Sports are a great way to get children involved in the community and a great way to keep children active and healthy. Sport play a “major role in society today and is a popular leisure activity among children” (Farstad, 2007). Sports are a way for children to learn the rules of the game, how to play, and to develop a love for the game. Sports teaches the core values of teamwork, sportsmanship, time management, and how to work hard for things. Sports should never violate any child’s human rights. Unfortunately due to the high level of competition in youth sport today, and parents living vicariously through their child, therefore children’s rights are often violated to win games in youth competition. Sports in the United States of America have
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It may also result in “weakened bones, stunted growth, debilitating injuries and damaged psyches and or it can lead to burn out and early retirement from the sport” (Farstad, 2007). Education also plays a role in the child’s life. With training for hours on end often a child’s academics will suffer, and relationships with peers can diminish as well. Also time with their friends and family must be sacrificed to train, and young athletes find it hard to find time for themselves (Farstad, 2007). Because these children are young which makes them vulnerable to exploitation from coaches and parents. Children involved in strict training regimes from an early age are “either directly or indirectly subject to situations that have the potential of threatening their human rights” (Farstad, 2007). By becoming subject to strict scrutiny from coaches, parents, and trainers young athlete’s basic human rights are exploited. They are often forced to sacrifice their childhood and pressed into elite competitions with peers. Children often do not have a say in what they do, are often forced to be silent about performing with injuries, and are often forced to withhold information from their parents which is enforced and encouraged by coaches. Parents pay a lot of money to put their children with the best coaches and trainers and the child will always pay the price physically, mentally, and emotionally. Today there are few protections in the form of limits on training time or on the number of competitions a child athlete may take part in. There is no real enforcement of the time young athletes devote to education, or access to protection under health and safety regulations that govern workers in the workplace. (Farstad, 2007). Often youth sports break child labor laws and there are no regulations that state how long a child can be allowed to participate practicing and training
It may also result in “weakened bones, stunted growth, debilitating injuries and damaged psyches and or it can lead to burn out and early retirement from the sport” (Farstad, 2007). Education also plays a role in the child’s life. With training for hours on end often a child’s academics will suffer, and relationships with peers can diminish as well. Also time with their friends and family must be sacrificed to train, and young athletes find it hard to find time for themselves (Farstad, 2007). Because these children are young which makes them vulnerable to exploitation from coaches and parents. Children involved in strict training regimes from an early age are “either directly or indirectly subject to situations that have the potential of threatening their human rights” (Farstad, 2007). By becoming subject to strict scrutiny from coaches, parents, and trainers young athlete’s basic human rights are exploited. They are often forced to sacrifice their childhood and pressed into elite competitions with peers. Children often do not have a say in what they do, are often forced to be silent about performing with injuries, and are often forced to withhold information from their parents which is enforced and encouraged by coaches. Parents pay a lot of money to put their children with the best coaches and trainers and the child will always pay the price physically, mentally, and emotionally. Today there are few protections in the form of limits on training time or on the number of competitions a child athlete may take part in. There is no real enforcement of the time young athletes devote to education, or access to protection under health and safety regulations that govern workers in the workplace. (Farstad, 2007). Often youth sports break child labor laws and there are no regulations that state how long a child can be allowed to participate practicing and training