The Benefits of Team Sports Participation Essay

The benefits of sports participation have been studied during the last few years. Sports participation has also long been thought to provide a social environment that fosters basic values such as fair play, competiveness, and achievement (Pate, Trost, Levin & Dowda, 2000). Furthermore, Pate et al. (2000) conclude that in the most populous demographic subgroups of United States high school students, sports participation is associated with multiple positive health behaviors. This trend was most striking for white females and white males, among whom sports participation was significantly associated with numerous positive healthy behaviors and almost no negative health behaviors. African American and Hispanic students had fewer associations with positive health behaviors, and even some association with negative behaviors were observed. Sports has been a important key to high schools students get involved on a social environment that can cause very positive healthy behaviors among the youth. Pate et al. (2000) continue to observe that school and community sports programs have the potential to help youth establish lifelong healthy physical activity patterns.

One thing almost every young child looks forward to is the activity of play. Kids love nothing more than to go outside, run around with friends, and get dirty. If children are already active at a young age, why not encourage them to continue by enrolling them in an organized youth sport program? Young people will gain many positive experiences by participating in organized physical activities, but none as important and influential as the social skills, physical skills, and mental skills developed and nurtured during their time in youth sport. As a result, the young participants can continue to build upon and cultivate these skills which will ultimately be transferred into their development as successful adults. Along with the social and

Playing on a team helps them grow. They become more fit because of all the exercise, and they develop important social skills that will become crucial later on in life. People need to focus more on the the people and not the prize. For instance, a group -having fun- could practice for months and still fail.

It builds relationships, it releases stress and it helps the body grow strong. Playing a organize sport has multiple benefits. That said, I still keep in mind that no matter if you're in

This proves that playing competitive sports is good for the youth and it can also benefit them by playing on a team. It also gives them a lot of life skills such as confidence that they will use later on in their life when they have a job. Lucy Calkins is an expert in writing and in her article “Get Off That Couch and Play!” she also says that, “Students learn important life skills such as how to accept criticism, how to handle oneself under the pressure of competition, how to work hard toward a goal, how to win and lose graciously” (2014). In addition, to Lucy Calkins article “Get Off That Couch and Play!” that later in life if an adult is at a job interview they will need confidence while they are being interviewed, otherwise they probably won’t get the job. Adults and Children also need to work hard to get towards a goal. Like if someone is at their job and their boss needs something right away, they must get it done and not day dream. In the article “Pros and Cons of Sports Competition at High School Level,” education researcher and writer Grace Chen says, “When children and teens participate in group competitions and activities, they learn skills that

Being involved with athletics at a young age is typically looked at as being a good activity that gets children involved and gets them out for their 60 minutes of play a day. Little do many people know, there are many benefits to youth sport than just a child’s daily exercise. Along with there being many positives and benefits to youth sport, there are also negatives that can come about. Many of the benefits include physical, psychological, intellectual, and social benefits. Some of the negatives that can occur from youth sport are the possibilities of loss of self-confidence, frustration, burnout, and injuries. There are many ways to try and make sure that the youth reap all of the benefits from sport at a young age and there are certain elements that coaches, parents, and teachers should take to maximize the befits of sport.

In school many teachers have set up sports like basketball and baseball and plays for the kids to act in for a school play. During the time the children are in a sport or in a play they learn how to become better teammates and help each other out when they are struggling. Being a great teammate is a good skill to have becuase you are able to work better around with other childern in the activity. Helping one aother shows that they are giving support and advice to help undertsand that you are not alone. Having a teammate can be fun becuase you are able to enjoy what you are doing in an ativity such as basketball or in a paly as well.

Competing in sports will grow one’s character and teach important lessons that can only be learned by playing on a team. When playing with other

When kids work together to achieve a goal, it helps them feel like they are a part of something. In an article from The Wall Street Journal called, Why I Don’t Want My Kids to Play Team Sports By Jeff Pearlmen, a writer and man who has caused much controversy about competitive sports. He said, “It was what I loved most about sports—the unity and togetherness” ( Pearlmen, 2013.) This means that even if you have played the worst game in your life, your team will always be there to support you, and make you better. Belonging is a very important feeling because it helps kids be themselves and have a higher self esteem. The sense of belonging is great, but it is important to know what you belong to, not just the team, but how you have helped achieve. Get Off that Couch and Play! claims, “Many children who compete on sports teams also experience a heightened sense of belonging to something larger,” (Chalkins, 2014.) From this you can tell that kids who play competitive sports have more of a feeling of belonging. That “something larger” is not just your team, but knowing that you have helped achieve something, and that you are important. The last piece of evidence that shows that kids really should play competitive sports is how working together is a fundamental part of a sports experience. The article The Benefits of Competitive Athletic Sports Participation in Today's Sports Climate from chicagonow, states, “Working toward a common goal is an integral part of the sports experience for athletes” ( Sports:The Benefits, 2016.) The whole experience from sports is major, but the most important part is working together. We do team building activities in school, but nothing can compare to working as a true team, especially one that you have grown up, and stuck with all your life. Belonging can impact someone so much, so it is vital that kids get that from

Yet another thing sports can do is teach a player many life lessons. According to Scope Magazine's Tim O'Shei, sports teaches perseverance, team spirit, and fun. Many sports coaches will not allow players to participate in a game if the player's homework is not done on time. Some studies even show that some grades may drop after the season is over because of the lack of motive in a student. A student could also learn how to be a good sport by congratulating his or her team even if they lose. They should learn to be a good sport because whether the team wins or loses, the good spirit of the team would remain. A good team spirit could also make it fun and motivational for everyone else. The perseverance, team spirit, and fun in a team player could make both a good role model and a fun person to be around.

Sports may not be all that good for children. Some people might say that sports can cause injury, children won’t get a chance to play if they are not very good, or children may be made fun of for lacking skill in that particular sport. I believe that participating in sports has a much more positive impact on children. Sports can help children’s health approve, help them develop new friends, and can help improve the children’s self confidence.

The correlation of playing competitive sports at college level and self esteem are measured. Subjects were given the Barksdale self esteem questionnaire to fill out and levels of self esteem are measured by scores out of one hundred. The subjects are then separated into categories determined by gender and whether they played sports at the college level. The results indicated that the elite athletes have a higher self esteem than non athletes. The survey also revealed that women have a slightly higher self esteem than men. These findings agree with our hypothesis that athletes will have a higher level of self esteem than non athletes will.

Children involved in a team atmosphere develop traits to be a good leader, a good teammate, and key characteristics of a beneficial member of society. Each of these aspects correlate to advantages in the professional world. Being a part of a team is applicable in the work force and will benefit the child to understand the importance of collaborating with others and fulfilling duties of a job. Sports also teach honorable qualities for successful citizens including, respect, discipline, and trust. In order to develop these social skills and other skills needed later in life, improve academics, and combat the rising number of obese or inactive children, they should be allowed to play sports.

Sports programs have been an integral part of all schools. They support the academics of the school and therefore foster success in life. These programs are educational and help produce productive citizenship. They help students experience and build skills that may help them in their future, like interpersonal and time management skills. Education may kindle the light of knowledge, but sports help to maintain the proper physique. Sports are also an important means of entertainment and a use for energy after long hours of study. Sports increase a student’s performance not only in the classroom but also in their life.

Sports can be a unifying force, too.  Parents of high school students who participate in sports have higher expectations for their children.  They will drive their children to work harder and achieve more potential.  Girls find participation in sports to be a way to break gender stereotypes, enhancing their sense of possibility.  Also, playing team sports can minimize feelings of difference and isolation.