25 million American children can not be wrong. Even though at least 20 million
of these kids will suffer injury by the age of 15, only 10% of the injuries are
serious enough to require more than one visit to the doctor. I have been playing
baseball as well as other organized sports for almost 15 years; and in my
opinion, sports develop friendship and self-esteem. I believe that coaches
should take a "how-to" class on what a coach should and should not do.
Injuries occur for three main reasons. First, because parents push their
children past their natural ability level, thus it causes injury to the over
worked body parts. Second, an accident occurs such as a turned ankle or a ball
taking a bad bounce and hitting a player. The third, and most common reason, a
coach teaches a player the wrong way to perform specific task. For example, when
I was 12 years old, my baseball coach taught me the wrong way to throw a curve
ball. After repeatedly throwing the wrong way, I tore a ligament in my right
elbow. If my coach at that time, would have taken some kind of class, he would
have known the proper way to teach the technique. Nevertheless, I feel that
sports should greatly benefit a child's self-esteem. Competition also builds
self-esteem because children grow both emotionally and physically and sports
help to develop a positive view of both themselves and their athletic skills. As
long as children feel that they are beneficial to the team, they are developing
self-esteem because they see their personal role in the team as important to the
whole cause. If a child is not athletically gifted, he can always take up a more
non-competitive sport such as jogging or weight-training. This will also build
self-esteem because the child can see his improvement and relate to others at
the same time (Michelli and Jenkins). As well as building self-esteem, sports
can help develop life-long friendships. Children form all different ethnic and
religious backgrounds come together to play a game. This makes a good place for
children to mingle with others of the same age. This can in turn give each child
a sense of belonging and camaraderie between different races. Athletics also
allow children to learn about their abilities as compared to other children of
the same age. Children learn about talent that otherwise may have gone
unnoticed. If I had not been involved in sports from an early age, I may have
never discovered the talent that I have in baseball. I loved playing baseball
from the first day I stepped on the field. I feel that most every child has a
good time being around children of their own age. If not for the fun of playing
the game, then for the fun of being around children that are different from
them. In conclusion, children have fun while building self-esteem and making new
friendships. I believe that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages by far.
That is why I believe we should let kids have fun, and learn about themselves
while doing it.