Sports for Small Children: Too Much, Too Soon?
The stress of the championship game had taken its toll in fumbles, bruises and a tongue-lashing from the coach that reduced several players to tears. And why not? They were only five or six years old.
Scenes like this one will be replayed countless times all over the country this summer as organized sports leagues for children under 12 continue their phenomenal growth. But growing also is concern – from parents, coaches and doctors – over the possible physical dangers as well as the emotional damage from subjecting young children to intense athletic competition.
Psychological problems
Some youngsters are pushed into competitive sports by overzealous parents, others by parents who worry over their child’s being “left out.” But if the child’s heart is not in the sport, there is trouble ahead.
Too much competition too soon and the impact if the wrong kind of coaching on an impressionable child can destroy interest in athletics and produce lasting psychological disorders.
The “midget superstar”, on the other hand, has totally different problems. Having won trophies, worn expensive equipment, traveled to championship games and practiced, practiced for years, some kids are not so keen on more of the same.
Physical dangers
Younger children are at greatest risk in contact sports when they are poorly matched with competitors, when they use improper or inadequate safety equipment and when they are instructed in such unsafe techniques as head tackling and spearing in football.
Sports like soccer, volleyball and basketball, which entail little physical contact, also promote the best overall body fitness, require the least amount of equipment and produce the fewest physical injuries. Parents would be wise to investigate these activities.
What parents can do
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Find out if your child really wants to play or just wants to please you.
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Make sure he or she is ready, both emotionally and physically for the sport. Consult your family doctor.
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Find out if your child will take part in games or be a bench warmer.
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See if the coach is sensitive to a child’s needs or just keen on winning. The coach is the single most important factor in the program.
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Make sure the athletic equipment is of good quality, well-fitting and in good condition.
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Make sure players are matched according to weight and physical maturity as well as age. No 100-pound eight-year-old should be tackling a 55-pound eight-year-old.
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Take a hard look at the time commitment. Every day after school?
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Be sure there is well-organized plan for emergency medical care.
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Gauge how competitive the community supporting team is, If you think the coach and other parents are “out for blood,” maybe it is not a league for children, but an activity for adults.
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