Around 45 million children aged 6-18 play organized sports in the United States; each dedicating their time to becoming the best in their league. This pressure to be the best comes from everyone that surrounds them; their parents, coaches, and even teammates push them to give their all. However, in recent years, there had been a heated debate about whether these sports are becoming too intense for young, developing athletes. Many argue that the competition of organized sports places way too much pressure on the shoulders of young athletes, and can be mentally and physically harmful to developing athletes. Others argue however, that sports help to teach young athletes the values of discipline and hardwork. Although youth sports place a large …show more content…
They argue that youth sports place too much pressure on the shoulders of young athletes. A main opponent of youth sports, author of Until it Hurts: America’s Obsession With Youth Sports, Mark Hyman argues that sports take a mental toll on players, decreasing attrition rates, as well as discouraging them. And although this statement may be true to some degree, it is preposterous to think that youth sports are too intense based simply on the fact that they are stressful. As Chicago Magic Soccer Club coach Nathan Pitcock argues, “Those who argue that youth sports are too intense point mostly to two factors: the amount of time they require and the pressure that they place on young athletes. These are the very qualities, however, that make youth sports so valuable to those who participate.” This is entirely true, as many of the values athletes learn from youth sports comes from their competitive nature. Claims that youth sports are too intense are completely false, as many of the social benefits and life skills that adolescents benefit from come from the intensity of their sport. Youth sports are beneficial to young athletes, as they have many benefits in all aspects of life. Youth sports help to promote an active lifestyle as well as teach young athletes important life skills and values they need to succeed in life. So, although youth sports are very demanding, and place large amounts of pressure on the shoulders of young athletes, they still have many benefits to children who participate in them. Youth sports are needed in today’s society, instilling age-old values many children miss out on