Sports are Good in the Lives of ChildrenBrandon Lamp
College 102 Short Argumentative Essay 22 February 2016 Sports are Good in the Lives of Children What would communities be like without sports in them? Most people view sports as a great opportunity to keep their children socially active while others believe that as you get older sports become too dangerous and can cause serious damage. Although overplay can cause serious injuries, in communities sports bring people together, make a difference in the lives of young women involved in sports, and show that people of different races than caucasian can compete just as well giving young players a sense of hope. But parents would certainly take issue with the argument that although sports allow for many good outcomes, possibility of severe injuries is very high. In recent years, kids have began taking interest in one sport rather than multiple sports at once, leading children to participate in a single sport year-round. Research has found that “this makes kids susceptible to repetitive-use injuries; because the same set of muscles is used and the same set of motions are made repeatedly” (Mitchell par. 9). If the child were to want to continue to play the sport further in life, their overuse of certain muscles playing a single sport can lead to injuries. Not only do some sports cause injuries that will not allow them to play that specific sport, but sports can lead to mental illnesses as well. Some sources state, “This added pressure has produced eating disorders in some young gymnasts, resulting in additional developmental, psychological and long-term health issues” (Mitchell par. 18). The mental strain that some sports can take on athletes can cause them to harm themselves when they truly believe it is benefiting them. At the same time that I believe sports are a great opportunity in the lives of young people, I also believe that some sports can be very dangerous and scare parents. On the other hand, sports allow for communities to come together to support one common group. One example was in Pittsburgh in the 1970s when “unemployment raged and the population plummeted, the success of the Steelers, winners of six Super Bowls, are credited by most analysts with helping maintain pride and hope among residents as the city worked, with considerable success, to reinvent itself as a high tech corporate center” (Graff 481-2). This just shows that sports can allow for people to come together through hard times and support a team or individual they have become fond of. When a team does good, communities that are fans of that team are happier and tend to celebrate. I agree with the statement that communities can come together for these types of celebrations because my personal experiences with super bowl parties and parties for big games confirm it. Along with benefiting communities, sports have made a difference in the lives of young women. An author states, “It’s true, there is more depth now, meaning more women beyond the top 10 or 20 or even top 100 who can smack a given forehand or backhand harder than King[Billie Jean King] ever dreamed of doing” (Kimmelman 516). This shows how women who are given a chance to participate in sports can truly show what they can do. Many women who devote their time and effort to something can most-likely beat most average men who try to compete with them. I agree with the statement that women can compete with men because some women can beat me at the sports they devote their time to. All it takes is women finding a passion with a sport and being given the chance to work at it. Not only do sports make a difference for women, but sports have made a huge difference with its involvement in issues concerning race. In women’s tennis the most dominant players are the African American Williams sisters. Michael Kimmelman states in an article, “They’re stronger, bigger, faster, better trained and pushed above by the example of the Williams sisters” (513). Venus and Serena Williams are both great examples of African American athletes who have grown up to become the best at what they do. These women set great examples for young women who have an interest in playing sports. Another Icon, Willie Mays, is a great example of a black man that rose to stardom through playing sports. Mays played baseball and was extremely talented. Author Joe Posnanski writes of when Willie Mays was 34 years old and won his ninth Gold Glove award (555). Mays is a great example for young black men wanting to pursue dreams of being famous athletes. Throughout history, black people were not allowed to compete at the same level as whites. I believe that black youth can find inspiration and want to pursue dreams because my best friend is African American and found inspiration in jumping through Michael Jordan and went on to win state in high jump. Many blacks could find this type of inspiration in athletes. They were never given chances to show what they were capable of because whites did not see blacks as worthy enough for anything than being slaves. Having famous black athletes to look up to allow kids to have a dream that they can truly strive to achieve knowing people similar to them have done it. In conclusion, sports may have a slight risk in injuries of athletes, but the way communities, women, and different races have affected children's lives for the better are well worth the risks. Sports bring people from different areas together to support one team. People might get hurt from time to time, but they know the risks they are taking by continuing to play what they do. For most, sports are a passion and the risk of an injury is of little concern considering the happiness they receive by competing. Works Cited Graff, Gerald, and Cathy Birkenstein. "Why Does It Matter Who Wins the Big Game." They Say / I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. New York: W.W. Norton, 2010. N. pag. Print. Kimmelman, Michael. "Women Who Hit Very Hard and How They Changed Tennis." They Say / I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. By Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein. New York: W.W. Norton, 2010. N. pag. Print. Mitchell, Deborah. "Playing Sports Can Harm Children." Child Athletes. Ed. Christine Watkins. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2008. At Issue. Rpt. of "Sports Extreme: Will Going for First, Leave Kids Last?" DallasChild.com. N.p.: n.p., 2006. N. pag. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 22 Feb. 2016. <http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/ViewpointsDetailsPage/ViewpointsDetailsWindow?failOverType=&query=&prodId=OVIC&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&display-query=&mode=view&displayGroupName=Viewpoints&limiter=&currPage=&disableHighlighting=false&displayGroups=&sortBy=&search_within_results=&p=OVIC&action=e&catId=&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE|EJ3010487203&source=Bookmark&u=ncmoc11357&jsid=9dac50270dd287baec4294ce68671d2e>. Posnanski, Joe. "Cheating and Cheating." They Say / I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. By Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein. New York: W.W. Norton, 2010. N. pag. Print. |
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