It's a question asked by many parents. "Why should I allow my
child to play sports?" and "If I do allow my child to play, which sports
should I let them play?"
I am unbelievably biased to one side so I will be giving all of the reasons that you should allow your child to play and none of the reasons they shouldn't. In my mind, there just aren't that many reasons to not allow kids to play sports.
Here are some of the reasons that I could come up with advocating participation in sports.
1. Children who are involved will have less idle time to get involved with alternate activities.
When children are on any kind of sports teams there will be a lot of practice time. They will usually befriend other children who are also wanting to get better at that sport so they will have something to do when they get together.
Idle time in the hands of our children is usually not a good thing, especially in this day and age. Most areas of the country are not far away from some source of drugs which can peak the interest of experimental and bored teens. Sitting on the computer can lead to curiosity about pornography and other destructive and time wasting activities. Video games can be addicting and lead to searching for alternate realities because of the fantastical ideals of many games.
2. Playing sports is an excellent way for a child to develop self esteem.
Kids have a desperate need to belong to something. Being involved with a sports team will replace the need for belonging that so many kids get into gangs for. They will develop a sense of family outside the home which will keep them safe and give them that connection that they need.
At school, kids that are involved with sports will most likely have someone to walk the halls with, eat lunch with and even just say "Hi" to in passing.
As children begin to accomplish tasks associated with sports they will build their confidence. They will see that as they practice more and more they will be able to accomplish things that they didn't think would be possible. They will be well equipped for life and the abundance of challenges that will be presented with family, work and community.
3. Kids playing sports is a natural way for them to relieve stress and reduce the possibility for depression.
Not only does the sense of belonging reduce the idle time that a teenager can use to develop undo stress, become self absorbed and focus on the bad in the world all around them.
One of the best way to fight self absorption would be to focus on your team. Children will here cliches like TEAM= Together Everyone Achieves More and see that as ridiculous as it sounds when it comes out of their mouth, it really is true. They can learn that focusing on others and serving others can help them to be happy.
4. Kids that play sports are more likely to do well in school.
Kids who are involved in sports will learn to build goals and how to work towards accomplishing those goals. They will understand that it takes dedication for them to accomplish what they want and that no one will do it for them.
Kids who play sports will understand that working hard can bring them all kinds of benefits. The physical work that they put in will help their body just as the mental work they put in will drastically improve their minds.
5. Kids who play sports will be healthier as they exercise more.
Obesity is an epidemic in the US. People are becoming more and more lazy and the "instant gratification" culture that we have created leads to buying fast food more than actually making meals.
Kids who play sports will learn that they are much happier when they have a healthy active body. They will also learn that good nutrition is as important as exercise as they try to reach their peak athletic abilities.
Kids who are involved in athletics are also more likely to select a spouse who also likes to be healthy and the best way to improve a nationwide problem is to teach the following generation how to do things better and immerse them in a different lifestyle. For too long we have degenerated little by little with each passing generation.
6. Kids who play sports will learn about teamwork.
This can be a very important life skill. Learning how to work with a team will help children as they start looking to get into the job force. Employers are always looking to hire athletes because of their ability to be a part of a team and help the company in any way they can. Special accomplishments in athletics show dedication. One of the most important accomplishments I earned as an athlete was "Academic All Conference." This shows that a student athlete can take on multiple tasks and prioritize his or her time.
7. Kids who play sports will learn discipline.
An important part of Sports is discipline. Learning at an early age to focus on detail oriented game plans can be very important. As mentioned above student athletes must be more disciplined than the normal student as they lose hours and sometimes days where they could be working on homework. The temptations to go out and party must be weighed out with the time it will take to get school work done. If children can learn to discipline themselves and stay dedicated to achieving their goals, their ambition will certainly be rewarded on and off the playing field.
8. Kids who play sports learn to overcome obstacles.
Life is full of disappointment. Nothing worth having is handed to you on a silver platter. Failure will most certainly visit everyone in life. Kids who play sports learn to accept their failures, learn from them and apply those lessons to their future endeavors.
They learn that you learn more from your failures and that you only truly fail when you have given up on your dream. Otherwise you are still in the process of achieving.
"I have failed over and over again in my life. That is why... I succeed."
-Michael Jordan
Conclusion:
There are many reasons for kids to play sports. I would never deny my child the benefits of being active and bettering themselves through athletics. The most important thing is that your children can have fun and develop healthy relationships with family, peers and themselves. Encourage your kids to play sports. They might discover something they can be passionate about for a lifetime.
