250
CHAPTER 6
Arguing a Position
Readings
Jessica Statsky
To see how Jessica Statsky
developed her response to
readers’ likely objections,
see A Writer at Work on
pp. 292–94. If you could
have given Statsky advice in
a peer review of her drafts,
what objections would you
have advised her to respond
to, and how do you think
she could have responded?
Children Need to Play, Not Compete
THIS ESSAY by Jessica Statsky about children’s competitive sports was written for a col
lege composition course. When you were a child, you may have had experience playing
competitive sports, in or out of school, for example in Peewee Football, Little League
Baseball, American Youth Soccer, or some other organization. Or you may have had rela
tives or friends who were deeply involved in sports. As you read, consider the following:
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value placed on having a good time, learning to get along with others, developing
athletic skills, or something else altogether?
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class blog or discussion board or to bring them to class.
Basic Features
A Focused,
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1
“Organized sports for young people have become an institution in North
America,” reports sports journalist Steve Silverman, attracting more than 44 million
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youngsters according to a recent survey by the National Council of Youth Sports
An Effective Response to
Opposing Views
(“History”). Though many adults regard Little League Baseball and Peewee Football
A Clear, Logical
Organization
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
How does Statsky present
the issue in a way that
prepares readers for her
argument?
result can be activities that are neither satisfying nor beneficial to children.
2
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 nationally. Highly
How does she qualify her
position in par. 2?
organized competitive sports such as Peewee Football and Little League Baseball
What reasons does she
forecast here, and in which
paragraphs does she dis
cuss each reason? Do her
reasons appeal primarily to
readers’ intellect (logos), to
their sense of fairness and
what’s credible (pathos), or
to their feelings (ethos)?
for children and can be both physically and psychologically harmful. Furthermore,
are too often played to adult standards, which are developmentally inappropriate
because they eliminate many children from organized sports before they are ready to
compete, they are 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.
Statsky
3
Children Need to Play, Not Compete
GUIDE TO READING
GUIDE TO WRITING
A WRITER AT WORK
THINKING CRITICALLY
251
One readily understandable danger of overly competitive sports is that they
entice children into physical actions that are bad for growing bodies. “There is a
growing epidemic of preventable youth sports injuries,” according to the STOP
Sports Injuries campaign. “Among athletes ages 5 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 the official Little League Web site acknowledges that
children do risk injury playing baseball, it insists that “severe injuries . . .
are infrequent,” the risk “far less than the risk of riding a skateboard, a bicycle, or
even the school bus” (“What about My Child?”). Nevertheless, Leonard Koppett in
Sports Illusion, Sports Reality DMBJNTUIBUBUXFMWFZFBSPMEUSZJOHUPUISPXBDVSWF
ball, for example, may put abnormal strain on developing arm and shoulder muscles,
How does Statsky try to
establish the credibility of
her sources in pars. 3–5
(ethos)?
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:
I am strongly opposed to young kids playing tackle football. It is not the
right stage of development for them to be taught to crash into other kids.
Kids under the age of fourteen are not by nature physical. Their main
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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)
4
As Tutko indicates, even when children are not injured, fear of being hurt
detracts from their enjoyment of the sport. The Little League Web site ranks fear
of injury as the seventh of seven reasons children quit (“What about My Child?”).
0OFNPUIFSPGBOFJHIUZFBSPME1FFXFF'PPUCBMMQMBZFS 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:
Why do you think she
uses block quotations
instead of integrating
these quotes into her own
sentences?
252
CHAPTER 6
Arguing a Position
“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
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his throat and made himself vomit. When the coach turned back, the boy
pointed to the ground and told him, “Yes there is, coach. See?” (Tosches A33)
5
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
OPUJDFEWFSZGFXPGUIFNTNJMJOHi*WFTFFODIJMESFOFOKPZJOHBTQPOUBOFPVTQSF
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 primary goal of a professional athlete — winning — is not
appropriate for 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 percent choose the
latter (Smith, Smith, and Smoll 11).
How does Statsky try to
refute this objection?
6
Winning and losing may be an inevitable part of adult life, but they 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 compe
tence 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” (“Your
Role”), 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 (“What about My Child?”). According
to Dr. Glyn C. Roberts, a professor of kinesiology at the Institute of Child Behavior
and 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).
