One of the best things about competitive sports is the ability to find out where you stand in comparison to your peers. Sports provides the first taste of true competition that children will face and can help prepare them with what they will face later in life. Competitive sports helps young people get used to the concepts of teamwork, practice and effort, but it can also introduce some negatives like the star system, selfishness and overbearing coaches.
Function
The main points of competitive sports for kids is for them to enjoy themselves and to get better at the sport they are playing. Kids may play an organized competitive sport because of an overwhelming desire to compete, but they also may be playing because their parents signed them up. Coaches have to account for all levels of interest. They need to realize while some children are quite talented and others are not, they all deserve to have fun. In order to have fun, they need to make some progress at what they are doing.
Considerations
Competitive sports offer participants instant feedback on where they stand. When scores are kept, there are winners and losers. This may be the first time youngsters get to face this situation. Some players will rise up to the moment and play their best when a game is on the line, while others will shrink and disappear. It's important for coaches and parents not to let these situations crush young people who don't produce when the game is on the line. If adult leaders can't rebuild a young player's confidence after a losing outing, the experience can be a negative one.
Potential
Playing organized competitive sports can help prepare a child for many of the competitions that lie ahead in life. Some may be good enough to play sports at the high school, college and professional levels. Many will not be. However, nearly everyone will have to compete at something later in life, and playing youth sports can be the first step in learning the process.
Warning
Competitive sports can be one of the greatest experiences of a child's development, but it can also be a negative one if he gets associated with a coach who is more interested in his own ego gratification. When games are competitive, some coaches become driven by the prospect of winning. They may praise their top players and boost them up while registering disappointment at those who are struggling. This can be painful and harmful. If your child is associated with a coach whom you believe is in it to boost his own ego, take that child out of the competitive sports situation.
Expert Insight
Many sports leagues realize the benefits of competitive sports for kids and also realize that if the wrong things are emphasized the experience can be harmful. They train their coaches to make the experience a positive one for the kids. Competitive sports can get a child started on the path to enjoying an activity for many years, and the adults associated with the sports usually want the best for the kids who are playing.
