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" I needed to win-and anything short of that goal was a failure. I'd cry and mope and lock myself in my room. I'd promise myself the next time would be better-and, when it wasn't, I'd feel even worse." (Pearlman, 3)

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" He made it painfully clear to the others that my brother was the weakest of weak links; that he was useless as a soccer player." (Pearlman, 1)

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" We place such an unhealthy emphasis in this country upon victory, without stopping to ponder the end game. Yes, medals are nice. Trophies, too. But, really, what's so important about being the best? Why are we so focused on the result, while forgetting the value of the journey? Why do we devote so much time turning our offspring into...us?" (Pearlman, 3)

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"The result, according to TurboTax's most recent infographic, is that youth sports are no longer an excellent opportunity for social involvement determined by passion and skill, but by the family's financial resources, sustaining a $5 billion-a-year industry (Text7 2).

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"A new study shows that many lonely kids are not involved in athletic activities or shun sports altogether."(Couric 24

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"In the United States, parents spend $671 on average per year to cover the costs of uniforms and the hefty fees charged for registration, lessons and coaching, and at least 1 in 5 ends up spending over $1,000 per child, every year" ( Text7 2).

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" Nowadays, however, what I see are parents itching to land their kids far-off college scholarships; coaches thinking themselves the next Nick Saban and John Calipri; calls for year-round dedication; hiring of private tutors to help 6-year-old Junior master the changeup." (Pearlman, 2)

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"The study also found that while school-based exercise can reduce or stem weight gain, it is sports participation in particular that makes a difference" (O'Connor 2).

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"My son Will, his 10-year-old eyes filling with tears, was trying to decide whether to play quarterback in his peewee game against Roosevelt Elementary. Ten days earlier, he’d taken a helmet-to-helmet hit during practice and possibly, although we really don’t know, sustained a concussion." (Cohen 2)

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"And if all adolescents walked or biked to school at least four days a week, they found, the number who were obese would drop by 22 percent" (O'Connor 4).

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"Millions of American children and teenagers are overweight. This obesity epidemic has make the early onset of health problems such as diabetes more common. Participating in competitive youth sports burns calories and helps to prevent obesity. Additionally, many children who are active in sports are motivated to eat healthier foods, such as fruits and vegetables" Sarah Davis 17

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Perseverance & Determination:

"Competitive athletes are consistently involved in situations where they are challenged. This not only occurs on the competitive field of play but in the practice gym as well. When this happens, their level of perseverance and determination will be tested. The hope here is that they become stronger within over time" (Mango 13).

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"They calculated that if all adolescents played on at least two sports teams per year — in other words, one team per season — obesity rates would plunge 26 percent and the prevalence of overweight adolescents would fall by 11 percent" ( O'Connor 4).

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Goals:

"Creating and setting goals is an integral part of being an athlete. They give direction and represent a place in the future where one wants to be. Without them one is just going through the motions" (Mango 13).

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"According to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, youth sports can help deter negative behavior, such as joining a gang, because competitive sports provide an outlet for expression, friendship and controlled aggression. Teens who have positive influences and friends feel less of a need to participate in risky behaviors" Sarah Davis 17

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"But when Will voiced his fears, I woke up. This was one of those moments that could have changed the lives of the children I’ve been reading about, kids who played through pain and got seriously hurt."(Cohen 3

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“I think a lot of time physical education requirements are not that strict. Kids are not in P.E. that often, and when they are, the physical activity is not that strenuous” ( O'Connor 3).

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"Additionally, with good coaches and good programs a positive code of ethical standards (PCES) is of major focus. It is something they most certainly support and work toward instilling in athletes under their direction" (Mango 13).

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"Improved self-esteem is another benefit of competitive youth sports. When a child wins a game with his team, he feels accomplished and recognized. Even when he doesn't win, he can learn a valuable lesson: that you can't win every time. Losing with his team can also increase self-esteem, as he learns to hold his head high and feel proud for trying his best" (Sarah Davis)

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"Rare are the times that I've attended a young sporting event without hearing at least one or two parents scream vulgarly at a pipmly-faced teen referee, or mock the opposition, or demand more playing time for their tykes." (Pearlman, 2)

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"However, these risks do not negate all the positives that can and do occur. And when athletes are exposed to the proper environment, and put forth proper amounts of effort and make good choices, you would be hard pressed to find anything that gives them the opportunity for holistic benefits that participating in competitive sports does" (Mango 12).

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"At first, he said only that his stomach hurt. But as I asked more questions, he brought up the subject of concussions. Will, it turns out, knew more than I realized. He’d read Troy Aikman’s account of being unable to remember a Super Bowl victory. He knew that Steve Young had retired because of concussions. And he recognized that if he kept taking hits year after year, he could suffer the same fate — or worse."(Cohen 2)

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"According to the National Council of Youth Sports (NCYS), there were over 40 million boys and girls participating in organized sports in 2008. With numbers like these, which continue to rise every year, it would certainly be of benefit to highlight the positives behind all this participation" (Mango 12).

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“I think being a part of some kind of team or organization gives kids the opportunity to have moderate to vigorous activity consistently,” said Keith M. Drake, an author of the study and a postdoctoral research fellow " (O'Connor 3).

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"Participating in sports teaches children and teenagers how to compete in the real world. As they grow older they'll face competition in school, in the workforce and other areas of life. But these competitions don't have to be negative or unhealthy. Playing sports can help kids understand how competition works in a friendly environment, and that if you try your hardest, you have a better chance to succeed"Sarah Davis 17

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"For several years, I have been following the furor over football and head injuries. I’ve become all too familiar with accounts of N.F.L. veterans exhibiting Alzheimer’s-like symptoms in their 40s, of teenagers dying after playing too soon after a concussion. But these tragedies didn’t seem very relevant to my own life until Will took that first big hit."(Cohen 2)

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Should Competitive Sports be Banned from Schools?

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Should Competitive Sports be Banned from Schools?