How effective do you
think Statsky’s argument
in par. 7 is? Why?
7
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dren: because they are so highly selective, very few children get to participate. Far
Statsky
Children Need to Play, Not Compete
GUIDE TO READING
GUIDE TO WRITING
A WRITER AT WORK
THINKING CRITICALLY
253
too soon, a few children are singled out for their athletic promise, while many
others, who may be on the verge of developing the necessary strength and
ability, are screened out and discouraged from trying out again. Like adults,
children fear failure, and so even those with good physical skills may stay away
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players who with some encouragement and experience might have become stars.
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importance to having a winning team than to developing children’s physical skills
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8
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,
Smith, and Smoll 9). Recent newspaper articles on children’s sports contain plenty of
horror stories. Los Angeles Times reporter Rich Tosches, for example, tells the story
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a result of the brawl, which began when a parent from one team confronted a player
from the other team, the teams are 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”).
9
Although not all parents or coaches behave so inappropriately, the 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
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ing 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 is to be credited with recognizing
the need for such workshops.
In criticizing some parents’
behavior in pars. 8–9,
Statsky risks alienating her
readers. How effective is
this part of her argument?
254
CHAPTER 6
Arguing a Position
How effective is Statsky’s
use of concession and
refutation here?
10
Some parents would no doubt argue that children cannot start too soon prepar
JOHUPMJWFJOBDPNQFUJUJWFGSFFNBSLFUFDPOPNZ After all, secondary schools and
colleges require students to compete for grades, and college admission is extremely
competitive. And it is perfectly obvious how important competitive skills are in
finding a job. Yet the ability to cooperate is also important for success in life.
Before children are psychologically ready for competition, maybe we should empha
size cooperation and individual performance in team sports rather than winning.
11
Many people are ready for such an emphasis. In 1988, one New York Little League
PGGJDJBMXIPIBEBUUFOEFEUIF"EFMQIJXPSLTIPQUSJFEUPCBOTDPSJOHGSPNTJYUP
FJHIUZFBSPMETHBNFT — but parents wouldn’t support him (Schmitt). An innovative
children’s sports program in New York City, City Sports for Kids, emphasizes fitness,
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BUFBNQMBZTBUMFBTUUXPPGTJYFJHIUNJOVUFQFSJPET5IFCBTLFUJTTFWFOGFFUGSPN
the floor, rather than ten 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).
How effectively does
Statsky conclude her
argument?
12
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,
BOEFBSOTFMGSFTQFDUCZUSZJOHIBSEUPCFOFGJUUIFJSUFBN*BDLOPXMFEHFUIBUTPNF
children may benefit from playing competitive sports. While some children do benefit
from these programs, however, many more would benefit from programs that avoid
the excesses and dangers of many competitive sports programs and instead empha
size fitness, cooperation, sportsmanship, and individual performance.
Are Statsky’s sources
adequate to support
her position, in number
and kind? Has she
documented them clearly
and accurately?
Works Cited
“The Bad News Pyromaniacs?” Editorial. Los Angeles Times 16 June 1990: B6.
LexisNexis. Web. 16 May 2008.
Bloch, Gordon B. “Thrill of Victory Is Secondary to Fun.” New York Times 2 Apr. 1990,
late ed.: C12. LexisNexis. Web. 14 May 2008.
Coakley, Jay J. Sport in Society: Issues and Controversies. St. Louis: Mosby, 1982. Print.
Unit 8: Assignment ‐‐ Summary & Strong
Response, Part 1
Major Paper #3: Summary & Strong Response Essay
We will be working on this assignment for the next three units. In this unit, we will focus on the
summary. In Unit 9, we will focus on the strong response. Unit 10 is designed to provide time for
revision. The paper will be due at the end of Unit #10.
Purpose:
Most of us use critical reading strategies everyday to effectively process all of the information we are
consistently bombarded with. This assignment allows you continue to explore ideas of reading and
writing rhetorically, as you will use different strategies to write your summary and your strong response.
