Children aren’t told in sports that they can only go so far with them, so why do we tell them that about school? Dr. Dweck believes that with positive reinforcement and proper mindset children can excel much farther in their academic careers with what she calls the “growth mindset”. In sports parents and coaches teach children the idea that they can always better
Throughout my high school career, I have challenged the pervasive idea that athletics come first in a student’s life during high school. In my community, football is seen as the pinnacle of a student’s senior year if they play. In my class, many people prefer to blow off homework assignments in favor of going to sleep after practice. However, my actions clearly display that I have challenged this standard and have placed priority on being a STUDENT-athlete. My football and wrestling seasons over the past four years have encompassed many long, exhausting practices and competitions. I, like every individual participant, was faced with the choice to go home afterwards and rest, or to study and strive to further their education. As I am
Harsh coaching of young athletes can often steer kids away from sports all together, but if the coaches get it right, the kids learn important skills for their futures. At a young age, children need discipline in order to put them in the right direction for their futures. This discipline is found in numerous forms, and one of the most common forms is through sports. David Brooks said, “The best coaches still live by a code, and they make no apology for demanding that kids live up to it.” (Brooks) Though strict coaching can turn some young children and their parents away from sports, it can give kids a good role model, teach them discipline, and help them learn to get along with other people.
Character in sports – Does it still exist? What is character, anyway? Character is what makes up an individual. Possessing character implies that an individual possesses good behaviors and virtues. There is a popular belief among many people that being involved in high-school sports develops character and makes student-athletes better people. Participating in athletics is supposed to teach sportsmanship, leadership, self-control, sacrifice, fair play, important life skills, and both social & moral values. The afore mentioned values are some of the main reasons why parents make the initial decision to get their children involved in sports at an early age and why they continue with their involvement in sports into high school. There has been a question for many years now: Does participation in high school sports build character? Does participating in high school sports build the good character that student-athletes need to succeed in life as athletes and as human beings?
High school athletes account for an estimated 2 million injuries and 500,000 doctor visits and 30,000 hospitalizations each year. Young children are starting to specialize in one sport earlier and earlier throughout the years. That may possible cause problems of injuries or abilities. Sports intensity is teaching kids discipline and teamwork. The intensity in sports is causing children to have many injuries hurting them forever, but if we get the coaches and parents aware we can help the risk factors.
All of the publicity that is attained by success, and the possibility of this success, places a great deal of pressure and stress on these young single-sport athletes. This stress and pressure takes the fun out of some sports. Youth sports are becoming serious and based more on winning than on having a great time and learning good sportsmanship. Adu points out the winning mindset of athletes in this day and age when he says, “Teams will do anything to win the game. My coach told me to expect that going in and that is exactly how it was. . .I felt like everybody was out to get me” (Goodall, 2003). This
Mental toughness is not a new concept in sport, but is generally misunderstood. Coaches design programmes to develop mentally tough athletes, predominately in professional sport, to separate elite performers from good performers (Gould, Jackson, & Finch, 1993) as physical talent itself is not the only component that can lead an athlete to success (Gucciardi, Gordon, & Dimmock, 2008).
Lebron James and Freddy Adu are both young athletes and with millions in their pockets with a countless number of endorsement contracts. Whether it is high school athletes skipping college and discontinuing the development of their education for millions of dollars, or teenagers signing contracts with businesses for massive amounts of money, youth sports programs are changing rapidly. However, American high school athletes are not financially, physically, or mentally prepared to tackle and endure the pressures of professional sports.
Sports are not for everybody, not only because of talent level, but because a certain mindset is to be had to be successful at any sport. A commitment is made. Forty hours of practice a week, the average amount of time spent practicing for football players, all for a one hour game, the average time of one game of college football, takes dedication. That is not even counting the time spent icing, resting, and studying the playbook or film, not to mention the school work to be kept up with for college and high school students. Most athletes have become used to the grind and juggling three or four time consuming activities all at one time while being successful at each. Waking up at the break of dawn, following a schedule, and suffering consequences when a bad choice is made creates character and discipline that is often needed for many little league, high school, and college athletes. The most important non tangible thing sports teach anyone is how to get back up after falling, how to get knocked down but get right back up and keep going, how to move on from failure and overcome it, focusing on the next important part of life. These skills of determination and courage taught through sports are essential for being successful in any part of life and are hard to come by anywhere
High school athletes need to be students, and perhaps more difficult need to balance the social life of a teenager. It is stressful at times, but the stress melts away when you're standing at the top of the podium, realizing that everything you've done for this sport has paid off. And past the podiums and the medals you become even more proud when you're standing on the stage of your university accepting your degree and starting a new chapter of life, ready to take on the world. Athletes know what it means to work hard to become the best, and when it comes time to hang up the sports equipment and move on to the real world, athletes will have the resolve to do what is necessary. Because in the end it’s not going to be about the accolades but instead about the time you put into the things that matter. And when you grow up working hard, and develop that great habit of putting everything you have towards your goals, then reaching out towards then won't seem so
However, when we talk about youth sports, our main concern is with providing players with a positive, character building experience. Winning is not the only acceptable outcome for youth players, and coaches need to understand this principle. “With a winning philosophy young athletes may lose out on opportunities to develop their skills, to enjoy participation, and to grow socially and emotionally. Well informed coaches realize that success is not equivalent to winning games, and failure is not the same as losing.” (Enhancing Coach-Parent Relationships in Youth Sports, 15)
The main idea of this paper is to introduce you to what really happens as a high school athlete and the things you learn along the way. High school sports is way more than just playing the sport, it shows you what you are really made of and how to handle problems life is going to throw at you. The adversity you face as an athlete carries over to real world problems and you have been there and done that, so handling adversity is second nature. This information comes from all my coaches, myself and Friday Night Lights. I feel I have already grown as a person by competing in athletics and calling other people my brothers. Not only does high school athletics help you in the long run, but it helps you with problems you have now.
High school athletes are constantly pressured by their coaches or parents to perform outstanding in order to get or maintain college scholarships. With that type of stress
Throughout the years more and more students are looking up to college and pro athletes, yearning to be just like them. These athletes work to have such high skill levels that “regular” people just can’t compare to. Some of their skill levels include, running speeds as fast as cars, jumping unimaginable heights, and being overall a powerful person. Having these skills and performing them is only part of what athletes do on a daily basis. Most people don't have knowledge of the other parts that college athletes have to deal with; school work, fans, career ending injuries and more! As these aspiring student athletes grow and learn what really goes on off the field, many feel differently and change their dreams because they are just not made for