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The Need for Kids to Play Sports; What America needs to Re-Instill written by Ron Fines |
With the perils of growing up as a youth in America increasing with each day that passes, kids need (more than ever before) youth sports. Sports are a great way for youngsters to remain physically fit, learn important life skills such as leadership and communication, and remain busy doing something they enjoy rather than getting into trouble that could affect them for the rest of their lives.
Obesity has been steadily increasing in America’s youths and remains a health concern for all adolescents aged 12-19. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, between 1976-1980 and 2007-2008 adolescents between the ages of 12-19 had an increase in obesity from 5% to 18.1%. A staggering figure when you consider that roughly one out of every five of our youths is considered obese.
It stands to reason, though, because due to budget cuts, middle school athletics is becoming a thing of the past. This means that the responsibility now lies in the hands of parents who can either fight to get sports back in our middle schools, or get their children involved in the many sports programs available outside of the school district. The latter is a more probable solution to the problem, but would require a little more effort than the first solution for working parents – as having to provide transportation to games and practice for your kids involves more of a sacrifice.
If making sure that your son or daughter remains physically healthy is not a strong enough argument to have your child participate in youth sports, than maybe thinking about the life skills that are learned playing a sport is more of a compelling reason.
Results from the study conducted by James Pivamik, president-elect of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), which included 317 students in grades six through eight, showed that the fittest group of students scored almost 30 percent higher on standardized tests than the least fit group. At a recent ACSM meeting it was reported that the least fit students had grades in four core classes that were 13 percent to 20 percent lower than all other children.
Sports are also a way to further develop leadership and communication skills that stick with a child throughout his or her life. There is no better way to learn these techniques than being on a team with others who are striving to achieve the same goal – the whole concept of sports naturally develops leadership and commutation when you participate in them.
Another way that youth sports can be beneficial to children is that it gives them a structured and safe way to spend their free time. For one thing, when your child is participating in a sport, he or she is under constant supervision while at practice or during games. Anyone who is reading this will admit that they’ve gotten into some kind of trouble in their life, and it probably occurred during adolescence. If you think back to the incident(s), more often than not, you had idol time on your hands and causing trouble was the last resort to cure your boredom. Just think of how much trouble you would have gotten into if you would have had twice (or up to five) times a much free time when you were growing up –you may not be the person you are today if this had been the case.
Do your children a favor and get them involved in as many youth sports programs as possible. They may enjoy some of them more than others, but at least they will have given them a try.
And who knows, your son or daughter may become a professional athlete some day and reward you beyond your wildest imagination for the sacrifices you made all those years, driving them to practice and games. They may even buy you that house with the island kitchen, huge deck and swimming pool that you’ve always dreamed of. You never know…
Obesity has been steadily increasing in America’s youths and remains a health concern for all adolescents aged 12-19. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, between 1976-1980 and 2007-2008 adolescents between the ages of 12-19 had an increase in obesity from 5% to 18.1%. A staggering figure when you consider that roughly one out of every five of our youths is considered obese.
It stands to reason, though, because due to budget cuts, middle school athletics is becoming a thing of the past. This means that the responsibility now lies in the hands of parents who can either fight to get sports back in our middle schools, or get their children involved in the many sports programs available outside of the school district. The latter is a more probable solution to the problem, but would require a little more effort than the first solution for working parents – as having to provide transportation to games and practice for your kids involves more of a sacrifice.
If making sure that your son or daughter remains physically healthy is not a strong enough argument to have your child participate in youth sports, than maybe thinking about the life skills that are learned playing a sport is more of a compelling reason.
Results from the study conducted by James Pivamik, president-elect of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), which included 317 students in grades six through eight, showed that the fittest group of students scored almost 30 percent higher on standardized tests than the least fit group. At a recent ACSM meeting it was reported that the least fit students had grades in four core classes that were 13 percent to 20 percent lower than all other children.
Sports are also a way to further develop leadership and communication skills that stick with a child throughout his or her life. There is no better way to learn these techniques than being on a team with others who are striving to achieve the same goal – the whole concept of sports naturally develops leadership and commutation when you participate in them.
Another way that youth sports can be beneficial to children is that it gives them a structured and safe way to spend their free time. For one thing, when your child is participating in a sport, he or she is under constant supervision while at practice or during games. Anyone who is reading this will admit that they’ve gotten into some kind of trouble in their life, and it probably occurred during adolescence. If you think back to the incident(s), more often than not, you had idol time on your hands and causing trouble was the last resort to cure your boredom. Just think of how much trouble you would have gotten into if you would have had twice (or up to five) times a much free time when you were growing up –you may not be the person you are today if this had been the case.
Do your children a favor and get them involved in as many youth sports programs as possible. They may enjoy some of them more than others, but at least they will have given them a try.
And who knows, your son or daughter may become a professional athlete some day and reward you beyond your wildest imagination for the sacrifices you made all those years, driving them to practice and games. They may even buy you that house with the island kitchen, huge deck and swimming pool that you’ve always dreamed of. You never know…
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