- Summary
In “Children Need to Play, Not Compete”, Jessica Statsky reviews the various disadvantages and risks involved in organizing competitive sports for children especially the age between six to twelve years. First, the author argues that these types of games emphasize more on winning and competition rather than play and fun for the children. Secondly, the author claims that competitive sports for children sometimes result to physical and psychological adverse effects. Statsky states that these outcomes are especially so, for sports activities that require excessive use of physical strength hence impacting growth and development of the sport. Thirdly, the author argues that in these organized competitive sports, parents and coaches emphasize greatly on winning and competition, hence exerting too much pressure on the children leading to undesirable consequences. The author states that the parents and coaches put their needs and fantasies in the sport, thus making the children play to win rather than play to enjoy. Statsky concludes by stating that children deserve sports that suit their needs and abilities thus leading to the enjoyment and sports development.
- Response
I agree with Jessica Statsky that all organized competitive sports for children result in more harm than benefit to the children. There is the need to regulate this kind of sports, and allow children engage in activities that result in enjoyment and sports development. First, Statsky argues that organized competitive sports result to negative psychological effects to children. This argument bears truth considering that in the sports world, professional athletes both women and men undergo psychological counseling to treat psychological traumas. And thus, children who undergo similar situations are likely to experience psychological problems.
The attitude of the society, especially team coaches and parents to desire and appreciate winning in these organized competitions exerts enormous pressure to children leading to psychological effects. The children play under pressure for fear of failure and disapproval from others, hence lack the enjoyment part of the sport. Also when children lose in these organized competitive sports, they are likely to develop self-esteem issues. In my experience, children between the age of 6 and 12 were usually too afraid of participating in organized competitive sports for fear of failure. Failure in these sports led to them getting mocked by fellow children and disapproval by people in the society. Some of these devastating consequences had negative impacts on the children, as some would cry, lose their self-esteem, shy away from future competitive sports, and also got undermined by teachers and fellow students. These scenarios also applied even to the most physically talented children. I also observed that the few who participated in these events were under pressure to please their teachers and parents, and also get recognized. As sports’ person from my tender age, I believe these competitive sports developed more the fear of failure in me than nurturing the spirit of competition.
I t is obvious that competitive sports that involve the use physical strength and muscles may affect the growth of the children or cause an injury. For instance, a 12-year-old child, throwing a curve ball may acquire lifelong injuries such as abnormal strain on the arm and muscles. Physical injuries in children competing in competitive sports that require the use of muscle and physical strength are frequent in schools. These sports include American soccer, football, rugby, and boxing. For instance, my nephew Simon got introduced to American soccer at the age of six years by his school, in the bid to develop passion in students towards the sport. Unfortunately, at the age of nine while competing in their school, he acquired a shoulder injury that not only hospitalized him for months but also greatly demoralized him.
In my opinion, children between the age of six and twelve years should get an opportunity to select the sports they would like to participate in without the involvement of adults. Children also should get appreciated for participating in organized competitive sports, rather than rewarding winners only. Acknowledging and recognizing the children’s participation would lead to better performance in the future hence developing sports career. I also think that the how to instruct and support children in these sports is a bigger challenge to the development of these sports than the problem of children competing in the sports. The factors of nature of sport, society’s attitude, age, passion, and physical strength of children should get considered to ensure that these competitive sports influence children positively.
Sherry Roberts is the author of this paper. A senior editor at MeldaResearch.Com in Online Writing Services if you need a similar paper you can place your order from.