The Assignment:
This assignment will have two parts:
1.) Summary
Summarize in 150200 words the article your instructor has chosen from the assignment: "Children Need
to Play, Not Compete," on pages 236241 of your 11th edition textbook (or pages 250255 of your 10th
edition textbook).** In this summary, you should relay the article’s main points, completely and
accurately, in your own words. If you find yourself in a situation in which the author’s words needed to be
quoted directly (perhaps for emphasis), you must make it clear that these words are the author’s by using
quotation marks appropriately. You will not want to quote anything over one sentence in length, and you
will want to limit yourself to no more than 23 direct quotes, if you use any at all. Remember that the
whole point of this portion of the assignment is for you to restate the author’s points objectively in your
own words.
In general, I recommend you structure your first sentence something like this:
In "Children Need to Play, Not Compete, Jessica Statsky…
This will function as the thesis statement of your summary, so this first sentence will need to convey the
main point(s) of the article to give your reader an overall view.
2.) Response
Write a 1 ½ to 2 page response to "Children Need to Play, Not Compete." Before you even begin
drafting, you will want to decide on the terms of your response. Once you decide on the terms (or
grounds) of your response, you’ll want to figure out how you can support your points—using logic,
outside evidence, examples from your personal life—whatever is appropriate.
(We will discuss how to determine the terms of your response in Unit 9.)
Please Note: The sample summary for this unit is included on the "Lecture Notes" page.
Please be sure to review the Submit Your Assignment of Unit #10 section for specific instructions on how
you should turn in your work for grading. The Summary & Strong Response Essay with both required
sections is due at the end of Unit #10.
** Note for those with older textbooks: "Children Need to Play, Not Compete" is on pages 270274 of
your 9th edition textbook, pages 276279 of your 8th edition textbook, or pages 287291 in your 7th
edition textbook.
Unit 9: Assignment ‐‐ Summary & Strong
Response, Part 2
Write a full, rough draft of your strong response to "Children Need to Play, Not Compete." This response
should be at least 400500 words (roughly 1.52 pages) in length. Please keep in mind the following:
Before you even begin drafting, you will want to decide on the terms of your response. Once you decide
on the terms (or grounds) of your response, you’ll want to figure out how you can support your points—
using logic, outside evidence, examples from your personal life—whatever is appropriate.
Please Note: The sample Strong Response section for this unit is included on the "Lecture
Notes" page.
Please be sure to review the Submit Your Assignment of Unit #10 section for specific instructions on how
you should turn in your work for grading. The Summary & Strong Response Essay with both required
sections is due at the end of Unit #10.
Summary of “Sticks and Stones and Sports Team Names”
Part 1
In “Sticks and Stones and Sports Team Names,” Richard Estrada argues that sports
teams should not be allowed to continue using ethnic-based names and mascots. Estrada claims
that teams such as the Braves, Indians, Seminoles, and Redskins—no matter how established or
popular—should change their team names and mascots, which are degrading to Native
Americans. He further suggests that the stereotypes accompanying these mascots, such as
“tomahawk chops and war chants,” dehumanize and single out Native Americans, setting them
aside from the rest of society. “Nobody likes to be trivialized or deprived of his or her dignity,”
Estrada asserts, and yet allowing ethnic-based mascots enables—and even promotes—such
trivialization. What makes matters worse, according to Estrada, is that such mascots target one
of our nation’s least politically powerful ethnic groups. He provides examples of other possible
team names based on other ethnic minorities (such as the “New York Jews”), which would never
be tolerated in our society. As a result, Estrada concludes that Native Americans should be
treated with simple human dignity, just like everyone else.
178 Words
Part 2
I strongly disagree with Richard Estrada’s article, “Sticks and Stones and Sport Team
Names.” As a Native American myself, I have no real problem with the use of ethnic mascots.
In my opinion, this is the least of our problems. Further, I feel Richard Estrada has no authority
whatsoever in writing about this subject.
First, allow me to discuss my own Native American heritage. I am only one-quarter
Native American; my father is half. My adopted brother, Reeve, is also half Native American. In
other words, our family has a strong sense of heritage when it comes to our respective tribes.
(My father’s side is Cherokee; my brother’s tribe is Cheyenne Arapaho.) All three of us are
registered with our tribes, and we still occasionally attend tribal events. So I am sensitive—and
actively engaged with—Native American issues.
Unappealing mascots, however, are the least of our problems. Most of the Native
Americans I know have a sense of humor about the whole mascot issue. They’re surprised
people even bother to talk about it. Who cares if a bunch of white people want to flap their arms
in public and pretend they even know what a “tomahawk chop” is? Who really cares what goes
on at a football game? Who really believes that a bunch of beer-drinking ball-following hicks
are seriously capable of demeaning us?