I am unbelievably biased to one side so I will be giving all of the reasons that you should allow your child to play and none of the reasons they shouldn't. In my mind, there just aren't that many reasons to not allow kids to play sports.
Here are some of the reasons that I could come up with advocating participation in sports.
1. Children who are involved will have less idle time to get involved with alternate activities.
When children are on any kind of sports teams there will be a lot of practice time. They will usually befriend other children who are also wanting to get better at that sport so they will have something to do when they get together.
Idle time in the hands of our children is usually not a good thing, especially in this day and age. Most areas of the country are not far away from some source of drugs which can peak the interest of experimental and bored teens. Sitting on the computer can lead to curiosity about pornography and other destructive and time wasting activities. Video games can be addicting and lead to searching for alternate realities because of the fantastical ideals of many games.
2. Playing sports is an excellent way for a child to develop self esteem.
Kids have a desperate need to belong to something. Being involved with a sports team will replace the need for belonging that so many kids get into gangs for. They will develop a sense of family outside the home which will keep them safe and give them that connection that they need.
At school, kids that are involved with sports will most likely have someone to walk the halls with, eat lunch with and even just say "Hi" to in passing.
As children begin to accomplish tasks associated with sports they will build their confidence. They will see that as they practice more and more they will be able to accomplish things that they didn't think would be possible. They will be well equipped for life and the abundance of challenges that will be presented with family, work and community.
3. Kids playing sports is a natural way for them to relieve stress and reduce the possibility for depression.
Not only does the sense of belonging reduce the idle time that a teenager can use to develop undo stress, become self absorbed and focus on the bad in the world all around them.
One of the best way to fight self absorption would be to focus on your team. Children will here cliches like TEAM= Together Everyone Achieves More and see that as ridiculous as it sounds when it comes out of their mouth, it really is true. They can learn that focusing on others and serving others can help them to be happy.
4. Kids that play sports are more likely to do well in school.
Kids who are involved in sports will learn to build goals and how to work towards accomplishing those goals. They will understand that it takes dedication for them to accomplish what they want and that no one will do it for them.
Kids who play sports will understand that working hard can bring them all kinds of benefits. The physical work that they put in will help their body just as the mental work they put in will drastically improve their minds.
5. Kids who play sports will be healthier as they exercise more.
Obesity is an epidemic in the US. People are becoming more and more lazy and the "instant gratification" culture that we have created leads to buying fast food more than actually making meals.
Kids who play sports will learn that they are much happier when they have a healthy active body. They will also learn that good nutrition is as important as exercise as they try to reach their peak athletic abilities.
Kids who are involved in athletics are also more likely to select a spouse who also likes to be healthy and the best way to improve a nationwide problem is to teach the following generation how to do things better and immerse them in a different lifestyle. For too long we have degenerated little by little with each passing generation.
6. Kids who play sports will learn about teamwork.
This can be a very important life skill. Learning how to work with a team will help children as they start looking to get into the job force. Employers are always looking to hire athletes because of their ability to be a part of a team and help the company in any way they can. Special accomplishments in athletics show dedication. One of the most important accomplishments I earned as an athlete was "Academic All Conference." This shows that a student athlete can take on multiple tasks and prioritize his or her time.
7. Kids who play sports will learn discipline.
An important part of Sports is discipline. Learning at an early age to focus on detail oriented game plans can be very important. As mentioned above student athletes must be more disciplined than the normal student as they lose hours and sometimes days where they could be working on homework. The temptations to go out and party must be weighed out with the time it will take to get school work done. If children can learn to discipline themselves and stay dedicated to achieving their goals, their ambition will certainly be rewarded on and off the playing field.
8. Kids who play sports learn to overcome obstacles.
Life is full of disappointment. Nothing worth having is handed to you on a silver platter. Failure will most certainly visit everyone in life. Kids who play sports learn to accept their failures, learn from them and apply those lessons to their future endeavors.
They learn that you learn more from your failures and that you only truly fail when you have given up on your dream. Otherwise you are still in the process of achieving.
"I have failed over and over again in my life. That is why... I succeed."
-Michael Jordan
Conclusion:
There are many reasons for kids to play sports. I would never deny my child the benefits of being active and bettering themselves through athletics. The most important thing is that your children can have fun and develop healthy relationships with family, peers and themselves. Encourage your kids to play sports. They might discover something they can be passionate about for a lifetime.
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