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THIS ESSAY bu position course. When sports, in or out of school, for ex Youth Soccer, or some other organization. deeply involved in sports. As you read, consider the • In your experience and observation, was winning unduly emphasized Or was more value placed on having a good time, learning to get along with others, developing ath . The questions in the margin: Your instructor may ask you to post your answers to a letic skills, or something else altogether? class blog or discussion board or to bring them to class. Basic Features 1 A Focused, Well-Presented Issue North America," reports sports journalist Steve Silverman, attracting "Organized sports for young people have become an institution i than 44 million youngsters according to a recent survey by the National Council of Youth Sports ("History"). Though many adults regard Little League Baseball and Peewee Football as a basic part of childhood, the games are not always joyous ones. When overzealous parents and coaches impose adult standards on children's sports, the result can be activities A Well-Supported Position An Effective Response to Opposing Views A Clear, Logical Organization that are neither satisfying nor beneficial to children. 2 How does Statsky present the issue in a way that prepares readers for her argument? I am concerned about all organized sports activities for children between the ages of six and twelve. The damage I see results from noncontact as well as contact sports, from sports organized locally as well as those organized How does she qualify her position in par. 2? nationally. Highly organized competitive sports such as Peewee Football and Little League Baseball are too often played to adult standards, which are developmentally inappropriate for children and can be both physically and psychologically harmful. Furthermore, because they eliminate many What reasons does she forecast here, and in which paragraphs does she discuss children from organized sports before they are ready to compete, they are each reason? Do her reasons appeal primarily to readers intellect (logos), to their sense of fairness and what's credible ethos), or to their eelings (pathos)? actually counterproductive for developing either future players or fans. Finally, because they emphasize competition and winning, they unfortunately provide occasions for some parents and coaches to place their own fantasies and needs ahead of children's welfare. 3 One readily understandable danger of overly competitive sports is that they entice children into physical actions that are bad for growing bodies N CALLY ages ege com- itive rican were ... are infrequent," the risk "There is a growing epidemic of preventable youth sports injuries," according to the STOP Sports Injuries campaign ("Youth Sports" 2). "Among athletes 55 to 14, 28 percent of football players, 25 percent of baseball players, 22 percent of soccer players, 15 percent of basketball players, and 12 percent of softball players were injured while playing their respective sports." Although playing baseball, it insists that "severe injuries. Little League Baseball and Softball acknowledges that children do risk injury "far less than the risk of riding a skateboard, a bicycle, or even the school bus" ("Little League Parent Responsibilities"). Nevertheless, Leonard Koppett in Sports Illusion, Sports Reality claims that a twelve-year-old trying to throw a curve ball, for example, may put abnormal strain on developing arm and shoulder muscles, sometimes resulting in lifelong injuries (294). Contact sports like football can be even more hazardous. Thomas Tutko, a psychology professor at San Jose State University and coauthor of the book Winning Is Everything and Other American Myths, writes: g ath- How does Statsky try to establish the cred- ibility of her sources in pars. 3-5 (ethos)? ра in more nal uses block quotations e own sentences? aches es veen e ell nd I am strongly opposed to young kids playing tackle football. It is not Why do you think she the right stage of development for them to be taught to crash into instead of integrating other kids. Kids under the age of fourteen are not by nature physical. these quotes into her Their main concern is self-preservation. They don't want to meet head on and slam into each other. But tackle football absolutely requires that they try to hit each other as hard as they can. And it is too traumatic for young kids. (qtd. in Tosches A1) As Tutko indicates, even when children are not injured, fear of being hurt detracts from their enjoyment of the sport. The Little League ranks fear of injury as the seventh of seven reasons children quit (“Little League Parent Responsibilities"). One mother of an eight-year-old Peewee Football player explained, "The kids get so scared. They get hit once and they don't want anything to do with football anymore. They'll sit on the bench and pretend their leg hurts..." (qtd. in Tosches A1). Some children are driven to even more desperate measures. For example, in one Peewee Football game, a reporter watched the following scene as a player took himself out of the game: "Coach, my tummy hurts. I can't play," he said. The coach told the player to get back onto the field. “There's nothing wrong with your stomach,” he said. When the coach turned his head the seven- y year-old stuck a finger down his throat and made himself vomit. 