The answer is simple: Not Native Americans. At least not any of the Native Americans
that I know. Our tribes face must bigger problems in the real world. We have been pushed to the
corners of this country, environments and economies unsuitable for sustaining our livelihoods.
We have sought solace wherever we could get it through generations—including in the bottle.
What does Richard Estrada have to say about this? Nothing.
Estrada would claim that mascots are a symbol of cultural appropriation—white society
taking what it wants from Native American culture. I agree that the appropriation of our culture
is a problem. However, once again, unappealing mascots are the least important aspect of this
phenomenon. How many white people own dream catchers, turquoise necklaces, trickster
figures and the like? How many of those people know anything about the traditions that are
behind all of these “cute little trinkets”? How many of those people know anything real about
Native American heritage?
But this, again, is a minor problem in reality. The real problem we as Native Americans
face is the appropriation of our voices. How many Native Americans have been asked if they are
offended by mascots? How many articles on Native American issues are actually written by
Native Americans? The answer is practically none. Instead, the Richard Estrada’s of the world
are doing all of the talking. Is Richard Estrada a Native American? I highly doubt it.
As a Native American myself, I’m tired of the false concerns of all of the non-NativeAmerican liberal do-gooders. If you really want to know about the problems of Native
Americans, stop talking. Try listening.
Sticks and Stones and Sports Team Names
BY RICHARD ESTRADA
When I was a kid living in Baltimore in the late 1950s, there was only one professional sports
team worth following. Anyone who ever saw the movie Diner knows which one it was. Back when we
liked Ike, the Colts were the gods of the gridiron and Memorial Stadium was their Mount Olympus.
Ah, yes: The Colts. The Lions. Da Bears. Back when defensive tackle Big Daddy Lipscomb was
letting running backs know exactly what time it was, a young fan could easily forget that in a game
where men were men, the teams they played on were not invariably named after animals. Among
others, the Packers, the Steelers and the distant 49ers were cases in point. But in the roll call of pro
teams, one name in particular always discomfited me: the Washington Redskins. Still, however willing I
may have been to go along with the name as a kid, as an adult I have concluded that using an ethnic
group essentially as a sports mascot is wrong.
The Redskins and the Kansas City Chiefs, along with baseball teams like the Atlanta Braves and
the Cleveland Indians, should find other names that avoid highlighting ethnicity.
By no means were such names originally meant to disparage Native Americans. The noble
symbols of the Redskins or college football's Florida State Seminoles or the Illinois lllini are meant to be
strong and proud. Yet, ultimately, the practice of using a people as mascots is dehumanizing. It sets
them apart from the rest of society. It promotes the politics of racial aggrievement at a moment when
our storehouse is running over with it.
The World Series between the Cleveland Indians and the Atlanta Braves re-ignited the debate. In
the chill night air of October, tomahawk chops and war chants suddenly became far more familiar to
millions of fans, along with the ridiculous and offensive cartoon logo of Cleveland's "Chief Wahoo."
The defenders of team names that use variations on the Indian theme argue that tradition
should not be sacrificed at the altar of political correctness. In truth, the nation's No. 1 P.C. [politically
correct] school, Stanford University, helped matters some when it changed its team nickname from "the
Indians" to "the Cardinals." To be sure, Stanford did the right thing, but the school's status as P.C.
without peer tainted the decision for those who still need to do the right thing.
Another argument is that ethnic group leaders are too inclined to cry wolf in alleging racial
insensitivity. Often, this is the case. But no one should overlook genuine cases of political insensitivity in
an attempt to avoid accusations of hypersensitivity and political correctness.
The real world is different from the world of sports entertainment. I recently heard a father who
happened to be a Native American complain on the radio that his child was being pressured into
participating in celebrations of Braves baseball. At his kid’s school, certain days are set aside on which all
children are told to dress in Indian garb and celebrate with tomahawk chops and the like.
That father should be forgiven for not wanting his family to serve as somebody’s mascot. The
desire to avoid ridicule is legitimate and understandable. Nobody likes to be trivialized or deprived of
their dignity. This has nothing to do with political correctness and the provocations of militant leaders.
