Does intense competition rob kids of the joy of sport?

Back when I grew up, much of my free time was spent playing different types of sports and activities with neighborhood kids in my community. If I wanted to visit a friend, I would ride my bike down the street or walk to their house. I was constantly in motion because that is how we entertained ourselves at that age – pick-up basketball games, tag, fishing, riding our bikes, soccer games, whatever we could think of that was fun.  I did not get involved in truly competitive travel sports until I was a teenager.

The environment has greatly changed for kids growing up today. Twenty to 30 years ago, there were limited youth sport opportunities, and the options offered were more recreational.  Today there seems to be unlimited, highly competitive youth sport activities for kids, a completely different environment than when I was a kid. You would think having countless youth sporting options would be a great situation for our kids, but it has created new problems.  

 With the growth of youth sport options the level of competitive pressure has also increased, and the days of kids getting introduced to competitive sports at the high school or middle school level are long gone. Competitive travel sports teams can now start before a kid turns 8 years old. If a parent waits until their child is a teenager to get involved in competitive sports, their child will be playing catch up with the other kids that have been involved with the sport for six or seven years.  

This can deter some kids from even getting involved. It can also put pressure on parents to push their kids into a sport the child may not want to be involved in.

Physically, youth athletes, for the most part, are on a level playing field, but emotionally and mentally, it can be difficult for a kid to deal with the requirements needed in a highly competitive team.  The joy of sports has been replaced with the pressure of performance. I’m all for a competitive environment; I believe it teaches kids how to work for a goal and to be accountable for their actions. However, I also believe sports and activities need to be enjoyable for our kids in order for them to embraces a healthy physical lifestyle when they get older.

Some youth athletes flourish in a highly structured and competitive environment, but the majority of young athletes should be focusing on the joy of sport and activities rather than results.   

Many parents attempt to prepare their children for a college scholarship or professional sport career when they are still kids.  In my opinion, let kids be kids. If they have the potential to get a college scholarship, and they are driven to get to that level once they are in high school, great. I’m all for seeing a parent provide the resources to improve.  

However for the majority of kids, I would rather see parents use activities and sports to spend time with their kids and set good examples. Be active with your kids, play tag, ride bikes together, do a family workout.

That timeframe of youth sports from 6 to 13 years old goes by so fast; once kids are in high school things change, and the importance of competitiveness and accountability becomes a priority.  By that age, mentally and emotionally, athletes are in a much better place to handle what is asked of them.

If the joy of activity and sports is encouraged in a kid at a young age, children will be more likely to carry those healthy habits with them throughout their life.