Children benefit greatly for participating in organized sports The benefits of children participating in organized sports are extremely useful and thus should be of overriding concern to parents, guardians and authority. If the main incentive of organized sports is to increase physical activities and not merely provide some commercial benefits, then the benefits to children could range from healthy life styles and much more. Participating in organized sports is a way of exercising, and exercising is way of enhancing the body physical wellbeing.There are many benefits to exercising, namely, healthy minds, self-esteem and healthy body, just to name a few.
And for these perceived benefits to actualize, participation must be on a regular basis. Time was, during the early seventies, Physical education was an integral part of the curricula. Children were also active during recess periods. But with the advent of computer games and cable television, children have become more sedentary like never before. According to an anonymous article in the National Education Association Newspaper, only 29% percent of high school children take PE today, compared to 92% in 1991. NEA) The question that remains, though, is why are parents and those concerned so indifferent about the issue? The lack of physical activity, which can be benefited through organized sports, caries with it several risk factors.
In most children, the risk factor that is prevalent today is obesity. As society has gotten wealthier and food production aplenty, children are consuming more food then is the norm. Consequently, the cases of obesity have become not only a problem but also an epidemic. Other risk factors that are as equally alarming are blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and Type II diabetes.In spite of the above, Michael F. Bergeron believes a measurable prevention can be achieved through moderate or rigorous participatory sporting activities on a regular basis, that is, four to five times or more per week.
(Bergeron) From this standpoint, physical activities or exercise, it seems, should not be only provided within the parameters of organized sports. Parents should allot adequate time to participating in some sort of physical activity. For by so doing they would be leading lives that their children can emulate.It should also be noted that there are some drawbacks to organized sports, such engagement in risky and violent behavior. Suzanne Le Menestrel and Daniel F.
Perkins, in a collaborated research found… youth who are highly involved in organized sports also report more engagement in problem behavior, such as lying and substance use, compared to youth who are more involved in school-based club and school work…. Despite the aforementioned facts, the advantages of organized sports still outweigh the disadvantages because of the rarity of its drawbacks.Additionally, schools should make physical Education a mandatory curriculum item to enhance physical activities, in addition to organized sports. When a portion of recess and other downtime are geared toward physical activities, there certainly would be many benefits to a child’s health. One sure benefit of organized sports is to get children to exercise.
Exercising on a regular basis could abate their sedentary life of watching television and playing video games, which would lead to healthier life styles
