How Do Sports Affect America's Youth?

Often, parents convince their children to become members of local youth sports teams. This often gives children a form of entertainment, they meet new peers and it gives them a forum in which they can find their identity. Whichever sports these children choose, youth sports can be crucial to a child's development, including their social and academic development and overall success in life.

Risky Behavior

According to Michael Boyd's psychological research in 1996 and supported by Jacquelynne Eccles' research in 2003, children participating in sports teams are more likely to be involved in risky behavior, which is often defined as mischievous and illegal behavior. Significant increases in alcohol and drugs also resulted when these children were in in high school.

Benefits

Not all youth sports effects are negative. According to Eccles' 2003 research, children's participation in sports has been correlated with a greater enjoyment of school, the likelihood of going to college and eventually graduate, a higher grade-point average in 12th grade and more total years of education. In general, youth participation in sports helps predict better educational outcomes (school attendance, GPA and graduation from college).

Identification

Sports can play a huge role in shaping a person's identity. Sports provide a place in which a child can express and refine her identity. That identity might not always be good, though. According to Eccles, 69 percent of male athletes see themselves as jocks. Of all four major American sports (football, baseball, basketball and hockey), 78 percent of youth male athletes see themselves as jocks. This can have a negative effect because of the stereotypes about jocks, which characterize them as partaking in risky and illegal activities. However, participation in team sports can help a child refine his identity and figure out who he is and what he wants to be.

Misconceptions

Parental involvement is a final piece of the youth sport setting. When people think of the typical sports parent, they think of that dad who yells at the coach that he is terrible or that his kid is not receiving enough playing time or other kinds of insults. Contrary to popular belief, though, encouragement is one of the most prevalent types of parental reaction in youth sports. According to Nicholas Holt's research in 2006, higher levels of parental understanding and praise have also been correlated with successful career development among young athletes. If a child perceives parental over-involvement, on the other hand, she can often have heightened anxiety and burnout.

Warning

Enjoyment is an important piece of youth sports. Enjoyment is defined in numerous ways. According to Boyd's study, youth athletes ranked skills such as personal accomplishment and improving skills as important to their enjoyment of the sport. However, they also believed factors such as receiving rewards and winning are just as important. Lack of enjoyment is the primary reason children stop playing sports. This means that you should make sure your child truly enjoys the sport and is not simply playing because you want him to.