Picture this if you will; It is a summer afternoon and children are ending their school day.
Young athletes both boys and girls begin preparing for that afternoon game. One family gathers around cheering on the young athlete. They gather the lawn chairs, the cooler, the sports memorabilia, the banners with their young athlete’s name and jump in the family car heading to the game. Everyone is excited about the game. A win would give the winner bragging rights for an entire week at minimum. As time runs out, the home team is losing. The last play that can tie the game is coming up. The player snaps the ball and one runner is going fast down the middle of the field for the win. The ball is thrown high and long. Both the runner and the ball seem
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children and youth are hospitalized or die from sports-related concussion”
(Martinez 25). How could the parents have prevented this tragic event? Parents have the duty to protect their children at all cost even if it means to deny them the joy of playing sports. Children are drawn to sports because of the fame athletes receive. The cost to this fame can possibly be very expensive paid by costly injuries. In spite of the best efforts from all protective equipment, injuries still occur.
1. The Glamor of Sports
Young people enjoy playing sports because of the glamor and fame they represent. All sports events have a major championship that captures the hearts of the country, football, baseball, soccer, hockey, and basketball. It divides team A against team B. The favorite versus the underdog. The popular team that wins every year versus the unexpected team that surprised everyone. It rally’s a country behind a team that has not made an appearance at a championship game in decades. Children and adults become part of the team and mimic the players. The players are seen everywhere, in billboards, commercials, and movies. Manufacturers expect people to buy their products because they see an athlete that won a major event using it.
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“Everyone wants to be like Mike” a popular phrase made by a commercial profiting from
Laura Gargiulo:
Nice introduction!
the popularity of the best basketball player from the Chicago Bulls in the 90’s. Everyone wants to be like Mike, LeBron, Brady, Messi, and Beckham. Children and adults see these individuals as heroes like Batman or Superman. The best way to become like these heroes is to play sports and succeed at them whatever the cost. After all, Batman and Superman are heroes because they get up after taking a beating from their enemies. Children see the way sports brings happiness to their family and friends and feel they can do the same by joining sports and becoming like their favorite player.
In many cases that favorite player, the favorite team, or a particular sport is pushed onto children as a form of religion. Parents at times try to accomplish goals thru their children; that sport that they never participated in or succeeded at or that job they always dreamed of. Children are conditioned to follow an adults dreams by seeing the happiness the adult has when the child favors the adult’s preferences. The child reacts to the positive reinforcement given by the
Sports are the one thing that has often worked towards uniting people. Whether it is in times of crisis or giving the entire nation a lift that was much needed, it has always been an activity that has dominated our lifestyle. This has often got several people gripped to their television sets or at stadiums waiting for the favorite layer to have a good game. The fan following and the entire event are a spectacle to savor as it allows people to take a break from daily activities and indulge in something far more interesting. It has evolved in the past so many years and the rules have changed in several sports. However, the one thing that has remained the same is the energy and support of fans. Most of these people end up following their team so much that they can actually predict who is going to do good and when, For people who have this uncanny habit of spotting the good and the bad, there are options to take part in playoff fantasy football.
Jessica Statsky, in her essay, “Children need to Play, Not Compete” attempts to refute the common belief that organized sports are good for children. She sees organized sports not as healthy pass-times for children, but as onerous tasks that children do not truly enjoy. She also notes that not only are organized sports not enjoyable for children, they may cause irreparable harm to the children, both emotionally and physically. In her thesis statement, Statsky states, “When overzealous parents and coaches impose adult standards on children's sports, the result can be activities that are neither satisfying nor beneficial to children” (627). While this statement is strong, her defense of it is weak.
entertainment. It relates back to their everyday lives because they was normal people who practice or just watched sports. That why
Being a professional athlete is one of the most commonly heard dreams of a young boy or girl who currently elementary school. Whether it is realistic or not, these kids will be participating in the sport that they wish to thrive in. But, time after time we hear adults complain about their child’s insane soccer schedule, or how they have to spend their whole weekend traveling for games. The parents complaints shouldn’t be the topic of discussion, in fact the only opinions that matter are the children. The question shouldn’t be asking whether or not youth sports are too intense, it should be asking if it is worth it. If a child loves what they’re doing then they have every reason to continue playing their sport, but if they are not all in, he or she has to question whether or not all the craziness is worth it.
Every child at some point in their lives dream about becoming a rock star, doctor or an astronaut, but the career that stands out the most is becoming a professional athlete. Why? One reason could be the ever increasing media coverage on each individual sport with certain channels devoted for just that particular sport, keeping viewers updated and thirsting to get out and play. Another could be the ease of getting out in the backyard as a kid to shoot the basketball, throw a football, or hit a baseball because it is harder to perform heart surgery or fly to the moon when you're only a child. With that being said; it is easy to look up to a professional athlete and put your heart and soul into them wearing
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
Basketball is one of the most popular which is beloved sports that is played today. Michael Jordan, who played for the Washington Wizards and the Chicago Bulls once said, “Just play, have fun, and enjoy the game” (BrainyQuote 2016). Whether playing with friends for fun or by professionals for entertainment or simply watching from home, basketball is very enjoyed all over the world. Beginning with a unique history, basketball has evolved over time from a simple idea into a professional career choice for those with the unique skill set.
With more and more children participating in some sort of organized sport than ever before, there is a constant concern regarding the pressures kids are brought into to excel. Emotionally over-involved parents often think that it is their
Sports was a part of my life growing up - whether it was attending games with my family to support the Huskies at Rentschler Field or Wolfpack hockey games at the Hartford Civic Center or even being part of a basketball team since before middle school, I have grown to love the atmosphere that sport brings. Whether it was assisting my Mom coach in our town’s T-Ball league or working with the disabled or even with the students at Wish Elementary School, through sports, I have been able to build a solid sense of a wider community. It is not just about the game itself but it is about what happens in-between and after. It is the indescribable bonds that form between
Throughout generations, social mobility has become something everyone wants to attain in their lifetime. Through social mobility comes a better and more stable life. There are many ways to achieve maximum mobility, which include getting a higher education and reducing risk in your life. There are also a lot of myths towards this concept that has been portrayed by the media and one of the myths is the social mobility gained by a person playing a sport. Americans in today's world believe that sports are the path we should take to have full financial and social flexibility. Examples leading to this conclusion are obvious as we see kids from poor areas escalate their nobility and capital through their abilities to compete in sports. From the million-dollar contracts and endorsement deals, the ideology behind being an athlete is that your social mobility will rise, but many statistics will prove otherwise. Although it is possible for athletes to gain revenue and fame, the overall ideology of sports of gaining maximum social flexibility from being involved in a sport is a myth.
Team sports for example not only provide physical activity for children. They also introduce them to the meaning of “teamwork” and ability
INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND: When a child actively participates in sports, they are able to learn life lessons in a fun and positive atmosphere.
Practicing a sport can be highly beneficial to children, until it’s taken too far. Often called training now, children as young as six years old are participating in sports that require too much time. At that age, sports should be something fun to do and a favorable source of physical activity. However, whenever an athlete shows a hint of a talent, child exploitation occurs (Bean 10234). Between the ages of 7-12, adolescents should be learning identity, motives, beliefs, and values, but nearly all athletes are practicing 5 days a week with games every Saturday. This leaves no time or energy for hanging out with friends, homework, family time, and relaxation. Dr. Shane Murphy reports that if a coach or trainer sees talent in a young child, immediately they are convincing the
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
Sports are something normalized by American society. Boston magazine posted an article saying 45 million kids are involved in a sport while growing up, but many of these children drop the sport because their parents