Childhood Sports Research Paper

Throughout childhood my nickname was ‘pumpkin head’, because I was a big kid. I was heavier than most of the other kids in my grade, I couldn’t run as long, and I was not as fit as the majority of my friends. This all changed in fourth grade when I started to play youth sports. Sports gave me something to commit to and overall helped me to grow as an athlete and as a young man. Sports can benefit all children in many ways and help them to grow. Although childhood sports may be played for fun, they build the foundation for children to lead healthy, successful lives.
Perhaps the most obvious effect of sports on children is the increase in physical health. It comes as no surprise that children who play sports are generally more fit than those …show more content…
Sports teach children how to deal with problems, situations, and emotions. The idea that everyone is a winner is a myth, although everyone will win at some time or another, everyone will face a loss at some point. Throughout a season, teams will face adversity often, they will have bad things happen to them, and they will lose. Facing problems and losses early helps kids to deal with similar events later in life. Children who never learn how to lose may have problems later in life in the event that they do not ‘win’. This could result in tantrums and envious feelings towards those who did win. Sports are not all about winning and losing either, they also encourage kids to be confident and believe in themselves. Kids who believe in themselves are much more likely to be successful in life and be happy with themselves. This builds a foundation and gives kids the tools necessary to lead a happy, successful life. Children who play sports are more likely to be mentally and physically fit for the future and the real …show more content…
Sports give kids a sense of family. The North football team breaks out to the word family every practice, along with discussing why we do it and what it means to us. Sports cause children of all backgrounds, geographic locations, and ideologies to be mixed in with one another. No matter where all of these kids came from, they are all teammates now and are encouraged to build relationships with one another. Diversity is a major advantage in all situations and this helps teach kids to be accepting of everyone. Not only do sports help children to build relationships with one another, they encourage them to build relationships with adults too. Coaches are constantly helping kids through problems and trying to make the kids the best that they can be. This gives kids an adult to look up to and may even fill in as a parent figure in some situations. Building relationships is an essential skill to have throughout life and sports help to build and refine this