The value of Youth Participation in Sports

Competitive sports reflect society's value system. Since the United States, for the greater part of its history, has not felt the menace of foreign aggression and has no universal system of military training, sports fulfill the need to develop in youth the principles of offensive and defensive ability. Competition is based on struggle, the survival of the fittest: "Youth sports has traditionally been viewed as an avenue for channeling negative aggressive behavior into a positive, constructive direction" (Ramsey and Rank, 1997, p. 30). The veiled aim of many physical education programs is to develop strength in the masses, which is necessary for the survival of the nation in times of war.

Society also aspires to produce human beings who are good citizens, a goal that some experts believe is fulfilled with competitive sports. One of the most frequent arguments given in favor of sports participation is that it instills a sense of teamwork. Because society consists of diverse groups of individuals, citizens must be willing to jo

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wey (1972) believed that the educational process has both a psychological and a sociological side. The psychological side is the child's own instincts and powers which, combined with a knowledge of social conditions past and present, enables the child to make mental projections about societal futures. Thus the knowledge and skills that all children must learn are those that train for full mental capacity, judgment, and executive forces: "the only possible adjustment which we can give to the child under existing conditions, is that which arises through putting him in complete possession of all his powers" (Dewey, 1972, p. 86). Sports do little to promote emotional well-being in children because personal happiness is dependent upon social adjustment or orientation. If an individual is happy and satisfied in a group, he or she will do better work. This depends, however, upon whether the individual belongs to the group or is accepted by the group. The way the individual acts with others and regards others are social relationships that determine his or her acceptance. Sports do not foster positive social relationships because participation is so fraught with self-criticism: "The fact that one's self-assessment of athletic a
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Approximate Word count = 2180
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page)

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