154 CHAPTER 5 Arguing a Position out again. Like ac him, "Yes there is, coach. See?" (Tosches A33) physical skills ma teams lose many experience might sponsored, out-of When the coach turned back, the boy pointed to the ground and told Besides physical hazards and anxieties, competitive sports pose psychological dangers for children. Martin Rablovsky, a former sports editor for The New York Times, says that in all his years of watching young children play organized sports, he has noticed very few of them smiling. “I've seen children enjoying a spontaneous pre-practice scrimmage become somber and serious when the coach's whistle blows," Rablovsky says. "The spirit of play suddenly disappears, and sport becomes joblike" (qtd. in Coakley 94). The team than to dev Indeed, it is and the drive to living out their for children (Smi primary goal of a professional athlete winning is not appropriate for contain plenty o example, tells th children. Their goals should be having fun, learning, and being with friends. Although winning does add to the fun, too many adults lose sight of what matters and make winning the most important goal. Several studies have shown that when children are asked whether they would rather be warming the bench on a winning team or playing regularly on a losing team, about 90 Peewee Football parent from one now thinking of percent choose the latter (Smith et al. 11). provided by a LC 6 oes Statsky efute this on? Winning and losing may be an inevitable part of adult life, but they intimidated the on the pitcher's commented, the substitute for p 9 Although seriousness of should not be part of childhood. Too much competition too early in life can affect a child's development. Children are easily influenced, and when they sense that their competence and worth are based on their ability to live up to their parents' and coaches' high expectations - and on their ability to win - they can become discouraged and depressed. Little League advises parents to “keep winning in perspective," noting that the most common reasons children give for quitting, aside from change in interest, are lack of playing time, failure and fear of failure, disapproval by significant others, and psychological stress (“Little League Parent Responsibilities"). According to Dr. Glyn C. Roberts, a professor of kinesiology at the Institute of Child Behavior and University in for Little Leag with "educatic hollering," in Leagues in Ne morning work injuries, deal do 7 players' fears sky's r. 7 Development at the University of Illinois, 80 to 90 percent of children who play competitive sports at a young age drop out by sixteen (Kutner). This statistic illustrates another reason I oppose competitive sports for children: because they are so highly selective, very few children get to participate. Far too soon, a few children are singled out for their athletic promise, while many others, who may be on the verge of developing the is to be credi 10 Some pa preparing to schools and c necessary strength and ability, are screened out and discouraged from trying admission is 155 old TO WRITING THINKING CRITICALLY tor dren en and lay out again. Like adults, children fear failure, and so even those with good teams lose many promising players who with some encouragement and physical skills may stay away because they lack self-confidence. Consequently, experience might have become stars. The problem is that many parent- sponsored, out-of-school programs give more importance to having a winning team than to developing children's physical skills and self-esteem. Indeed, it is no secret that too often scorekeeping, league standings, and the drive to win bring out the worst in adults who are more absorbed in living out their own fantasies than in enhancing the quality of the experience for children (Smith et al. 9). Recent newspaper articles on children's sports contain plenty of horror stories. Los Angeles Times reporter Rich Tosches, for example, tells the story of a brawl among seventy-five parents following a Peewee Football game (A33). As a result of the brawl, which began when a parent from one team confronted a player from the other team, the teams are Or In criticizing some parents' behavior in pars. 8-9, Statsky risks alienating her readers. How effec- tive is this part of her argument? ds. 90 ву now thinking of hiring security guards for future games. Another example is provided by a Los Angeles Times editorial about a Little League manager who intimidated the