Essay Sample: The Impact of Sports and Child Development

“Six of my friends have been shot in the last year alone. Ten of them died in car wrecks.” Clarisse stated (Bradbury 27). This is a dystopian future created by Ray Bradbury. His prophetic book is called Fahrenheit 451. In this future, a teen named Clarisse is talking about her friends’ deaths like they are nothing. The children in this environment are extremely violent with no regard for human life as you can see from Clarisse's statement. How can we make sure this child violence does not become this Horrific? The answer is sports. Playing sports has its risks, nevertheless, it has many more benefits that can aid in child development because it brings accountability, community, productivity, and a father figure into a child's life.

Indeed, there are times when playing sports has its risks. According to a report by Sari Harrar, 40% of all emergency room visits are for sports injuries in kids ages 5-14. (Harrar 1). Conversely, kids between these ages heal the fastest compared to any other age group. Sports have too many benefits to have fear of injury as the reason to not play.

Speaking of these benefits, a good father figure is the first big one. Good father figures are a thing that a lot of children do not have. Most sports coaches act as one and try to make each child a better man. Kristi Nelson, the founder of the Son-Rise Event, an event created to connect boys to male role models, says that she created it because most boys grow up without fathers and do not know who to talk to about their struggles. (Nelson 1). When boys misconceive about whom to talk to about their struggles, they go to the wrong people and will be negatively influenced. Most sports coaches care very much about their players and will set them down the right path to being good men. When Harrel Adele finished her study in a high school, she concluded that children of violent families have higher rates of fighting, delinquency, criminal violence, suicide, and emotional disorders. (Adele 44). Kids who have no good influences consequently go to their main influence, their family. When their family is violent, they are desensitized to it. Playing sports with a coach who gives good influence helps guide kids away from violence as they grow.

Similarly, Many children have lots of violence in their homes, and playing sports with a team gives them a constructive community. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, victims of violent behavior, sexual abuse, bullying, drugs, and violence in the media increase the risk of violent behavior in adolescents (AACAP 1). Some kids have no positive influences in their life. They are surrounded by drugs and violence at school, and it is the same when they get home They need some positive influence in their life. They need a community that will hold them accountable. Said community is Sports. Sports give children the much-needed positive community that they can use to keep their heads above the ever-filling pool of violence. 20-40% of Violent kids have violence in their homes. (Adele 45) this demonstrates the fact that kids will mimic what their parents do as they are raised. You can see this with slavery and how kids who grew up with racist parents would become racist too because they had no one to tell them differently.

Finally, teach kids to be more productive and learn the consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle. According to Bob Herbert, most youth crime is between 3 and 6 pm (Herbert 137).

This time is around when school gets out a when it gets dark. Even if it is not a sport for a child, any extracurricular activities will keep them out of trouble because they will be occupied during this peak time. Sports also will teach kids about their bodies and what will hurt them. Deborah Rhea states that athletes reported significantly less use of cocaine, nicotine, and marijuana (Rhea 1). This is because the athletes want to stay at peak performance, thence they try not do anything that could hurt their bodies. The situation they are put in is a win-win because they stay in good condition and do not have as much temptation to do drugs.

Ultimately, we have to stop and think about how important this new generation of children is. They will be the next wave of people in the world, and we have to keep them out of violence. Participating in sports or any productive extracurricular will help keep kids off the streets and out of trouble. If we just all just make an effort (even if it does not feel like much) we can still change the world.