Intercollegiate sports have a substantial position in the lives of the students. As on the university level, students have an active social position regarding sports and have a tendency to compete with their opponents intensively. It could be said that participation in intercollegiate sports is stricter, as the students have to be insufficient physical conditions since they represent the university’s varsity team (Swayne and Dodds 56). As for youth sports, the contestants are youngsters who are usually less than 18 years old.
It could be said that youth sports have a strong influence on the preparation of the participation in intercollegiate sports, as they have various social aspects, which help partially prepare for the future pressure while having a competition.
A primary goal of this essay is to evaluate the impact of social and cultural issues on the ability to handle stress in the future while being a contestant of one of the intercollegiate sports. Particular examples are used to determine the level of influence of youth sports on the ability to handle continuous pressure. In the end, the conclusions are drawn.
Firstly, the social concepts are evaluated, as they have a vehement impact on the preparation to the real competition on the university level. Socialization is one of the processes, which is actively emphasized in youth sports (Green 169). This aspect prepares students for future participation in intercollegiate sports, as it is essential to be able to communicate effectively with the coach and other team members.
Another social concept is motivation and encouragement of the coach, relatives, and friends to compete and seek improvement continuously (Stuntz and Weiss 255). This principle also encourages a person to work hard and prepare for the pressure in the future while competing on a higher level.
Moreover, a student is self-determined and works hard to achieve the desired goal. It is apparent that a student is partially prepared for the possible cultural and social challenges, which might occur since the youth sports do not have as high restrictions, requirements, and expectations as the intercollegiate sports involve.
As for the cultural concepts, they vary depending on the background of the individual. However, it was determined in the study Rationale for Developing a Cultural Sports Psychology by Peters and Williams that the culture has a particular influence on the behavior of the sportsmen (Peters and Williams 13). However, despite varying elements in behavior, the level of motivation depends on the support from the coach, family members, and friends.
It is apparent that an individual of any culture could perform favorable results if the sufficient motivation technique is chosen. In the end, it could be said that collective thinking is emphasized in group sports. Consequently, showing personal traits and cultural preferences might not be beneficial in intercollegiate sports. As the aim is to achieve outstanding performance, and not show the individual cultural characteristics.
It is widely known that a lot of people continue doing sports at the university. It seems that it is a normal flow of events, as all of the participants are in top physical shape. Nonetheless, it remains questionable whether the members of the youth sports are prepared for the high volumes of stress, which are involved in intercollegiate sports. It seems unclear whether social and cultural concepts prepare them for future challenges, as the requirements and training conditions are different in schools and universities.
Furthermore, sometimes, the coaches are workaholics on the intercollegiate sports level (Lumpkin and Anshel 406). In this case, the beginners are not prepared for continuous and intensive training.
It is clear that the demands are higher than on the youth level. However, participation in youth sports and socialization partly makes them prepared for the stress, but the training intensity and time-consumption are not entirely covered in the youth sports. Nonetheless, this pressure is worth bearing, as the university-level sportsmen achieve higher results.
Lastly, it is apparent that hard work is the primary element in the achievement of success. In youth sports, the restrictions and requirements are milder. Consequently, these cultural and social concepts do not prepare students to be ready to manage time and stress effectively.
Students who participate in intercollegiate sports have to combine academic excellence and sports achievements. For example, engineer students’ study reveals that only a limited number of students are able to syndicate these two spheres (Abedalhafiz, Kuzmar and Salameh 589).
Participation in intercollegiate sports implies outstanding achievements in all fields, and the youth sportsmen are usually not prepared for this challenge, as the studies and training are less intensive at school. Moreover, expectations are high in society. Consequently, the beginners experience difficulties while trying to be successful in all required areas. In this case, the concepts of young sports do not prepare for future cultural and social pressure.
In conclusion, it could be said that social and cultural concepts, which are emphasized in youth sports activities, have a beneficial effect on the development of the essential individual characteristics.
These traits will prepare students to achieve higher results in intercollegiate sports, as they are hardworking and prepared for challenges. Nonetheless, not everyone can bear high volumes of stress involved in intercollegiate sports. Consequently, some of the cultural and social concepts do not help to face intensive stress levels, as youth sports still remain rather mild.
Works Cited
Abedalhafiz, Abedalbasit, Aiman Kuzmar and Ibrahim Salameh. “What Motivates Engineering Students at the Hashemite University in Jordan to Join Intercollegiate Sports?” Journal of Physical Education and Sport 13.4 (2013): 589-593. Print,
Green, Ken. Key Themes in Youth Sports. New York, Routledge, 2010. Print.
Lumpkin, Kelly, and Mark Anshel. “Work Addiction among Intercollegiate Sports Coaches.” Journal of Sport Behavior 35.4 (2012): 406=432. Print.
Stuntz, Cheryl, and Maureen Weiss. “Achievement Goal Orientations and Motivational Outcomes in Youth Sport: The Role of Social Orientations.” Psychology of Sport and Exercise 10.2 (2009): 255-262. Print.
Swayne, Linda, and Mark Dodds. Encyclopedia of Sports: Management and Marketing. Thousand Oaks, SAGE Publications, Inc., 2011. Print.
Peters, Heather, and Williams, Jean. “Rationale for Developing a Cultural Sport Psychology.” Cultural Sports Psychology. Ed. Robert Schinke and Stephanie Hanrahan. Champaign: Human Kinetics, 2009. 13-21. Print.