Children Should Take Part In Competitive Play

In Jessica Statsky’s essay “Children Need time to Play not Compete,” she tries to persuade parents that there is an aspect that is fatally wrong with organized sports. She does this by making them worry about the dangers that emanate from such sports. Statsky spells out that both non-contact as well as contact sports that are played at the ages between six and twelve. This is because they may have long term effects on the child, both as a player and as a fan. Statsky states numerous reasons for this view together with the risk of both physical and psychological damage, the selectivity, as well as the parents who turn out to be very engrossed with winning. This paper will present a position that children ought to participate in organized and competitive sports.

Firstly, there are numerous benefits that accrue to children through their involvement in organized sports. These sports are imperative in preparing these children for competitive situations in the future by means of the reality of these sports. It is by means of organized sports that small children get an opportunity to learn the rules as well as the skills that are necessary for success in real life situations (Micheli & Purcell 312). The reality of the matter is that from the moment a child starts schooling, he or she sits for examinations and assignments that are based on a criterion that comprises of grades. The results that children score in these examinations are graded, and these children are ranked according to their respective performances. The essence of this is to encourage as well as facilitate their constant enhancement.  The extension of this in sports is only significant in reinforcing the necessity for constant improvement rather than the discouragement that Jessica Statsky emphasizes in her essay “Children Need time to Play, not Compete.” Whereas it might have an unwelcome effect on the children who are not prepared mentally to recognize the pressure to win, the overall effect on young children is a lesson for the need to improve continuously in anything that they do.

Secondly, the pressure that comes with competitive sports is imperative in teaching small children on the need to be innovative. Sports that are competitive in nature enables children to invent new approaches as well as techniques of making sure that they win the games, which results into an improvement of their talent in the respective games. Sports are team events that need cooperation between those who are playing. Organized sports place children in a state that needs them to be a team as players. In these teams, children learn the characters that are required for success to be achieved. This is a similar concept that is highly priceless in other professional activities that are different from sports. The competitive nature that exists in sports provides children with the motivation to take part in sports as it is an exciting experience to take part in a competitive game. The yearning to win is the thing that makes children remain in sports. In case they lose a game, there is an inspiration to improve whereas it motivates the team that emerges as winners to continue working hard as well as maintain their position as champions. This results into a constant strife to enhance both individuals as well as team skills. Children participating in activities that are challenging are more expected to adapt to adult functions that call for outstanding response to competition in the future.

In addition, children should participate in organized sports since some children are very talented in different sports, and it is important that these talents should be recognized from an early age so that they can be nurtured. Sports is a very lucrative business in the world and through introducing children to competitive sports at a tender age; one is investing in their future. It is imperative that children, who have been identified to have the passion as well as the talent of particular sports to be involved in organized sports where they have the opportunity of nurturing as well as growing their talents. Statsky’s concern on the issue of injuries in sports even though it is convincing, fails to highlight that injuries may as well take place in self-organized sports that children may have come across. Injuries are not only prone to organized sports, but they may as well occur in sports that have been organized by children themselves. The risks of injuries in the field help children to know how to reduce or avert such risks during games, which is as well as very significant concept in the real world.

In conclusion, competitive games are very valuable and small children ought to be allowed to take part in these sports. Play is very important for the optimal development of children who are between 6-12 years old. The apparent negatives on organized sports that Jessica Statsky highlights in her essay do not outweigh the positives of such games. As a result, small children ought to be offered the opportunity of involving themselves in organized, as well as competitive sports. This will be beneficial to the children, as they will improve their motor and social skills.