The Pros And Cons Of Organized Sports

Since the beginning of time there has been the debate of organized sports for young children. There is no doubt that there are positive but like everything else with every positive there is a negative. This has become a prevalent issue with 38% of children participating in organized sports by middle childhood (Papalia, 2015). This is a large number of participants, so what are the benefits and when do organized sports become dangerous? According to a study done by Wiesma, “the greatest and most obvious benefit of specialization is the acquisition, development, and proficiency of motor skills related to success in a given sport.” This gives kids something they can say they are good at and improve their motor skills at the same time. Another

“An intense dedication to sport is encouraged by coaches who want to see an athlete reach his or her potential and lauded by proponents of sport who believe it will build character and discipline in areas outside of sport. Despite its positive portrayal, a concentrated focus on sport and an involvement in numerous hours of preparation frequently results in athletic burnout.” A burnout is basically an end result of too many hours of playing leading the child hating the sport. Kids should not be facing burnouts at such a young age do to coaches demanding too much. This is the age they learn to enjoy sports and the social aspect. Another negative Wiesma found was "long-term end result of emotional and/or physical exhaustion" Although the coach only wants to see the child succeed; in the end it can be extremely harmful. The child may have increased pressure leading to stress and anxiety. ON top of short-term affects there are also long-term affect, which is injuries resulting from playing for years and starting at such a young age. A new study is the affect of concussions and the damage to kids growth