Competitive Sports and Young Kids

Obesity has continued to grow within the United States. Currently, two out of every three American’s are considered overweight or obese. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development estimates that 3/4 of Americans will likely be overweight or obese by 2020. To help prevent that, why not get your kids involved in competitive sports?
I think that kids should participate in competitive sports because they get an amazing workout like you couldn’t get in a no-contact recreational sport. The exercise you get is phenomenal, plus it gives you a healthy setting to use your energy. Physical contact sports promote fitness, health, and nutrition. Competing in competitive sports burns calories and helps prevent obesity while getting a great workout!
People may say that competitive sports are dangerous, they are to an extent, but there’s so much that you can do to prevent it from becoming dangerous. We’ve already taken huge precautions and designed gear to help keep control in making competitive sports safer and safer. With referees, pads and helmets along with all the other safety equipment, rules and knowledge given to the participant, it’s a struggle to be capable of getting the sport to a dangerous level.
In fact, if you’re worried about your child’s well being and you’re wondering thoughts like, “I hope he’ll be in good hands, I wonder if the instructors will keep the class under control,” and “I wonder if the coach will be pushing him too hard, I want him to like the sport.” Then what you have to do is ask around, find other people’s opinions on certain programs and gyms and see what fits you. Usually a parent will be looking for a family friendly environment and healthy setting with good instruction to put their kid into, so ask other people that you know from that gym or find online reviews.
To get you to be against competitive sports, they’ll say, “Teens have died because of playing competitive sports too soon after a concussion.” But there’s an easy way to not let that happen, don’t play sports too soon after a concussion! And how many times has that happened? It’s definitely not a regular occurrence that that would happen. According to CNN kids are sent to the emergency room every six minutes because of accidents on the stairs. CNN says that 932,000 people went to the emergency room because of accidents on the stairs between a nine-year period from 1999 to 2008. That means that more kids get injured from walking up and down the stairs than they do playing competitive sports.
Also, a survey done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1997-1999 shows that kids five to fourteen had an injury rate of fifty-nine and tenths incidents per 1,000 people. But really, that’s less than 6% of kids five to fourteen had gotten injured. Also, most of the injuries they are referring to were minor and healed quick. These are just some of the things that people who are in opposition to competitive sports will do when they’re desperate to find a way to make you agree with them.
Being involved in physical contact sports, you get the chance to experience live competition, have understanding of the importance of winning and to reduce any level of shyness by performing in front of others. You work hard for something and learn from your mistakes, you even learn how to lose.
If you start learning and practicing a physical contact sport earlier in life, you’ll get a head start on learning how to be a good competitor and having good sportsmanship. Starting early and right can help kids succeed now and throughout life.
•••
Now we know physical contact sports promote fitness, health and nutrition. We know they help prevent obesity and cancer. And we know that knowledge, safety equipment and referees are included in youth physical contact sports. We even know that these sports are safer than the stairs! I think that physical contact sports are of huge benefit for younger kids and can and will set them up for a successful life.
~ Brett Raio

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu