Sport is one of the things that seem totally positive with all its benefits for physical and psychological health, its popularity and advertising campaigns. It has become a part of everyday life of the majority of adults and children. People learn from the early age how to play sport games and it is totally normal in the age of highly popularized healthy living. Parents are happy that schools help their children to actively engage in all sorts of sport and a lot of them encourage their kids to take it seriously or even continue in professional leagues. The information about the benefits of sport games bombards the population from all the sides, but is everything as positive as it may seem at the first glance? In the recent years, the researchers have proven the damage the high-contact sports, such as football, ice hockey and boxing can cause to young immature bodies and minds. High-contact sports should be banned or largely limited for children under the age of 18, as they can cause irreversible damage to children’s health, put young people under psychological pressure and cause social anxiety.
High-contact sports are very dangerous for young people, as they may cause harm to children’s health. The games that are popular at schools now, such as football and hockey, create higher risk of injuries. The research suggests that “with increased youth participation in sports, an increase in sports-related injuries has been observed, with 2.6 million emergency room visits each year for those aged 5–24 years” (Merkel). The problem lies in the fact that a young body of a child is still developing and it is not prepared for the loads and pressures high-contact sports place on them. The state of children’s skeletons and internal organs demands special approach and different physical training than the adult body. What is more, the sport causes damage even in those cases, when the injuries are not visible. Omalu in his article “Don’t Let Kids Play Football” acknowledges that among young athletes “there can be evidence of brain damage at the cellular level of brain functioning” (Omalu). It means that children, who play high-contact sports, may become the objects of irreversible damage to their brains with the long-lasting effects for the rest of their lives, even though they did not have serious traumas and concussions during the games.
The popularity of high-contact sports among children also causes psychological pressure that may have overall negative effect on the development of a child. First of all, children are at risk of psychological disorders, because of the brain damage consequences. For example, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or C.T.E. may cause such symptoms as “depression, memory loss, suicidal thought and actions, loss of intelligence as well as dementia” (Omalu). The sports require high level of participation and children often work beyond their limits to achieve results, and it is psychologically tiring for the young mind. Teenagers, who feel that they do not belong, as well as those, who just want to have a rest from the pressures the sport puts on them can engage in dangerous activities, such as drug or alcohol abuse. What is more, these trends are likely to continue later in their lives.
Social pressure is also a negative factor, as being a young athlete requires certain patterns of behavior and children have to constantly meet high expectations of their parents, coaches and fans. Adults are responsible for the healthy environment children are developing in, but in the majority of cases the adults create the atmosphere, where the kids are undergoing high pressure, following unrealistic goals and working the immense amount of time to achieve the results they are expected to achieve. I know from my own experience how difficult it is to cope with the pressure from the outside. I think the worst part is peer groups, as everyone wants to be a sport star of the school and if one actually is, he or she is hated and admired at the same time and it is really stressful. Other negative aspects of sport games’ environment include “favoritism, poor teaching skills, and increased pressure to win, all of which created a negative atmosphere and decreased the fun of playing sport” (Merkel). Such factors may lead young athletes to personal developmental and social problems later in life, as they ignore the actual needs of children.
All in all, the negative effects of the high-contact sports among children are difficult to ignore, as it causes serious risks of injuries and threatens the normal functioning of developing body. The nature of such sports and the way it is treated by parents, coaches and peer groups create high-pressure environment that has both short and long-term negative effects on psychological and social well-being of children. Therefore, high-contact sports should be banned for those under 18, as the adults are responsible for the children and have to create the safe environment, where they can develop without obvious risks to their bodies and minds.
A. The role of sport in the society
1. Sport is essential part of modern lifestyle
2. Is it as beneficial and safe for children as it may seem?
B. Thesis
High-contact sports should be banned or largely limited for children under the age of 18, as they can cause irreversible damage to children’s health, put young people under psychological pressure and cause social anxiety.
II. High-contact sport is a risk for the health of kids.
A. Rise of traumas and injuries
1. Increase in sport-related injuries
2. Unpreparedness of young bodies for loads and pressures.
B. Invisible damage of regular sport
1. Cellular level
2. Brain functioning
III. Psychological effects of high-contact sports among kids
A. Psychological disorders
1. Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy
2. Depression, anxiety, effect on memory, dementia
B. Constant psychological pressure
1. Sport is psychologically tiring
2. It may lead to certain forms of escape, such as alcohol and drug abuse.
IV. Social pressure of sports
A. The expectations, which are too high for children
1. Pressure from coaches and parents
2. Influence of the peer groups
B. Negative aspects of the way the sport is treated
1. High-pressure environment
2. Ignoring the needs of children
V. Conclusion
High-contact sport should be banned or limited for children beyond the age of 18, because of its negative impact on the health and well-being of young people.
Works Cited
Merkel, Donna L. "Youth sport: positive and negative impact on young athletes." Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine 4 (2013): 151-160. Web.
Omalu, Bennet. “Don’t Let the Kids Play Sports”. New York Times 7 Dec. 2015. Web.
