Wednesday, April 16, 2008

My feelings (Whether you want to hear them or not)



At a recent Parent Meeting we talked about competitive sports, in children, under 6th grade. Our family does not get involved in them neither does 80% of our school and you can see a difference in the children who do participate in them. I could go on and on but would like you to read the article below which sums it up in a nutshell.



PS: Obviously I have struck a nerve with some. My only hopes on this Blog is to write about my feelings, I realize not everyone is going to agree with me and that is ok (nobody is pressuring anyone to read it, you all come back cause you want to). Yes, Aden played T-ball for 2 weeks 2 years ago and it was just not for us. This is a Blog, not a newspaper.

5 comments:

Awesome Mom said...

Interesting article. I wish there were more places out there where kids can play semi organized games with out all the pressure to perform.

Anonymous said...

Wow....I totally disagree. Organized sports are a GREAT way to teach kids reponsibility, competition, and respect for adults. It also keeps kids active in a world that encourages inactivity.

Life is about competition: competition to get into a good college, to get a good job, to get the things you want in life. The sooner kids kearn this, the better they are prepared for real life..

Sports teach kids to work hard to achieve their goals. Most people have to work hard to get what they want. Things aren't always handed to them. Athleticism isn't always natural for kids.....they have to practice to get better. Teaching kids to work hard to obtain what they want (a victory for example) prepares them to work hard later in life to be successful.

Being on a team teaches kids to work together towards a common goal. It teaches kids to get along with each other and work hard for the same cause. There is nothing better then seeing a whole team rejoyce after a well fought after win. Yet another life lesson.

When kids play sports they have to listen to their coaches. This teaches them to respect authority and to listen to their elders.

What I do appreciate is when parents recognize that sports are not for their child. I have seen too many kids forced into sports they don't want to do because mom or dad want to relive their childhoods. I have seen kids who are miserable because their parents force them into playing then they get yelled at when they don't do well. These parents need to put their kids in scouts or another group activity in their interests.

-Colleen

Anonymous said...

I couldn't agree with the article more. Usually, the only reason children seem "excited" about sports is to please their parents, meanwhile I see the children as patients with childhood ulcers.

Jane (Pediatrician at Boston Children's Hosptial).

Anonymous said...

Some may ask, "What about the old bromide that compentition builds character?".

Competition does not build character, but exposes it. You have to teach children to play together before we pressure them to compete against each other.

Dr. Paul Adamson

PS: Thankyou for your blog, I love reading everything!!

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