What Role Do Young People Play In Sports

With around 45 million kids enrolled in some type of organized sport, it’s clear that youth sport is a massive part of American culture. Most people remember playing a rudimentary form of soccer or basketball during elementary school, when rules weren’t too important, and having fun was the only goal. While nearly everyone can recall playing some kind of organized sport during their childhood, a very small percentage of people stick with sport beyond middle school, and even fewer go on to play after high school. The amount of children who quit organized sport during adolescence has raised questions about the psychological risks of youth sport. Youth sports in and of themselves are not an inherent problem; however, issues do arise when children are asked to take on too much at too young of an age. While there are risks associated with youth sport, organized sports also provide

42 percent polled say it is appropriate for children to begin playing tackle football younger than age 14. Parents are starting to hold their kids out of football and other sports which is keeping them from learning the game and learning social skills early in life. Youth sports have been a part of many kids’ lives for as long as the sports have existed. Youth sports keep kids active and helps them get out of the house. Youth sports help kids develop social skills at a young age and they gain a better understanding of the game. As a result, youth sports are important parts in kids’ lives because they help kids develop social skills and they help them get a better understanding of the game, even though there are some safety issues.

Many of the ideals attached to the picturesque image of the nuclear family have evolved considerably over time but with one exception, youth sports. Youth sports is a staple in nearly every American’s childhood as highlighted in “Children Need to Play, Not Compete” by Jessica Statsky. Statsky makes two contentions in favor of this argument. One, the participants of youth sports are not physically and psychologically ready and two, that the mentality of win or lose is more harmful than helpful during the formative years of a child’s critical development. This stance, though contrary to my upbringing is one that I can count as valid to a certain degree. In this essay I intend to explore the more complex

Benefits of Youth Sports“Sports do not build character. They reveal it,” said John Wooden, legendary UCLA basketball coach. Playing sports not only provides physical activity, but also other positive benefits. This is especially true for children. A well-structured and organized youth program will provide benefits and positive experiences for young athletes. While children are having fun participating in sports they are also building character, learning to work as a team, and playing fairly. Most people think the only benefits of sports are physical. Sports are more than just developing hand-eye coordination and burning calories, youth sports provide many developmental benefits, physical benefits, and psychological benefits.

Sports psychology deals with the mental and emotional aspects of physical performance. It involves describing, explaining and predicting attitudes, feelings and behaviours in an attempt to improve performance. In the film 'Coach Carter,' directed by Thomas Carter, sport psychology is used effectively to enhance the performance of a high school basketball team. However, this improved performance is not limited to the basketball court, it extends into the classroom where the students use goal setting, motivation, concentration and confidence control, ultimately to become accepted into college, avoiding a life of drugs, gangs and prison.

The live sporting event that I chose to observe was the 2015 Woman’s Soccer Big West Conference championship game with Cal State Fullerton competing against Cal State Long Beach. The game took place on Sunday, November 8th at 1:00pm at Cal State Fullerton. This game is significant because it determines who wins the Big West and who qualifies for the NCAA tournament, so pressure on the players and intensity are very high. Throughout the game, I observed the game as a sport psychologist professional and observed the player’s and coach’s behaviors that relate to Sport Psychology. The three sport psychology concepts that were interpreted during the soccer match were: situational awareness, arousal regulation strategies, and reinforcements.

In my opinion, there is too strong of an emphasis placed on winning these days which was clearly inherited from professional sport events. I think that when kids between ages 11-13 attend professional sport events, they automatically pick up the emphasis that winning is everything because of the culture around the events. Consequently, the culture around many professional sporting events has a huge effect on this particular situation. For example, coaches throw quarterbacks out of games half way between quarters if do not perform at high levels. With that being said, nowadays, the only distinct way to better construct the motivational climate for young athletes between the ages 11-13 is to only allow teenagers to attend professional sporting events.

James plays for the number 2 boys and girls club in Washington DC. James plays for the 10 and under team. He is the teams point guard. James and the team played number 10 boys and girls club on January 30, 2016. James was a key player in the team’s success that game. The parents made him seem like he was already in high school. They would cheer and slap hands with everyone around them win he made a shot. They would yell to the coach, to make sure their son had the ball in his hands if they wanted to win the game. The father would yell when has son missed a layup “you owe me some push-ups after the game”.

rebounds and, 3 free throws. Pau gasol got 5 points, 2 assist,8 rebounds and, 2 free throws. It was 81-74 the spurs are winning it is the 4th Q. jonathan simmons going down the

ome parents may not want their kids to be involved in sports because they can get injured. In teenage sports, a large amount of athletes don’t have the skills needed to play the sport successfully and safely, which cause injuries. When a child is at age 5, they have not yet gained the energy or social skills that are needed in order to safely participate in a team sport. If a child does participate at that age in a sport, it endangers the child and the others playing. As a result, it is suggested to wait until a child is eight to twelve to be involved in sports. (Beim). This way they can be safer and get benefits from participating in sports. The coaches are to make sure that athlete has the skills needed to participate safely in that sport. When safety measures are

By now almost everyone has heard about child obesity in America, but just how high are the rates? The answer might surprise you. According to Nate Whitman, a writer for The Huffington Post, “rates of obesity have doubled in 2- to 5-year-olds, quadrupled in 6- to 11-year-olds, and tripled in 12- to 19-year-olds” (par. 2). This is due to more children staying inside and only doing activities such as video games. They do not interact with anyone besides whomever they are talking to online. These findings are astonishing to say the least. What can we do to combat this? Involvement in organized sports helps children develop their social skills, improve their academic progress, and stay active.

It has been identified that through sports psychology one can improve their physical ability and performance. Sports psychology is the study of how the mind, mental states and behaviour effect sporting performance. There are several sport psychology techniques, which have helped me become a better volleyball player. These techniques include planning for performance, controlling arousal levels, mental rehearsal and concentration.

Character development is not something that can be gained or developed over night. Character development is the multiple life skills that an individual builds within themself throughout their lifespan. When a person develops good character in their early years of life, they will benefit in the long run because they used the life skills they gained and put them to use, becoming a successful individual in all aspects of life.

In earlier days sports psychology was mostly concerned with developing assessment methods that would identify those people with the potential to become serious superior athletes. Today the focus is on psychological training, exercises that strengthen the mental skills that will help athletic performances on the path to excellence. These skills include mental imagery and focus training. If an athlete is serious about becoming the best he or she can possibly be, the most essential ingredient is commitment to practice the right things. It takes incredible commitment to reach the top: a commitment to rest and train the body so it can perform under the most demanding conditions and a commitment to train the mind to

Raising children in today’s society is not for the faint of heart. Raising children has never been easy, but it is especially difficult in youth sports today. Coaches and parents are putting a lot of pressure on our young sons and daughters. The pressure to succeed in sports at