Go Out And Play: Participation In Team Or Organized Sports

Children who participate in sports are less likely to be overweight or obese, have higher self-esteem on average, and are generally more invested in their academics. Sports are oftentimes seen as a gateway to academic opportunity, particularly for kids with fewer resources. While this logic is inherently problematic, it is true that high schoolers who were involved with organized sport were more likely to be enrolled in college later on. Youth sports also give children a place to develop socially by teaching them about teamwork, leadership, and compromise. Team sports in particular can provide children with a sense of belonging to a group, and therefore increase their self-esteem and improve their social competence. There are dozens of reasons why youth sport is important and beneficial to a child’s development, and with millions of participants each year in the United States alone, it doesn’t look like youth sports will be going anywhere anytime

What many people fail to see in an athlete is the amount of talent in them, the commitment they have, the intense training they go through, and the competitive attitude they posses. The physical challenges they face and endure is astonishing. An average person works eight hours a day behind a desk with his computer. Imagine working the same number of hours everyday while training your abilities, maintaining your physical form, and sharpening your skills (Anonymous par. 4). That is what a professional athlete endures. Athletes face short career lengths. They also face a lot of competitiveness; therefore, an athlete is at the top of his game when he is still young. Professional athletes also face the risk of career ending injuries when they are fighting to win a game and be the best they can. Combining all those problems they face, the average career length of an athlete is five years (Keown par. 2). Not only do these athletes need to stay in shape, but they also have to perform well. But all the hard works leads to health issues such as lack of sleep, fatigue, and continuous tension (Wilson par.3). If they are not able to put up to the

Youth sports in general is being reshaped because of how competitive americans are becoming. Every aspect of kids’ sports has become hypercompetitive hyper organized, and all consuming. The craziness in the culture of kids sports has led to the realization the world has changed. An estimated 40 million young adults are participating in a variety of organized sports For those 40 million apart of organized sports they have to give an almost total commitment to playing and being apart of the team (Ferguson). Sports are considered to be a shared cultural experience between many children, and they can

Some schools with strong sporting traditions reinforce participation in sport. The sports that students are encouraged to participate in can depend on the school’s history and traditions, the facilities and equipment available, and the expertise of the teachers.

Sports are a popular pastime among all ages and types of people. People not only participate in them for fun, but also for money, physical fitness, rush of competition, and for many other personal reasons. Playing sports is especially common among young people in schools. Athletics are great and enjoyable for many reasons, but there can be a point where sports participation can go too far and become negative for children and adults. Sports specialization for young people is an increasing trend that results in sports having a negative impact on individuals and society.

Many youth sports are part of community organized after-school programs. There are many different types of these programs such as T-Ball, Little League Baseball, Pop Warner Football, soccer, martial arts, cheerleading, and so forth. “There are over 40 million youth participating in organized sports, and both girls and boys have a dazzling array of choices and can play a sport year round” (Le Menestrel and Perkins 13). Communities use youth sport as an outlet to encourage social activity, a healthy lifestyle, and skill development for that particular sport. For example, “Participation in organized sports can provide opportunities for youth to learn more about specific skills and exercises associated with a particular sport” (Perkins and Noam 76). These programs offer opportunities to boost skills and connect positively with others. Without these activities, parents will have to find another developmental setting that may not give similar or beneficial outcomes as those of organized youth sport. Studies found that, “Sports

Since World War II sports have become much more competitive. One reason is because females started to become more involved in sports. Before World War II the majority of athletes would be upper class and some middle class children. After the War more middle class and lower class children started to play sports. In 2013 there were about 7.7 million teenagers playing on high school sports teams.

* In 1970, 1/25 North American school girls participated in a school sport….in 2006, it has increased to 1/3.

As stated previously, women have a much lower interest in competing in athletics, statistically speaking. For example, high schools must also obey the regulations put into play by Title IX by offering the same number of sports teams for each gender, thus giving high school students equal opportunities to participate in athletics. However, even though both male and females are offered the same opportunities, 1.4 million fewer females choose to compete in high school sports than males. Based on recent reports from the 2010-11 academic year from the state high school athletic associations from all 50 states, sports participation among genders is approximately 4.5 million boys, or 60% of total participation, as compared to approximately 3.1 million girls, or only 40% of total participation.(Toporek) Although this statistic clearly

Many people enjoy watching sports, but primarily men received the chance to participate in athletics until the passage of Title IX. The MARGARET Fund of the National Women’s Law Center (2016) states that “only 1 in 27 girls played high school sports”

Drive through any town in America on a Saturday morning and I am sure that you can find a park or school field that has a practice or games going on. It is estimated that 36 million youth between the ages of five and eighteen will participate in one or more organized sports each year (statistic brain). That is more than the entire population of Texas and most of Oklahoma. What is it that brings all of them, and their families out to line the fields throughout the United States? By the numbers, one can see the impact of athletics in America, if it is positive or negative is the real question. Many believe that this is part of growing up and that it will build character. Others are worried about the effects of competition and risks of injury to the young athletes.

In sports, the probability of getting an injury is very high. Players don’t even have to try and may get severely hurt. Some teammates and coaches say that the players just need to be more careful and watch their surroundings more intently. But, players have to be continuously aware of their surroundings to keep themselves from getting hurt by others, much less self-inflicted injuries. Mark Hyman and Nathan Pitcock, writers from The New York Times, write “Half of all sports injuries among kids each year are caused by simple overuse… injuries-stress fractures, ruptured ligaments, and growth plate injuries- can be quite serious, and many can cause lifelong problems” (Pitcock, Hyman 1). These injuries are all very common with today’s youth. The lifelong injuries are not worth the risk of playing one more game. If players really want to avoid self-afflicted injuries, they should prepare themselves for the sport year around so that they are conditioned for the next season, but players should play more than one sport to cross-train and avoid overuse of specific bones and

Children who partake in organized sports receive many social, mental and psychological benefits that exceed those that come from general physical activity. Starting a child in an organized sport gives them a healthy habit of physical activity at an early

In 2008, 30.2% of youth ages 6 to 12 were active to a healthy level through sports(“Facts”). This shows that some kids are getting the minimum amount of physical activity. To raise this level, all kids should include sports in their daily life. All kids should be engaged in sports. Regular activity is required for good health and high school athletes are more likely to attend college.

In the U.S there are thirty million or more children/teens that participate in sports. Out of the 30 million children/teens that participate in sports, 3.5 million of those children/teens get injured each year.