You’re all aware of the stories, “Young football player went to the hospital with concussion” and “Teenager breaks her leg at hockey practice” but how much of those headlines are actually a frequent occurrence? Today, I will examine an issue with many opposing opinions: Should kids participate in competitive sports? Many people have commonly argued this topic because of the injuries and potential stress they might bring. However, I will explain to you why, kids should play competitive sports. My reasons are as follows: first, they teach kids life lessons, they promote a positive self image, and competitive sports keep kids active. The main reason for children to participate in competitive sports is because of the plethora of life lessons
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For example, Anahad O’Connor is a Yale graduate with a degree in psychology. He writes for the The New York Times and researches neuroscience (the sciences which deal with the structure and function of the nervous system and brain) and child studies. He says in an article in the New York Times, “Nationwide, about a third of high school students are overweight or obese, a figure that has prompted federal efforts to boost physical activity of any kind among teenagers”. (O’Connor 2012). Competitive sports are a way for that number to go down, which can only be beneficial. Having children no longer participate in these sports would keep it the same or even higher, a price our country cannot afford to pay. He also found that, “Teenagers can significantly lower their likelihood of being overweight or obese by … playing on at least one high school sports team…”. (O’Connor, 2012) This proves that competitive sports can be a key factor in eliminating this epidemic. Keeping kids from playing competitive sports would rid students of this important opportunity. This is especially important, according to an article in Sports World. She has said, “In a nation with an obesity epidemic and a rate of diabetes that is continuing to grow, physical activity is becoming more and more important. Participating on teams can teach young people how to live a healthy lifestyle.” (Booker, 2014) Booker …show more content…
While the issue of kids participation in competitive sports has many different opinions surrounding it, some believe they shouldn’t play these sports because of the dangers, however, that is no reason to stop them all together. The kids know what they’re getting into when they sign up for the sport. Don’t you think if they think the sport is too dangerous their participation should be their decision to make. That would be like forbidding people from going outside because you could be stung by a bee. I’ll take my chances. Dr. Diane R. Stoler Ed.D. a neuropsychologist and board-certified health psychologist, wrote an article to support this idea, titled, Would You Rather Let Your Teen Play Football or Drive a Car? This was published in Psychology Today and states, “...there are 500,000 football related injuries … while there are over 2.6 million automobile accidents each year... The reality is that it is safer for you to allow your 17-year-old to play football than it is to let him or her drive your car”. The same thing occurs with many sports. This proves that if you are safer on the field than in a car, and shows that you can’t possibly forbid students participation in said sports because then you would need to ban everything that was any bit more dangerous. That list would include
For example, Anahad O’Connor is a Yale graduate with a degree in psychology. He writes for the The New York Times and researches neuroscience (the sciences which deal with the structure and function of the nervous system and brain) and child studies. He says in an article in the New York Times, “Nationwide, about a third of high school students are overweight or obese, a figure that has prompted federal efforts to boost physical activity of any kind among teenagers”. (O’Connor 2012). Competitive sports are a way for that number to go down, which can only be beneficial. Having children no longer participate in these sports would keep it the same or even higher, a price our country cannot afford to pay. He also found that, “Teenagers can significantly lower their likelihood of being overweight or obese by … playing on at least one high school sports team…”. (O’Connor, 2012) This proves that competitive sports can be a key factor in eliminating this epidemic. Keeping kids from playing competitive sports would rid students of this important opportunity. This is especially important, according to an article in Sports World. She has said, “In a nation with an obesity epidemic and a rate of diabetes that is continuing to grow, physical activity is becoming more and more important. Participating on teams can teach young people how to live a healthy lifestyle.” (Booker, 2014) Booker …show more content…
While the issue of kids participation in competitive sports has many different opinions surrounding it, some believe they shouldn’t play these sports because of the dangers, however, that is no reason to stop them all together. The kids know what they’re getting into when they sign up for the sport. Don’t you think if they think the sport is too dangerous their participation should be their decision to make. That would be like forbidding people from going outside because you could be stung by a bee. I’ll take my chances. Dr. Diane R. Stoler Ed.D. a neuropsychologist and board-certified health psychologist, wrote an article to support this idea, titled, Would You Rather Let Your Teen Play Football or Drive a Car? This was published in Psychology Today and states, “...there are 500,000 football related injuries … while there are over 2.6 million automobile accidents each year... The reality is that it is safer for you to allow your 17-year-old to play football than it is to let him or her drive your car”. The same thing occurs with many sports. This proves that if you are safer on the field than in a car, and shows that you can’t possibly forbid students participation in said sports because then you would need to ban everything that was any bit more dangerous. That list would include