COMPETITIVE SPORTS

Competitive Sports: Seeking A Safer Path…

“Competitive Sports”, a buzz word in modern day television and newspapers; also not one of the most beneficial co-curricular activity any school could opt for. For the benefit of our schools and its innocent school goers, competition in sports should never be encouraged. Even though there are a few advantages to this factor; yet one is always overwhelmed by the negative aspects of the same; especially those that affect engaged players; such as, parental and peer pressure, bullying, hazing and social disturbance, physical injuries as players are afraid to calm down, an inordinate risk of mental imbalance caused due to negative stress and atychiphobia- fear of failure. Such sports also negatively affect non players; as schools tend to spend and use most of their capital and vital resources on such sports; either buying performance enhancement drugs for children as young as 13 or simply wasting money and time. Why would any responsible citizen still want to encourage competitive sports in the 21st century?

Parents surprisingly also play a significant role in negative aspects of competitive sports.

Firstly, Competition in sports pressures the player; parental and peer pressure; the urge to succeed and win; can cause a lot of disturbance in one’s life; including severe depression and anxiety; also forcing atychiphobia in a lot of players. To illustrate, “ … it’s harder to dispel the notion that football, for whatever virtues it imparts, can also foster values that represent a distorted sense of masculinity, one marked by violence, conformity, homophobia and disrespect for women (n.pag).” as mentioned in Sack Those Quarterbacks! The Case for Banning High School Football by Steve Almond. (here) This article serves to explain the disgusting mental consequences many players face after facing competition in sports; describing a case in Sayreville, New Jersey; where students faced “sadistic hazing rituals”! The intense training and pressure from many coaches and teammates also cause mental and emotional disturbance in many players. Also, Pushing too hard too young by Jacqueline Stenson, provides the following material regarding the same, “Soon the stakes get higher because many parents and coaches play to win. Winning means recognition and that could lead to lucrative opportunities -– high school championships then college scholarships and perhaps a shot at the pros (n.pag).” also stating that, “Parents -- and coaches -- who push too hard too young, particularly when they emphasize winning above all else, can easily wipe out a child’s motivation to play, says Dr. Henry Goitz, chief of sports medicine at the Medical College of Ohio in Toledo (n.pag).” This article explains the different negative consequences of competitive sports; explaining the different levels of “torture” these players go through mentally as are coached and trained by parents and coaches; especially emphasizing on the lust for a “trophy” or a victory that is not even guaranteed. An explanation regarding the same is provided in KidsHealth- Taking the Pressure Off Sports Competition, “ … Too much pressure can come from your coach, your parents, your teammates, or even from yourself (n.pag).” This article explains a few advantages of competition in sports, such as excitement for the “big day” but the demerits easily and largely outweigh the benefits; it also suggests that most pressure in children is observed coming from parents and coaches. Finally, what intelligent soul would encourage mental torture disguised as competitive sports on to young players and innocent children? Severe pressure on the delicate brains of such players does not only harm them mentally but also leaves them emotionally underdeveloped; most coaches are observed encouraging performance enhancing drugs as well; but, something much severe is the pressure built to win; if neglected; it can cause atychiphobia- the fear of failure; which wouldn’t only affect the player during performance but also in his/ her adult life; acting as a permanent stain on his/her personality. Does it still seem safe to encourage sports competition in our schools; are such disgusting activities still believed to be sources of “life lessons” and “steps to adulthood”?The pathetic lust to win welcomes life threatening injuries as well.

To add on, playing sports competitively causes most players to “unwillingly” sacrifice much of their energy and time; sometimes even their health; while playing aggressively. Most players tend to suffer from unwanted health problems and injuries that affect a person in a long term. A similar topic is explained in an (opinionated) editorial by Adam B. Cohen- , “ At first, he said only that his stomach hurt. But as I asked more questions, he brought up the subject of concussions. Will, it turns out, knew more than I realized. He’d read Troy Aikman’s account of being unable to remember a Super Bowl victory. He knew that Steve Young had retired because of concussions. And he recognized that if he kept taking hits year after year, he could suffer the same fate — or worse (n.pag).” Listening to Wisdom From a 10-Year-Old Son About His Head Injury by Adam Buckley Cohen explains the dangerous condition his innocent 10 year old experienced as he continued competitive sports as pressured by his father; the article explains the dangers of competitive sports causing physical injury in most players; how would it feel if our children faced a life threatening injury in return for the lust to win? Why would any caring and responsible individual encourage competition in such a playful activity and ruin the fun and splendor completely? A study about major injuries by Allina Health Statistics caused to competition in sports represents the following data; major injuries caused due to competitive sport games, such as: football, soccer, baseball, ice hockey, basketball and tennis. The pie chart represents the injuries or deformities experienced or triggered by the “youth” (aged 4-24) after experiencing severe competition in sports. The pie chart covers many serious injuries caused due to increasing lust for competition as encouraged by many parents; nobody would wish to encounter such fatal injuries as concussions and blood pressure. According to Center for Disease Control and Prevention; there are 59.3 episodes of injuries observed among ages 5 to 24 per 1000 people. The survey also observes how the injuries increase as the age sample decreases. Henceforth, it is scientifically advised to discourage our children and responsible citizens from competition in sports, simply to promote and help them continue a healthy, happy and a successful lifestyle. Competitive sports not only act on children’s and its “prey’s” minds psychologically but also physically as they cause unmendable harm at times that can be regretted for life time.

