23 March 2016
As new IPhones are made, video games becoming more life like, and more hover boards being bought as gifts, today’s generation of children are starting to lose the idea of going outdoors to play with their friends. Nowadays, children interact with their friends via texting or online gaming. In 2012, the percentage of adolescence that were obese increased from 7% in the 1980’s to 18% (CDC 1). Obesity has been a huge problem in America especially for children. There are many ways parents can introduce their children to be more active. One of the most effective way is sports. In America, about 47-52 million children participate in or have joined in at least one sport program (H3). Sports, if taken seriously by children, can lead to many opportunities and can help them greatly. Even though there are other ways for children to achieve success or be physically active, parents should openly encourage their children to participate in sports because it helps with their health, personal development, and academics that could lead to future benefits.
Nowadays, children spend most of their free time inside the house, playing videogames, watching TV, or texting rather than playing tag outside and making new friends. Physical activity is important to children. It aids them in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and making healthy habits for themselves. Children are recommended to have at least 60 minutes of vigorous physical activity (D1). By encouraging children to do physical activity like sports, parents are doing their children a favor by helping them become healthier and manage their weight, which could be beneficial for them in the future as they get older. Also, by allowing their children to engage themselves in youth sports, their children would have a better appreciation for fitness.
Obesity is one of the many problems that many children in America face today. Parents should involve their children in sports because they help them prevent obesity and reduction of adiposity (G2). Awareness for keeping children active while they are still young should be important. Parents encouraging their children to participate in sports can give them the physical activity they need. According to Hebert, physical inactivity is a leading cause of death worldwide, and the identification of strategies to increase physical activity levels in children is a public health priority.
Another way sports can help children is that it allows them to practice healthy habits. To be successful in sports, a child athlete should be in shape so that they could dominate other child athletes that are also trying to succeed in sports. Staying in shape and maintaining it should be important for children. Participating in sports can lower the risk of diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and other related diseases. It’ll allow children to be conscious of what they eat (I2).
Sports not only could benefit children with their health but also with their physical and personal developments. They will learn ways that will allow them to adapt to their growing bodies and also learn physical skills that could be applicable to their lives in the future as they tackle on life obstacles.
Youth that participate in sports can develop their agility, coordination, endurance, flexibility, speed and strength. Since children bodies are always developing, sports allow themselves to learn how to maneuver and adjust to their bodies. Child athletes are healthier and have a better diet since sports allow them to stay active. Young athletes that participate at sports learn fundamental skills and sports-related skills. They will learn to develop their skills like running, jumping, and hopping and for sports they will either learn how to kick a soccer ball into a goal or shoot a basketball, depending on what sport they play in (Hedstrom 4). Developing those skills can help them with their development and also increase their involvement and participation with sports.
Sports can serve as a teaching tool for children that participate in it. Another reason why parents should encourage their children to participate in sports is that their children can learn some helpful things. In sports, they will learn important life skills that will help them with the rest of their lives. These life skills enable children in various situations in which they live, for example, school, home, their neighborhoods, and also with their peer groups (H5). One of the life skills that can aid with a child’s personal development is leadership. Introducing children with activities that promote leadership like sports is helpful with their personal development. Leadership can enhance a child’s social competencies, like friendship-making skills, caring skills, assertive and resistance skills (H1). According to Aspen Institute, an institute that is trying to enlighten children with information about involving themselves in sports, female athletes that were introduced to sports and are currently playing sports in high school are less likely to be sexually active, use drugs, and suffer from depression ( Aspen 2). Sports help avoid the dangers that can come from the outside world by keeping them occupied by practicing their skills and maintaining their health.
Sports can serve as a way for children to also excel academically. According to Hedstrom and Gould, extracurricular activities like sports can foster motivation and concentration in young children (Hedstrom 5-6). Motivation and concentration being fostered early for children is good because it will allow them to create that habit and carry it with them as they get older. “In a research that was done with 55 students that were involved in extracurricular and community based activities (72% involved in sports), they believed that extracurricular activities is an essential port in their growth because it taught them psychological skills such as goal setting, time management, and emotional control (Hedstrom 6). Psychological skills learned in sports is important academically because it will allow them to set goals for themselves to do well with their academics and also have a good time management so that they can get their work done in an efficient manner in order to have time for their enjoyment.
Some may argue that sports could be more problematic towards children than offer benefits. It is true that sports could sometimes lead to numerous injuries especially to children, but the chances of injuries to happen is very low since there are a lot of ways to prevent injuries from happening. New equipment is always being developed and improved by the manufacturers to ensure safety of the athletes. Also, introducing children in sports can be costly in the future if they decide associate themselves in the future. “Travel team parents tend to spend an average of $2,266 annually on their child’s participation, and at the elite levels, some families spend more than $20,000 per year (Aspen). It may seem expensive for families but what may come out of it can be very helpful to the families. If a child excels to become a very prestigious athlete in high school and also do well in school, colleges may take notice in them and come to their games. If these college recruits see potential with them, their college can offer these high school athletes a full ride to their college. An example of a very successful athlete today that exceled very well in their young sport career is Kobe Bryant. Kobe was able to got to the NBA after high school. Today, he is known as a basketball legend and has made a lot of money. If parents support their children with sports, the outcome that can come out of it could be unimaginable.