the team to be successful or naturally
Stephen D. Keener, writer for the New York Times, says in his article Sports Teach Kids Valuable Lessons, “The lessons young players gain between the foul lines have guided some to become astronauts, emergency first responders, bestselling authors, military heroes, professional athletes and even president of the United States” (Keener). Keener talks about how playing on a sports team as a child can teach the kid very important characteristics, like: teamwork, leadership, and sportsmanship. Any kid who wants to get a job when they’re older is going to have to know how to work well with people, which is where learning the skill of teamwork is so huge. Considering Ripley’s point about sports lowering academics, Keener argues, “These lessons directly translate into the classroom and beyond” (Keener). These are some very important lessons I think that kids can benefit from
My participation in high school sports have made me into leader as well as helped me gain relationships with friends that will last a lifetime. It has also taught me to rely on the people around me and work together with your team to accomplish your goals. Being a part of a sports team has also influenced my decision making because in order to participate on the team you have to have good behavior, and be a good student
Playing a school sport enables you to bond with your teammates, making lifelong friends. Sports are fun and thrilling; they help kids get into shape. For years now there have been kids who play sports who also are very good in academics. Sports help kids get organized and teach them to balance their school work with sports. The article to start all the buzz about no sports in high school is written by
The benefits of playing competitive sports include self-discipline, control, and confidence. Also not doing drugs, alcohol, and sexual activity. Students who are intensely involved in sports are less likely to abuse drugs or alcohol or join gangs, have a later onset of sexual activity, and do better in school and form good peer relationships. Parents have a
One of the many benefits of playing sports is the children will build character. Building character is important because with character they will obtain new friends and develop different skills. Playing sports at a young age can build character in many ways, “Playing sports at a young age enables children to participate in social interactions and build skills such as teamwork, leadership, and responsibility as they learn to work with others to achieve a common goal,” (Aspen Institute). This is a benefit because they will build character from learning how to deal with wins and losses from playing sports. Also, they will develop different skills. Developing different skills will build character because, “numerous positive developmental indicators have been associated with sport participation, including improved self-esteem, emotional regulation, problem-solving, goal attainment, social skills, and academic performance,” (Holt). This shows how when children play sports that some of them acquire different skills than others. Lastly, some of the benefits that the children will receive from playing the sports are obtaining new friends and developing different
Our society, in terms of world sports, has grown increasingly impressive. Most professional athletes have been playing their specialized sport since grade school, and although impressive, the people we are rooting for are wearing out quickly. Although youth sports programs are a health benefit to society, they also pose disadvantages to a young person’s growth and development.
Throughout my life sports had always had a huge impact on me.I have been playing baseball since I was 5 years old. In high school I have played baseball all 4 of my years being at Watsonville High. Playing sports at school gives you the experience of making new friends and having fun playing the sport you love and representing your school. I have also noticed that playing a sport during school also gives you the stamina to keep your grades up because you want to be able to play the sport you love. Playing baseball in high school will help you improve because you practice almost everyday and you are constantly trying your hardest. I have contributed a lot to my team because I am always going to practice trying to get better. I also know that
Sports play a very important role in my life ever since I could walk. My interests in playing sports began at the age of three as my parents signed me up for soccer, flag football, basketball, and lacrosse. First grade started my competitive edge as I began to play for travel teams in various sport tournaments. This competitive edge transferred from the sports field to the classroom having teachers and coaches helping me be the best I can be. Sports have continually well-shaped and defined my character by teaching me how to accept a win from working hard, also how a loss is an opportunity to learn and fix mistakes.
Sports teach kids to learn many life lessons, lessons that will be important such as working in a team or working hard toward a goal. Parents are far too involved in youth sports. In our current time, kids have no independence in sports, everything is parent run, with the intentions of the parent trying to have their kids win and become elite superstars. Atkinson writes in an article that in his home town of Methuen Massachusetts he and all the other kids in his town used to organize all the sports, and parents would help cover the financial part, but the sport itself was directed by the kids, the way youth sports should be run, for the interest of the kids. Kids should determine what goes on; kids should be able to experiment with different sports in a non hostile environment in which they can fun. Having fun is most important in youth sports along with learning life lessons. Kids who enjoyed youth sports growing up were more likely to go onto play high school sports (Atkinson). Of course there are exceptions in which some kids will want to be pushed in a sport; however, it must have the child's desire to be pushed not the parents’(Hatter). Lastly, as important as sports are in society in the 21st century especially in the U.S. kids need to be able to have a life outside of sports. Kids should be able to have fun away from sports (Katen). Kids should be kids, very few kids will be going professional in sports, and it is important kids
I am one of an estimated 7.8 million students who play sports while attending high school (Koebler). I have been playing softball since 4th grade and before that, my father played baseball for the Sobieski Skis. He is an impressive athlete and taught me everything I know about being competitive. By coaching me, he has pushed me to a profuse number of successful achievements. Throughout my life, sports have been the greatest influence in teaching me an abundant amount of lessons, such as sportsmanship, commitment, and leadership.
It will encourage students to try their best to accomplish superior grades. It opens their eyes in a different perspective on behavior as well as stronger scholastic peer relationships. It gives students activities excluding school work, because teenagers generally focus their mind on unacceptable actions. Parents commonly show passion along with appreciation when their child/children play a sport. They get to have a closer relationship and be elaborate with them more often than normal. Frequently, students do not care about their reputation or acknowledge the adults’ opinions on themselves; but in my opinion, playing sports and being mostly involved with their schools presents an improved character while in school and once they graduate. I was once told that “Sports do not build character. They reveal it.” Additionally, self-esteem in high school is hard to come by, occasionally sports help! Sports cause you to interact with other people and uplift you to do better. It presents a sharpened perspective on your schoolwork, career, future, and life altogether. In some cases, playing a sport can benefit you in an enhanced form. Scholarships can be a broad opportunity for valuable players with a good education on their shoulders. As well as, college recruitment can be another option. Money is hard to come by for college and if that seems to be a struggle for a student playing a sport can help tremendously. That
Overall youth competitive sports have many pros, like teaching kids many important life lessons that they can keep with them their whole lives. Some believe that youth sports are bad for kids because kids can sustain serious injuries, but the pros like learning life lessons outweigh the cons by a lot. For example, the life lessons that sports teach are learning how to work as a team. Sports also teach kids to be better leaders. I think the world would be better if more kids would play youth competitive sports because they could learn skills like how to be a good leader which the world is lacking right
Sports help kids all across America concentrate on hardwork an detication. Evidence to support this is at www.sportsstatistics.com it says "Female heigh school athletes are 3 times more likely to graduate than non-athletes." This evidence shows that students who play sports want to become proffecianals one day, and that they care about there education. Another reason why sports stop children from making bad choices is they are less likely to have unprotected sex and have children, evidence to support this is at www.sportsstatistcs.com it states "Female high school athletes are 92% less likely to do drugs.
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.
The benefits of sports range from physical, mental, and social. Exercise keeps people fit, develops healthy muscle tone, and reduces heart and lung problems (Oak, Manali). Sports studies have shown that “youth are motivated and engaged in ways that do not happen regularly in any other parts of their lives. Their experience of sports stands out from nearly all other activities, including socializing and schoolwork, in providing enjoyment where they are exerting concerted effort toward a goal” (Larson, Reed, and Sean Seepersad). People who play sports bond over a common interest. This opens up children to meeting new kids and socializing with many more. In Kindergarten, I played baseball. Even though I did not truly understand all the mechanics of the game, I met new friends and began to develop motor skills. This was very useful starting at an early age and pushed me to stay active throughout my life.