Whywhy Children Should Play or Organized Sports

Why Children Should Play School or Organized Sport “Research has shown that participation in outside of school sports and or other organized sports is associated with lower dropout rates, reduced problem behaviors, and increased school performance. Children build interpersonal skills, positive assets needed to become active and productive young adults. Studies suggest that children who are involved with after school sports or organized sports have higher self esteem, lower depression rates and have better opportunities for optimal growth and development”. Howie, 2009) Children should play school sports or organized sports, because sports improve children’s self esteem, sports teach children skills that they can use to become leaders, and sports give children the exercise they need to stay healthy. Although, school sports or organized sports help children with their self esteem, teach children to be team players and give children the exercise to stay healthy there are cons to playing sports. School sports or organized sports are commitments that a child needs to make.

When there is a child that is going to play sports, the family also needs to be a part of the team as well. Playing sports is time consuming and takes a lot of time from be able to do other things outside of sports. It is important that the child and parents know the length of the season, the practice schedule and game schedule to make sure that there is time for family time too. It is also important that when a child has decided to play a sport that the entire family is willing to be a part of the team as well. School sports and or organized sports are wonderful to help increase self esteem in children.

When children have a high level of self esteem they reduce the chances of depression and anxiety. Children that play school sports or organized sports have a high level of self esteem and do well in school; it helps children to become problem solvers and gives children encouragement to do well in school. It has been proven that children that participate in school sports or organized sports earn better grades, have better behaviors in and out of the classroom, and there is a lower rate of them dropping out of school. School sports or organized sports keep hildren going to school on a regular basis with fewer unexcused days missed, because they know that if they are not in school they are going to miss the opportunity to play with their team. “Furthermore, non participants of school sports or organized sports were more likely to drop of school; children were more likely to smoke cigarettes, more likely to become teen parents and more likely to be arrested than children who are sport participants”. (Donaldson, 2007) School sports or organized sports gives children skills to become team members and helps children to become leaders.

Children that play school sports or organized sports learn skills that they can use their entire lives. “Developmental benefits include: developing individual and team goals, meeting deadlines, working as a team, learning to perform under pressure, dealing with adversity, handling success and failure, developing self confidence, developing decision making strategies, and learning communication skills”. (Zaichowsky, 2007) School sports or organized sports are a wonderful way to encourage children to learn skills to become leaders in today’s society.

After children graduate from high school and continue on to college, they are going to be able to take the skills that they have learned with them to the “Real World”. When children play school sports or organized sports they know that they are part of a team and that their team needs them. They need to make sure that they go to practice, go to school and make sure that they get good grades so that they are eligible to play in their games. Sports give children the feeling of membership and know that they are needed to complete a task from start to finish. Playing sports starts a foundation for children to be leaders.

As children grow older and are learning the skills to become better adults, it is important that they understand that the younger generations are going to look up to them for guidance. They need to take their skills that they have learned and teach it to the younger children that are looking up to them for guidance. They have been taught the skills to be good role models for the next generation. Although school sports or organized sports teaches children lessons in life to be successful human beings, the most important reason that children should play sports is to be healthy. When children are school sports or rganized sport teams, they are going to get the exercise that they need to get healthy and stay healthy. “An increase in physical activity has many health benefits: it lowers the risk of obesity, coronary heart disease, type II diabetes, hypertension, and osteoporosis”. (Collard, 2008) Exercise teaches children to be physical fit, but also teaches children that nutrition is also important. Child obesity is on the rise in the United States. In today’s society we lead very busy lives and it is convenient to stop at fast food restaurants between work, home and sporting events to pick up dinner.

Also, there are a lot of entertaining shows on television that children are interested in watching. We can help our children become healthier by leading healthy lifestyles as a family. Exercising is important to keep children fit and healthy to prevent injuries. Injuries can happen to healthy children do, but the risk is higher for children that are not in physical shape. Everyone should have at least 20 to 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise each day, when children are playing school sports or organized sports they are exercising and having fun at the same time.

Children should play school sports or organized sports to make sure that they get enough exercise. The word exercise to children sounds like work, however when they are playing sports they are exercising and getting into shape without knowing it. The importance of limiting television time and playing games on the computer or other gaming systems would be helpful to children too. When children are not playing school sports or organized sports, they should be encouraged to go for walk, go for a bike ride, take their dog for a walk or simply run up and down a set of stairs.

By playing school sports or organized sports it is easier for children to get the exercise they need, but when they are not playing they also need to make sure they get the exercise they need to stay in shape. Physical Education classes in school help children, but there are schools in our country that are cutting PE classes from their budgets. School sports are great to get children exercising during the season but once the season ends it is just as important that they stay fit and healthy for the next season.

There has been a drop in the number of students enrolled in daily physical education classes, so that one in four children do not attend any school physical education class. Seventy percent of children drop out of sports by the age of 13. Nearly half of young people ages 12 through 21, and more than one-third of high school students do not participate in any vigorous physical activity on a regular basis. Fewer than one out of four children get 20 minutes of vigorous daily activity. The percentage of overweight young Americans has more than doubled in the past 30 years”. Engle, 2010) Children that play school sports or organized sports have a better chance of getting the exercise that they need compared to students that do not play sports. For children that don’t play sports, it is important that they are encouraged to join some other activity that involved daily exercise to keep children fit and healthy.

In conclusion school sports or organized sports is wonderful for children to learn tools that they are going to use through their childhood, but most importantly they are going to be able to take these tools and use them through the entire life. Sports participation is a major factor in the development of most American children. About 20 million American children ages 6 through 16 plays organized out of school sports, and about 25 million youth play competitive school sports. 30 to 45 million kids’ ages 6 through 18 participate in at least one school or community based athletic program”. (Engle, 2010) School sports or organized sports improve children’s self esteem levels, gives children the tools and lessons to become a leader and also allows children time to get the exercise that they need to get and stay healthy.

When children have a high level of self esteem they do better in school and have more confidence. School sports or organized sports are a wonderful tool that is used to help children achieve their goals.