opposing team by setting fire to one of their team's jerseys on the pitcher's mound before the game began. As the editorial writer commented, the manager showed his young team that "intimidation could substitute for playing well" ("The Bad News Pyromaniacs?"). Although not all parents or coaches behave so inappropriately, the 9 seriousness of the problem is illustrated by the fact that Adelphi University in Garden City, New York, offers a sports psychology workshop for Little League coaches, designed to balance their "animal instincts' with “educational theory" in hopes of reducing the “screaming and hollering," in the words of Harold Weisman, manager of sixteen Little Leagues in New York City (Schmitt). In a three-and-one-half-hour Sunday morning workshop, coaches learn how to make practices more fun, treat injuries, deal with irate parents, and be “more sensitive to their young players' fears, emotional frailties, and need for recognition.” Little League 10 is to be credited with recognizing the need for such workshops. Some parents would no doubt argue that children cannot start too soon preparing to live in a competitive free-market economy. After all, secondary schools and colleges require students to compete for grades, and college admission is extremely competitive. And it is perfectly obvious how 156 CHAPTER 5 Arguing a Position Kutner, Lawrer www.nyti How effective is Statsky's use of con- cession and refuta- tion here? "Little League Safety PL .littlelea 11 Schmitt, Eric. Times, 1 Silverman, S is also important for success in life. Before children are important competitive skills are in finding a job. Yet the ability to coopers for competition, maybe we should emphasize cooperation and individual performance in team sports rather than winning. psychologically reati Many people are ready for such an emphasis. In 1988, one New York Little League official who had attended the Adelphi workshop tried to ban scoring from six- to eight-year-olds' games —but parents wouldn't support Sports for Kids, emphasizes fitness, self-esteem, and sportsmanship. In this him (Schmitt). An innovative children's sports program in New York City, City eight-minute periods. The basket is seven feet from the floor, rather than ten program's basketball games, every member on a team plays at least two of six feet, and a player can score a point just by hitting the rim (Bloch). I believe this kind of local program should replace overly competitive programs like Peewee Football and Little League Baseball. As one coach explains, significant improvements can result from a few simple rule changes, such as including every player in the batting order and giving every player, regardless of age or ability, the opportunity to play at least four innings a game (Frank). Media, -youth- Smith, Nath 1983. Tosches, Ric Blow t latime "Youth Spc Outred WWW. How effectively does 12 Statsky conclude her argument? .pdf. Some children want to play competitive sports; they are not being forced to play. These children are eager to learn skills, to enjoy the camaraderie of the team, and earn self-respect by trying hard to benefit their team. I acknowledge that some children may benefit from playing competitive sports. While some children do benefit from these For an programs, e E-readi however, many more would benefit from programs that avoid the excesses and dangers of many competitive sports programs and instead emphasize fitness, cooperation, sportsmanship, and individual performance. Works Cited Are Statsky's sources adequate to support her position, in number and kind? Amitai "The Bad News Pyromaniacs? Fiery Anaheim Little League Manager Is, Rightly, Fired." Los Angeles Times, 16 June 1990, p. B6, articles.latimes .com/1990-06-16/local/me-31_1_team-manager. Editorial. Has she documented them clearly and accurately? Bloch, Gordon B. "Thrill of Victory Is Secondary to Fun." The New York Times, 2 Apr. 1990, p. (12. Jessica McConnell Burt/The George Washington University Coakley, Jay J. Sport in Society: Issues and Controversies. Mosby, 1982. Frank, L. "Contributions from Parents and Coaches." CYB Message Board, AOL, 8 July 1997, www.aol.com/. Accessed 14 May 2011. Koppett, Leonard. Sports Illusion, Sports Reality. Houghton Mifflin, 1981.
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How Competitive Sports Affects Children in the USA
23/10/2016
I am going through what the sports journalist Steve Silverman reported on regarding
organized sports in Northern America. From my perspective, I have reason to believe that sports
results into improved health and the game should be interesting too. I love playing soccer.
Introducing organized sports in institutions in the USA is a good idea, but depending on the
game, not everyone will be favored.
I am not a hater, but I support Steve for identifyi...


Anonymous
I was struggling with this subject, and this helped me a ton!

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