Argumentative Essay About Youth Sports

Youth Sports: A Predictor of Future Success

Everyone wants their kids to start learning at a young age. From reading to them as babies to enrolling them in extensive tutoring starting in grade school. So, why not have the same attitude towards youth sports. (Comparison hook)Many people disagree citing studies of concussions and errors in skeletal development, however, the benefits of youth sports strongly outweigh the detriments due to the mental development that happens during sports and the importance of physical activity for children’s health.

Youth sports foster essential mental development in children. First, youth sports are important for socialization at a young age. In Robert Glatter’s article “The Reason Not to Ban Contact Sports

Another important aspect of a child’s social life is their own self image. In the article “Good Sport/Bad Sport: How to Foster Positive Participation Among Youth,” author Hema Zbogar explains, “Sports can also improve self-confidence and self-esteem” When a child first starts socializing, they talk to everyone they can see. However, as a child grows, this rampant socialization is stopped by the belief that they’re weird for talking to new people. The self esteem created by sports can give these kids an excuse to talk to new people and to make new friends. Youth sports also allow kids to develop important risk taking skills. Glatter examines the risk taking skills of children, explaining, “When playing football, children learn to assess risk based not

First, Children can start essential physical development at a young age. In Ryan Basen’s article “Many Kids are Overdoing it When it Comes to Sports, and That’s Dangerous,” he cites Kinesiology Review, “Sport samplers, who have had the opportunity to develop essential fundamental motor skills, will have many different sports available to them across the lifespan.” The development of gross and fine motor skills are crucial for kids going through school and choosing a sport when older. The fine hold of a baseball can translate to using a pair of scissors. The swing of a bat can translate to many other sports and muscular strength. Without sports at the youth level, kids would be behind their peers in the classroom and on the playground. Youth activity also starts a lifelong love of exercise. In Jennifer Lerner and Tom Solomon’s article “Active Kids Do Better in Life,” they note, “Sports participation is a significant predictor of young adults’ participation in sports and physical fitness activities. Adolescents who play sports are eight times as likely to be active at age 24 as adolescents who do not play sports.” Physical activity as an adult is hard to fit into a busy work and social life. However, by starting as an adolescent, it makes it much easier to continue activity. For example, someone who swam throughout their youth can continue swimming at their college's rec center even without being on the team. *This