When Elementary School Is Bad

In “Children Need to Play, Not Compete,” Jessica Statsky argues that younger children should not be involved in overly competitive sports. Statsky wrote that organized competitive sports were to the disadvantage of children both physically and psychologically. In youth athletics, some parents and coaches put their own dreams in front of their children 's’ well-being by stressing winning. Statsky concludes “all organized sports activities” to be remade as a more enjoyable game regardless of each athlete’s ability and athleticism. The author states many issues that kids have when they are forced to play a sport just to win or that they don’t enjoy. Some kids just don 't enjoy sports, but their parents force it on them. Certain organized sports programs promote winning over physical skills and self-esteem. Statsky brings up valid points that early childhood shouldn’t involve intense physical competition, which is associated with the risk of injury to the body and mind.

Children have a lot to say and parents have to remember to stop and listen to their child and then maybe offer suggestions and ideals. Recognize how the child feels and acknowledge the flaws the child has. Nobody is perfect. Realizing the imperfections of the child helps a parent better understand the type of encouragement and guidance the child might need to become a more productive adolescent.

I feel that is good for kid’s to be involved in sports but sometimes parents push kid’s to participate. Between practice, games and travel time, there is not much free time for family time, play time or study time. They need time to play with friends and develop social skills outside of organized sports. Do not turn them into a workhorse. Realize that you cannot live your dreams through your child, and that they have dreams of their own. A parent should help a child set performance goals and develop a winning perspective and strive to instill a healthy level of competition.

One mother whose son participated in youth sports, says “...a couple of boys from his team did not make the roster of the new team. They just sat there while the rest of their old teammates screamed with joy. This made me sick” (Sultz, et al, edmontonjournal.com, February 15, 2017). This quote means that her seeing the other players from her son’s previous team not make the cut made her feel awful, especially since they just had to sit there watching their old teammates be excited over making the cut. “Seventy percent of children leave organized sports by the age 13,” according to research by the National Alliance for Sports. This means 7 out of 10 players quit sports by their early teens and never return. According to Edmonton Journal students start to skip games and practices and also stop the sport overall. They state “Their self-esteem is shaken. Time spent being physically active is reduced – no more practices and games. Cutting also deterred athletes from future participation in the sport” (Sultz, et al, edmontonjournal.com, February 15,

Occasionally in some athletes’ lives, the parents pick the sport their child participates in. They may do this because they want to envision themselves and their child participating. Athletes’ parents push them to go to practice and games, and they end up quitting due to the parents “gap between the child’s desire to have fun and the misguided notion among some adults that their kids’ games are a miniature version of grown-up competitions, where the goal is to win (Atkinson). This problem can lead to psychological and anxiety issues in children. If a child believes they have to be the best, but they physically and emotionally can’t, it can make the relationship between the parent and child distant and not as strong. Parents hope to see their children in the professional sports; however, only “one in six thousand high school football players will make it to the NFL” (Atkinson). With these statistics, the odds are very low for athletes to make it that far, and parents pushing their children to be that .0001 chance can stress a kid out and strain their academics. In bigger schools, it is more competitive to be on a school sports team, which can cause heartbreak if an athlete does not make the team, but the parent can take it to a whole new level believing that the child did not work hard enough. This can sometimes lead to the student being punished, with

In recent studies, there is a proven fact that the participation of youth sports is plummeting; more than 70% of adolescents quit sports by the age of 13, and the cause: parents. The young athlete’s psychological state is at risk due to the fact that parents beat up on their children and make them quit because of the reassurance of their failures and inability to pursue their dreams due to their parents negative focus. Michael S. Rosenwald, author of “Are Parents Ruining Youth Sports? Fewer Kids Play Amid Pressure” explains that if “we reinvented youth sports from scratch by putting the physical and emotional of kids needs first.” In other words, the author implies that the child’s voice is never heard over the overbearing parent as they continue to push their child to their breaking point, never acknowledging the fact that children are suffering mentally. The child’s mental health is never questioned because “no parent wants to unilaterally disarm and acknowledge that the system is broken,” meaning the parents avoid the situation. But even so, this relationship is sensitive because the child can never fully escape the parent, without the proper communication techniques and respect between the two, the parent will continue to overshadow the child and the self confidence will continue to

They won’t be able to learn from their mistakes in an actual game if they don’t play. They also won’t be able to to learn life lesson. After all sports do help kids build character. As said by the writer called TROUTWINE “Those who ascribe to this philosophy offer many reasons for the character-building qualities of sport, ranging from fostering the development of social skills such as teamwork, cooperation, and leadership to teaching personals skills such as self-discipline, work ethic and coping with disappointment.”(TROUTWINE). All this is true and a kid can’t learn these qualities without playing time. It can also have harmful affects to the child as said by user DebateGirl221 “If a child is constantly not picked to play a game, it can lower their self esteem.”

