“Children Need to Play, Not Compete” by Jessica Statsky Essay

Introduction

There is a contradiction in the mind of teenagers, which has been difficult to transcend. The issue of making the right decision on the activities they are to embark on and whose counsel to follow has been of high importance to teenagers. Teenagers in the present age find themselves in a tight situation with decision-making in that their school psychologists made them realize that being happy is based on the ability to make friends and the development of skills. Meanwhile, teachers and parents advised that happiness lies in competing and outperforming others.

However, to teenagers, happiness means fame, joy, contentment, and having peace of mind. Just as Paul Brenner asserted in his book, “If life is a game, why am I not having fun”. He quoted that “Happiness is success”¹. Looking at it from the teenagers’ perspective of happiness, play to them means happiness and happiness means success. Accordingly, there is a vast distinction between one accomplishing his goal to be happy and to accomplish happily.

Opinion

In the essay “Children Needs to play not compete” Jessica Statsky talked about some of the health, physical, and psychological reasons’ children should not be allowed to indulge in competitive games or sports. She appealed to the parents and coaches or game masters on the implications and dangers of organized sports, and she argued that competitive sports may harm teenagers both physically and mentally. Statsky in the book stated that sports generally are organized activity irrespective of how it’s being organized either locally or nationally or internationally. She also persuaded that both contact and non-contact sports played by kindergarten have side effects on the children either as a competitor or as a spectator; hence they should not be allowed to partake in competitive sports.

He further stated that the Adult standard of sports that is imposed on teenagers by overzealous coaches and parents makes sports unproductive and unprofitable to the children hence desisting from such action of infliction.

In Statsky’s essay, she made a clear opinion of her stands on the consequences involved in such games including the physical harm to growing bodies and the psychological harm of competing. She also emphasized the method of selection and the determination of parents and coaches who impose that winning is done or die affair.

In light of Jessica Statsky’s book ‘Children need to play, not compete, she argued that, with the vivid increase of sporting competition lately in the United States, children have been exposed to adults hard and rigorous training by devoted parents and coaches at their tender age making a game that is supposed to are made to go through and also the belief that they must always win thereby making them lose the spirit of sportsmanship, and neither gaining satisfaction nor benefiting from them.

In as much as sports are good for physical, mental, and emotional growth, they should be organized in a manner that the youths will enjoy the game at the end of it rather than the fear of being hurt or defeated by the other competitors.

Stastky stated that the standard adopted in organized games such as PeeWee, Football and Little League Baseball are too rigorous for the youths at the fundamental part of their early years in life, which makes it developmentally inappropriate for them, and making it both physically and psychologically harmful. Statsky also noted that due to the children’s inability to meet the standards expected of them, they are screened out from competing, hence thwarting the achievement of their goal of showcasing their potential talents.

Statsky further asserted that children are endangered by physical actions that are bad for growing bodies, sometimes they sustain injuries which in turn results in lifelong injuries, or if they are not injured, fear of being hurt hinders them from enjoying or partaking of sport. Alongside physical risk and nervousness, she stated that competitive sports have psychological effects on children, so before they are psychologically ready for competition, Statsky advised that parents and coaches should try emphasizing cooperation and individual performance in team sports and not winning.

In this essay, I will assess the point of Statsky’s disagreement in view of children not partaking in competitions, considering whether her perspective on the issue is right, convincing, dependable and comprehensive. Although I agree with her to some extent, her reasons are convincing and brace her sad plead, but they also have some flaws, if we are to look at the issue of sports critically from the physical and psychological aspects of competing, we find that sports and competitions are not categorized or based on age but on how fit and technically good one is in the game and how motivated the child is in getting on with such sports. So, one starts training at the early stage in life for perfection in the tricks involved and also be acquainted in such game, irrespective of the consequences should be involved in such game, and by so doing the child will be fit enough for a future encounter as they grow old.

Martin Rablovsky noted that some children, immediately the coaches whistle blows, the spirit of play suddenly disappears and sports become a job like (qtd in Coakley 94) if we look at his quote psychologically, we will agree that due to the prizes awarded at the end of every competition the children make it a point of duty to win at all cost hence making the game or competition job like. So, winning and losing should not be expected from adults alone but the youths inclusive, since they are easily influenced and adapt to the situation on time.

The youths should learn to embrace all games and competitions with all seriousness because everything one does in life has to begin with a step, for instance, we cannot just build a house without first making a foundation, and also there is a quote that says, ‘teach a child in a way he should go, and he will never depart from it’². Accordingly, in every sport or game, one has to be fully involved to gain proper knowledge of the tricks and tack ticks of the game before becoming a professional in such a game. For one to get to that stage, he has to learn by going through much rigorous training right from the early years of life, and if determined to be a sportsman, the issue of injury or elimination will be ruled out because what matters most is the teenager getting to the top and not shying away from defeat, elimination or injury at their early years and having self-confidence in whatever, they do except for the loss of interest in the game.

If we look at this issue from the physical harm it does to the children, we will notice that youth are different in physic and stamina some are energetic and courageous, able to stand all anxieties while some are frailty and afraid and cannot stand being hurt or undergo pains. I can recollect when we were young and learning how to ride a bicycle some of us sustained an injury by falling many times and still persisted in learning, while others gave up along the way for fear of being hurt or sustaining an injury.

Considering that children like playing, I believe games should be as enjoyable as possible and the most desirable time for the young one, not one whereby they are afraid of failure or being selected for a competition, they are to be encouraged that ‘practice makes perfect’ not look for excuses when the time for playing reaches, and once they are good they will not be eliminated or dropped from competition, because all about competition lies on cooperation within the teammates and outsmarting the other hence the joy of participating arises in you, and you look forward to other competitions thereby building your physical and psychological attributes.

Conclusion

In concluding this essay, I believe that competitive sports do not beguile teenagers into any form of corporal act that is disadvantageous to the body. Frequently, one will notice that coarse qualities are what attract teenagers to competitive sports since children are mostly risk-takers and believe they are indestructible, hence they are not afraid of injury and when such sports are eradicated, they will always develop another avenue of injuring themselves, so Statsky’s perspective on the disadvantage of teenagers indulging on competitive sports is flawless.

Looking back at Statskys essay she stated that why children quit sports “apart from their change in interest” but also because of “…lack of playing time, failure and fear of failure, disapproval by significant others and psychological stress” one will agree with me that teenagers are influenced by the parents, coaches and their friends. This group of people is considered as outside forces in every sport thereby making them lose interest in sports and not the sport discouraging the children from indulging. I do not agree that competitive sport is derailing Children’s advantage to partake in sporting competitions; rather it tends to develop their skills, needs and abilities³.

Footnotes

1. Brenner, P. If life is a game, how come I’m not having fun? A guide to life’s challenges. Albany: SUNY Press, 2001. (107)
2. The holy Bible, New international version (NIV) 1984. PRINTED by international Bible society. New Jersey
3. Statsky, J. Children need to play, not compete (502)