Summary In “Children Need to Play, Not Compete” the author Jessica Statsky argues that the contact sports like tackle ball and peewee football have damaging effects on children. She holds a strong opinion that the children sports should be about teaching them sportsmanship and teamwork. She says that the sports that focus on winning either induce either the fear of losing or the fear of getting hurt. This causes the children to avoid playing. These sports also exert great pressures on the mind and body of the children. The author says that competitive sports become a job rather than a fun activity for children. As the focus of these sports is entirely winning, many children are devoid of playing due to lack of the skills. This enforces immense …show more content…
Children don’t tend to perform well in the field due to this pressure. I can relate to this idea as I have experienced this in my life once. My parents had high hopes for my brother. Once, on the day of the final match, my dad told him that he was sure to win and nothing could defeat him and his team. My brother got so much under pressure that he fainted before the game even started. As a result, the coach had to withdraw him from the game. I agree with the author that such pressures can affect the health of a child. Therefore, the sports should not be about exerting such pressures rather they should be about improving a child’s health. The author puts forth the idea that the through drills and the training schedules make sports a ‘job-like’ activity for the children. I agree with her point of view because the fun is eliminated and all that is left are the strict rules that have to be followed. Children sports should focus on letting children have fun with their fellow mates rather than making it a duty for them to perform every day. In conclusion, I agree with the author that children sports need to be amended. These need to focus more on letting the children be and polish their individual skills rather than eliminating the weak ones and selecting the stronger ones to play. The sports must be used as a medium to make the children more healthy and physically and psychological