Middle school students are typically between the ages of 10 to 14 and are in grades 6 to 8. Typically, these years are a time of major changes and growth. Many parents transition their children out of club sports made popular at the elementary level to take advantage of a variety of extracurricular activities now offered through middle schools. While adolescents may look forward to the increased athletic opportunities presented to them in middle school, parents should be aware that too much exercise resulting from athletic involvement may hinder bone and muscle development.
Exercise is Beneficial at Any Age
The advantages of middle school athletics are many. Pre-teens and teens learn sportsmanship, and participation often increases self-esteem. Engaging in sports also promotes discipline physically as well as academically, since many schools require students to maintain a certain grade point average to participate.
Exercise benefits this age group in many areas, according to the Centers for Disease Control, including weight control, reduction of depression and anxiety, and sports may contribute to a physically active lifestyle that continues into adulthood. Further, a study of 200 sixth-graders found regular exercise over the course of one year helped students improve academically, according to findings by Michigan State University and Grand Valley State University, published in "Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise" in 2006.
Drawbacks of Athletics in Middle School
It is important for school officials and parents to remember the middle school years are dynamic: young people are entering puberty, and their bodies are rapidly changing, growing and maturing. It is a period of physical development marked by increases in height weight, and muscular strength.
Too often, middle school athletics mirror the structure of high school sports programs. This is not appropriate, according to the National Association for Sport and Physical Education's Middle and Secondary School Physical Education Council, because most students are not developmentally ready for the rigor of highly structured interscholastic high school competitions. Further, parents should be aware of potential muscle overuse and sports injuries their middle-school student could experience. Overuse injuries may be the result of repetitive training and can occur when adolescent athletes do not give their bodies adequate time to heal.
Among other possible negative effects of middle-schoolers participating in organized sports, found by the NASPEC, are distortion of students' educational priorities, overspecialization in one sport that leads to overuse injuries and burnout, loss of identity, increased injuries and psychological stress, and distorted concepts of fairness.
What to Look for in Middle School Extracurricular Activities
Unlike elementary schools, middle schools have an advantage over elementaries because they can introduce a variety of offerings that middle-school students might not be familiar with, including intramural sports. If middle schools opt to offer interscholastic athletic programs, school officials should help prepare students for the transition from club sports to middle school sports. For example, students in these activities should expect to become accustomed to a longer day at school, since middle schools typically begin earlier than elementary schools and activities such as practices and competitions take place after school. Middle-school students also should be allowed to participate in an environment that is less structured and less demanding than is typically found in interscholastic sports. Lastly, the athletic or intramural activities that students choose should boost confidence and self-esteem when students are provided with equitable competition in developmentally appropriate activities. Equitable competition, for example, is when competing teams are formed according to players' sizes, ability levels or prior experience.
Inclusive, Safe and Less Competitive Programs
When it comes to middle school sports and activities, school officials and parents should place the safety of young adolescents at utmost importance. Along with the possibility of physical injuries, school officials should ensure coaches have proper training, and that sports equipment and facilities are adequately managed, according to the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Instead of an emphasis on competition, students should be prompted to play for the enjoyment of participation and for the benefits of developing social and physical skills. Further, cutting students from teams could lead to deflated self-esteem in some budding athletes, with the potential that these students could drop out of sports entirely at an early age. Ideally, opportunities should exist for all students, regardless of ability, recommends the National Association for Sport and Physical Education.
References
- "Pediatrics"; Organized Sports for Children and Preadolescents; June 2001
- CDC: Promoting Youth Physical Activity
- Michigan State University; Research Finds More Vigorous Exercise Equals Better Academic Performance; Aug. 3, 2006
- National Association of Secondary School Principals; Middle Level Sports: Recommendations; C. K. McEwin and J. Swaim
