Youth sports should form an essential part of your child or teenager's week. Regular participation in sports helps to promote exercise, teamwork and friendship. MedlinePlus also advises that regular exercise can decrease stress rates in children, build healthy bones and help them to sleep. However, sports, as with any other aspect of your child's life, can be harmful if practiced in the wrong ways. No single sport can be identified as the most harmful, as any sport may have harmful elements that need to be monitored. Speak to your children regularly to ensure that they are not engaged in any harmful activities within their chosen sports.
Injury
The risk of injury is the most obvious danger associated with sports. While some sports such as football, mountaineering or hockey present obvious risks of injury, all sports carry the risk. In fact, according to Dr. Michael O'Brien of the Division of Sports Medicine at Children's Hospital Boston, cheerleading is the most dangerous sport for young women and results in the most serious injuries of any sport, according to the National Association for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research.
Young athletes are also prone to repetitive strain and overuse injuries that were unheard of at young ages in previous generations. Increased and more severe training regimes are likely the cause of this. Young American athletes spend an average of 326 hours a semester at practice, according to the National Athletic Trainers' Association.
Psychological Harm
Several social pressures and abuses can affect young people in sports. Self-consciousness among lesser-developed teens can cause upset and doubt about performance ability as young teens compare themselves to fitter or sportier classmates. Highly competitive sports can also take their toll on your child. A coach or parent who pushes a child to achieve impossibly high standards or who abuses, name-calls or berates a child who does not perform as expected can cause serious damage to the child's mental health. The psychological damage caused by such abuse is often a hidden danger of competitive sports.
Dangerous Supplements
Sports that favor large muscle mass, such as football, wrestling or boxing, are often associated with harmful substances. Anabolic steroid use is most greatly influenced by coaches and the media, according to Dr. Michael Perko of the University of Alabama. However, Perko also points out that parents, doctors and athletic trainers can effectively discourage the use of steroids with great success. Inform your child or teenager of the dangers of steroids and do not pressure him to gain weight quickly to achieve sporting success.
Considerations
There is a danger to labeling certain sports as more harmful for youths than others. All sports have inherent dangers, some obvious and some hidden. Ensure that your child wears safety gear at all times when participating in sports. Encourage regular resting periods between sporting activities. Speak to your children regularly to ensure that they are coping with the psychological pressures of competitive sports.
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