Option A: Cooperation VS Competition

I think that the emphasis on competition in the United States is well

balanced. As parents we should want our children to be active and socialize
with other children in the same age group. What better way to accomplish
this than with competitive sports? In the end we should support our
childrens interests, as long as these interests are healthy and beneficial to
their development.
One of the most important advantages to organized competitive sports
is an increase in academics. A Canadian study found that 6- and 7- year olds
improved academically if they played sports (Berger, 2014, p.245). Some
other advantages to involvement in competitive sports include; better overall
health, decreased obesity, improved problem-solving abilities, and respect
for teammates and opponents of many ethnicities and nationalities (Berger,
2014, p.245). Each of these advantages has the potential to be positive
learning experiences and or milestones in development of our children.
Despite so many potential positives there are the potential for negatives as
well.
As children grow older and become more developed, if they choose to
be more intently involved in competitive sports there is a fine line between
positive and negative outcomes. I would say that the positives far outweigh
the negatives; however some of these negatives may include the following.
Loss of self-esteem, injuries, reinforcement of prejudices, and an increase in

stress (Berger, 2014, p.245). While none of these mentioned disadvantages

should completely discourage parents from allowing their children to be
involved in competitive sports, they do need to be kept in mind. In an ideal
American society parents would set standards for their children and be
involved in their development. Understanding the potential for certain harms
that occur to their children, due to their involvement in competitive sports is
crucial. Perhaps the biggest disadvantage some children may face is the idea
that, children from low socioeconomic families, or children with disabilities
are less likely to belong to local clubs and teams, yet they would benefit
most from the strength, activity, and teamwork of organized play (Berger,
2014, p.246).
As humans we are naturally competitive. When children are placed in a
competitive atmosphere I would venture that most children have an inner
drive to be better, or at least to fit in with their peers. Especially as children
age they define a self concept of themselves, ideas about themselvesincluding their intelligence, personality, abilities, gender, and ethnic
background (Berger, 2014, p.285). Another relevant finding is that,
children become more concerned with the opinions of their peers as they
age from 6 to 11 (Berger, 2014, p.285). Whether it is intentional or
unintentional we do emphasize some genre of competition onto our children.
Many of us have been to a little league game and observed that one
parent that seems to be just as, or more competitive than their child. For

many individuals it is learned to want to be the best, however at times this

type of attitude, or this display of behavior can be damaging. If I was
speaking with a parent about their childs involvement on a sports team I
would reinforce some positives including better overall health, the possibility
of kinships, and learned disciplines. Each of these has the potential to be
valuable to their child. Three separate ideas regarding physical activity
include, children ages 5-17 should be active for at least an hour a day,
more than an hour of exercise brings additional benefits, and most
physical activity should be aerobic, vigorous activities should occur 3 times
per week or more (Berger, 2014, p.249). I would reiterate to the parent that
the benefits from physical activities far outweigh the negatives. Lastly, I
would tell the parent that it isnt important that their child is the best athlete;
rather it is best for their child to have some type of physical activity each
day.
Reference List
Berger, K.S. (2014). Invitation to the life span (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Worth
Publishers.