Competitive sports encouraged in schools affect the non players academically!

            Lastly,  competition in sports forces diversion from academic and has a strong impact on social life; especially in high schools and colleges who want their students to be pro football or pro basketball; it often deroutes children from multiple opportunities as they are only focused on “the game”. To illustrate further, Sack Those Quarterbacks! The Case for Banning High School Football by Steve Almond addresses an excellent topic about the same, “ To those who cling to the status quo, this idea might seem radical. Nonsense. The money we invest in public high schools should be spent educating students and preparing them to contribute to our society, not exhorting them to stage spectacles for our amusement.” and “ What is a dangerous, insanely commercialized form of athletic combat doing in our public schools? In an era when parents lament rising class sizes, crumbling facilities and underpaid teachers, why are taxpayers underwriting a form of entertainment that quite literally causes students to suffer diminished brain function?”. The following quotes explain the waste of capital, monetary, physical and mechanical resource caused due to simply a competition that ideally harms many sports players; unlike regular sports; competitive sports require a lot more resources for a cause that does not technically benefit any player based on several reasons which tend to outweigh the minor “joy” of winning. Most children are pushed into a specific sport competition very early; this forces such innocent children to neglect the various opportunities and simply pursue interest for a competition. A similar situation is observed here in Pushing too hard too young by Jacqueline Stenson, “ And even top-notch athletes can tire of their sport because of what it takes to win. At Greenwich High School, the boys' swim team program has been hugely successful, losing only one meet in the last 25 years. But just a handful of the athletes have gone on to swim in college, says Mediate.” This quote in the article refers to the time wasted by most ex-players when they prepared for competitions; a lot of the players tend not to look up the sport ever again in the future; one also observes the amount of time wasted for simply a competition; while most children could have used to enjoy something much more productive and fun. Hence, after many observations, it can be understood that every parent really needs to discourage our children from competitive sports; schools who promote such sports not only disadvantaged children who participate in such competitions but it also affects students who are not participants; as schools find it more entertaining and worth spending on a competition than spending for the good of other students; academically and in other co-curricular activities.

Lastly, competitive sports help players and students build athletic confidence, learn the concept of teamwork and encourage putting in the maximum effort into any task; they also help engage with various audience and challenges; but, in the end, was the pain worth it? What memories do you build? The promise I made my father that I would definitely be the next Micheal Jordan? Or the fight I had with Roosevelt Elementary where I was punched in the ribs? Or maybe the memory when you missed out on that school dance; practicing hours for the sprint and then losing! Sports are definitely one of the most sought after activities and they absolutely should be encouraged to people of all ages; but, competition is like a snake venom seeping through the new generation; which ultimately has done no good.

In summation, competitive sports are not beneficial for our children and innocent citizens. Sports should definitely not be refrained from the youth; but so shouldn’t the joy and fun! By making sports into a huge competition; one simply destroys the fun and replaces it with unproductive battles; these battles cause multiple injuries, behavioral disorders and are a waste of resources many times. Some often complain about the effort, teamwork and athletic confidence along with life opportunities; but such “advantages” outweigh the demerits very prominently; one can find teamwork and effort in sports and other activities; except, it isn’t advised to make them competitive at all. Why would any responsible citizen want to encourage competition in sports in a form of pain in our society? After all, winning, trophies and recognition isn’t always what counts; it's the effort, lessons and fun that is thrived that really matters.

Works Cited

“Adaptive sports and recreation.” Allina Health. 2009: n.pag. Web. 26 Feb. 2016.

“Taking the pressure off Sports Competition.” Kids Health.

Almond, Steve. “Sack Those Quarterbacks! The Case for Banning High School Football.” 90.9 wbur.

15 Oct. 2014: n.pag. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.

Stenson, Jacqueline.“Pushing too hard too young.”nbc news. 29 Apr. 2004: n.pag. Web. 22 Feb.2016. 

Cohen, Adam B. “Listening to Wisdom From a 10-Year-Old Son About His Head Injury.”

The New York Times. 28 Nov. 2009: n.pag. Web. 19 Feb. 2016.