Impact of Sports on the Youth

Kalman Sasdi | Writer

Sports as a whole are one of the most influential aspects of our daily lives. From the Super Bowl to March Madness and other major sports events, they run our world. Especially in terms of the college world and even younger generations. Starting at the youth level, many adults put large amounts of pressure on their children to become the next big thing. This has become a huge problem for the mental health of many young adults and teenagers.

As a child, I along with others experienced many tough upcoming within the sports world as a child. We have experienced many instances of coaches being too extreme and overwhelming. It has led many to quit the sport they love and pursue other things. This is a big problem that needs to be addressed in many youth associations.

There have been many cases of adults taking extreme measures to make their children better at whatever sport they are participating in. Many teenagers start playing a sport out of pure interest and love for the sport. In some cases, once they start playing, a parent or other guardian may sense the potential of their child and attempt to take advantage of it. To do this, they will force their child to do everything possible to make their child better at the sport, even if it is against their wishes.

In many cases, this has made many teenagers lose their love for their sport by the time they get to high school. If a parent realizes the potential of their child, they should help the child get better at their sport, with their approval. If a child or teenager does not wish to go all out in their respective sport, they should not be expected to at the expense of their mental health. Many sports are meant to be played for the love of the game, not as a job.