25 million American children can not be wrong. Even though at least 20 million of these
kids will suffer injury by the age of 15, only 10% of the injuries are serious enough to require
more than one visit to the doctor. I have been playing baseball as well as other organized sports
for almost 15 years; and in my opinion, sports develop friendship and self-esteem. I believe that
coaches should take a “how-to” class on what a coach should and should not do.
Injuries occur for three main reasons. First, because parents push their children past their
natural ability level, thus it causes injury to the over worked body parts. Second, an accident
occurs such as a turned ankle or a ball taking a bad bounce and hitting a player. The third, and
most common reason, a coach teaches a player the wrong way to perform specific task. For
example, when I was 12 years old, my baseball coach taught me the wrong way to throw a curve
ball. After repeatedly throwing the wrong way, I tore a ligament in my right elbow. If my coach
at that time, would have taken some kind of class, he would have known the proper way to teach
Nevertheless, I feel that sports should greatly benefit a child’s self-esteem. Competition
also builds self-esteem because children grow both emotionally and physically and sports help to
develop a positive view of both themselves and their athletic skills. As long as children feel that
they are beneficial to the team, they are developing self-esteem because they see their personal
role in the team as important to the whole cause. If a child is not athletically gifted, he can
always take up a more non-competitive sport such as jogging or weight-training. This will also
build self-esteem because the child can see his improvement and relate to others at the same
As well as building self-esteem, sports can help develop life-long friendships. Children
form all different ethnic and religious backgrounds come together to play a game. This makes a
good place for children to mingle with others of the same age. This can in turn give each child a
sense of belonging and camaraderie between different races. Athletics also allow children to
learn about their abilities as compared to other children of the same age. Children learn about
talent that otherwise may have gone unnoticed. If I had not been involved in sports from an
early age, I may have never discovered the talent that I have in baseball. I loved playing baseball
from the first day I stepped on the field. I feel that most every child has a good time being
around children of their own age. If not for the fun of playing the game, then for the fun of being
around children that are different from them.
In conclusion, children have fun while building self-esteem and making new friendships.
I believe that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages by far. That is why I believe we should
let kids have fun, and learn about themselves while doing it.