Against this backdrop, the decision by newspapers in Minneapolis, Seattle and Portland to ban
references to Native American nicknames is more reasonable than some might think.
What makes naming teams after ethnic groups, particularly minorities, reprehensible is that
politically impotent groups continue to be targeted, while politically powerful ones who bite back are
left alone. How long does anyone think the name “Washington Blackskins” would last? Or how about
“the New York Jews”?
With no fewer than 10 Latino ballplayers on the Cleveland Indian’s roster, the team could
change its name to “the Banditos.” The trouble is, they would be missing the point: Latinos would
correctly object to that stereotype, just as they rightly protested against Frito-Lay’s use of the “FritoBandito” character years ago.
It seems to me that what Native Americans are saying is that what would be intolerable for
Jews, blacks, Latinos and others is no less offensive to them. Theirs is a request not only for dignified
treatment, but for fair treatment as well. For America to ignore the complaints of a numerically small
segment of the population because it is small is neither dignified nor fair.
Summary and Response
"Children need to play, not compete", Jessica Statsky
Summary
Jessica Statsky highly opposes the idea of competitive sports among children in "Children
need to play, Not Compete''. She supports her arguments emphasizing on how competition has
affected the development of most children in the United States. She uses different perspectives to
show how competition, especially in sports has hampered the wellbeing of children. First and
foremost, children just like any other people have different abilities. There are those children that
lose a and others that prevail in sports. The idea of competition brings about discouragement
among children who lose to the others in sports. This dejection later affects the child by
discouraging the child from having interest in any non-sport activity in the future.
Children have standards set for competitive sports that are beyond their age. This affects
both their physical and psychological perspectives negatively. Children under the age of 10 are the
ones most prone to these kinds of experiences. Additionally, competitive sport exposes the children
to the intense physical activity that brings about injuries. To protect their children's well-being,
parents are asked not to enroll their children in competitive sports.
(183 words)
Response
The article is very beneficial in the design and development of children's play programs.
The author talks about how high-level organized sport is to any individual under the age of 16.
The shortcomings of the competitive sport among children are many and highly affect them even
in adult life. The article, however, doesn't discourage sports. Children should be enrolled in sports
by adequately being enlightened about the value of having sports. Secondly, competitive sport
hampers a child's spirit for play hence hindering them from developing proper sportsmanship or
any at all for that matter. Consequently, children should be taught about the different aspects
winning and losing since negative impacts of the later can affect them in their future lives. This is
evident because most children and adults prefer to be on the sideline watching than actually
participate in the play. This trend is becoming extensive due to a lot of emphasis on competitive
sports.
According to Statsky, children are supposed to be taught how to embrace both the winning
and losing in sports. However, most coaches discourage the losing in sports among children which
hampers their play spirit from a distance. The motivation of sports has been the fear of losing.
Parents are very influential on the attitudes developed by children for sports. The parental intrusion
that pushes children to maximize on sports is strongly discouraged. Statsky talks of an inadvertent
incident where 75 were embroiled in a brawl as a result of the dispute in a football game. Such
kind of parental intrusion is highly discouraged as it creates a negative impression on the child in
sports matters.
Also, the intensive pressure is another disadvantage associated with competitive sports
among children. Children across the United States are subjected to a lot of extraordinary pressure
in sports to steer them towards victory. This is highly undesirable as the child's psychological wellbeing is tampered with. Moreover, this kind of pressure subjects the child to the risk of multiple
injuries which is not healthy for developing individuals. Lofty targets and expectations are the
causes of the intensive pressure. Statsky continues to argue that these expectations and targets
should only be restricted to adult games. Aspects of sports like training, practice, and coaching
require high devotion regarding time and energy employed. Children shouldn't be subjected to
such at a young age. This is mainly because it can interfere with the concentration in studies hence
weakening their performance.
In conclusion, playing should be the only aim for any child to enter into the sport. This is
because the moment children become playful they not only develop their sportsmanship skills but
also promote their physical well-being. Also, playing highly contributes towards the emotional
developments and developing positive attitudes towards people. All these merits cannot be
achieved using competitive sport among children as they are still young to make certain decisions.
The economic well-being of most families in the United States is strained by the demand for
resources to support competitive sporting. This is because of the requirements needed for instance
in the form of equipment and other facilities. Parents should be given a chance to spend within
their financial capabilities while investing in their children.
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