One reason we should keep school sports is because it benefits the mind and body. For example, in part two of the article, “No! Sports Are More Important Than Ever” states, “According to a 2013 report from the institute of medicine, physically active kids have more focus, are better problem solvers, and score higher on tests.” This proves that sports benefit the mind. After school many kids go straight home to their phones; however, with sports, after school they go straight into a fun, healthy activity that benefits the mind and body.

Sports are a fun thing for kids, they play them all the time, but sports aren't always what they’re cracked up to be. Parents can get to involved and pressure there kids, kids that want to play professional sports can be let down when they don't get drafted. People say that sports start friendships but what's that worth if you can't remember them. Sports aren't good for kids.

Imagine you’re a teenager in a high school who is involved in athletics, and sports are the one thing you love doing the most. Now imagine that one day out of nowhere your sports team was cut, and the one thing that you so deeply loved you are no longer able to do. A lot of people wonder if sports are too much of a priority in schools, and whether or not they should be cut. Students disagree that sports are too much of a priority, and claim athletics make them the person that they are, and that they wouldn’t be the same without sports. School districts should not cut sport programs because they benefit students, they bring in money and publicity to the school, and it gives the students a fit and healthy lifestyle.

Being forced to be like others brings unbearable stress that is hard to manage. This pressure, most commonly peer pressure involving young adults, causes many problems all around the world. Peer pressure is when another member of society, typically a friend for another person one may look up to, forces one to act according to the will of the majority. As a result, this can cause drastic problems in one’s life. It causes stress, which leads to early aging and a higher risk of heart attack or stroke. However, with peer pressure comes the most drastic and devastating disorder in history: depression. This can be for many reasons: one may feel guilt as a result of something they had done. One may not “fit in” and be saddened by the lack of results or friends. One is depressed because they are living a life they do not want to live; and society brainwashing people into thinking that they cannot be alone and be happy. More importantly, depression is fatal. According to the New York Times, nearly one in six people have contemplated suicide, while one in twelve have actually attempted it. This does not include those who actually performed it. The problem only grows worse. Suicide rates have climbed from 6.3% in 2009 to a whopping 7.8% in 2011. All of this, just to try and be like everyone else and nobody special. Little do people know that the only person they truly need is

Imagine, you’re at a grade school basketball game, and your team is losing. Jeffrey, who isn’t so good at basketball, hears his parents yelling at him from the stands. He hears from his coaches all the time, “Don’t listen to the people in the stands.” The only problem is Jeffrey’s parents get mad when he does bad or if he does not listen to them. All of a sudden, Jeffrey hears his dad yell in the stands. Jeffrey doesn’t even like basketball that much, and he doesn’t want to play. His dad was a big shot at sports in high school and always pressures him to do them. Jeffrey’s dad eventually gets kicked out of the game, and he is overly embarrassed. He might have enjoyed some parts of the idea of sports itself, if it wasn’t for parental pressure. He will most likely drop out now. According to research by the National Alliance for sports, 70% of children drop out of organized sports by

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.

One thing that is a positive outcome in sports is the overflowing happiness people get when they participate in competitive sports. One example is that “children who were involved in sports were more assertive, had greater confidence in their skills and physical appearance, and reported more positive feelings than those who didn’t participate. (Merkal, Donna, Youth sport: positive and negative impact on young athletes, 201, May 31).” If children hold an extreme love for the sport they play, most children use that sport as an escape. Playing sports blows off steam and helps people relax. “Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed. (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research ,Exercise: 7 benefits of regular physical activity, 1998).” Playing sports can help bring families or other kids together to build strong bonds. “It appears that US children are healthy and happy as they engage in this traditional pastime, and families report higher levels of satisfaction if their children participate. (Macdonald, Brian, Kids in Sports, Part 5: Can sports help shy kids to make friends?, 2009).” A pat on the back from a parental figure is enough to keep kids going and doing their best. Because sports make children happier, they are more prone to keep playing which all in all makes children happier and it teaches kids to do what makes them happy. With suicide being the second biggest fatality for adolescents doing what makes them happy can be a life or death situation.

Youth sports are an incredibly healthy way for kids to grow and release energy. Children in preschool can begin to take part in sports like dance and soccer, and as they grow older, the lists of sports gets longer. However, there are negatives of sports that are often not talked about by parents, coaches, schools, or the media. As a result, stigmatization occurs, leaving children struggling with sports to suffer alone. With youth sports, elevated levels of stress occur, and as a consequence, mental health can decline. Youth sports can have an adverse psychological effect on young athletes and it is an effect that can be damaging for children for their entire lives.