FREE ESSAY ON CHILDREN IN SPORTS: LESSONS LEARNED

CHILDREN IN SPORTS: LESSONS LEARNED

Aaron Snow
November 2, 2001
Mrs. Dillion
Life is a Sport
Sport is defined as an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often a
competitive nature (Webster's). Since the creation of man, sports have played a huge part
in the way people live their lives. The world today is consumed by sports. What is it
about the competition and the games that make us so drawn to something that consumes so
much of our time? From the time we are born, until the time we die, most of us are in
some way involved with competitive physical activity. Whether it was gym class in
elementary school, varsity basketball in high school, or even professional baseball as a
career, sports have an influential role in our everyday lives. Children are taught at a
young age to love sports and that they are a necessary part of life. Why is it essential
that children be placed in sporting activities? Other than the joy of participating in
the sport itself, there are several valuable lessons learned by young athletes through
the involvement of sports that make them better, well rounded, people in life. Lessons
learned through the participation in sports include psychological skills,
self-confidence, and motivation (Hardy). These lessons empower young athletes to be more
successful as they are applied to their normal lives. 
Whether the sport is gymnastics, golf, or even hockey, psychological skills become key in
the development of a successful athlete. Not only do these skills play an important role
in how an athlete performs in his game or routine, but they also help develop character,
building skills off of the field. The first of the very important psychological skills
learned is that of goal setting (Hardy and Jones, 19). In every sport it is vital to the
athlete to learn how to set goals and accomplish them successfully. Goals should be
difficult but realistic, important, and accepted by the athletes so that they will commit
themselves to them. Every competitive athlete wants to win first place and in order for
that goal to be met, he or she has to set that goal and make guidelines in order to
obtain the prize. This may require hours and even years of practice to become the best
athlete possible. Bonnie Blair, 1988 Olympic speed skater says, "Having that ultimate
goal and knowing those steps are what you've got to take in order to get to that ultimate
goal makes it easier to comprehend" (Mertzman, 300). It's like child in school. If you
wind up doing your homework, you are hopefully going to be able to get those good grades.
For Blair, if she did those workouts and spent the countless hours on the ice, she would
hopefully get the results that she wanted. Goal setting pertains to any athlete and any
person in life who wants to achieve an ultimate goal. 
Imagery and mental rehearsal is the second psychological skill learned in most sports
that can be applied to everyday life. Imagery perspective refers to the basic distinction
between "internal" and "external" imagery which Mahoney and Avener (1977) described as
follows: "In external imagery, a person views himself from the perspective of an external
observer…Internal imagery, on the other hand, requires an approximation of the real
life phenomenology such that the person actually imagines being inside his/ her body and
experiencing those sensations which might be expected in the actual situation" (p.137).
In a sport such as gymnastics it is detrimental for a gymnast to learn how to picture
himself doing routines in competition and practice. When it comes down to the actual
competition when a gymnast has to perform his routine, it is proven that the routine will
have a better outcome if the gymnast has learned the skill of mental imagery (Mertzman,
62). This learned skill of imagery can be beneficial to those who learn to use the skill
in other parts of their lives as well. Young people have far better chances of becoming
what they want to be later in life if they learn the skill of imagining themselves in
that situation (Roberts, 1976). 
Self-confidence is an extremely important skill learned through sport that is detrimental
to the well being of individuals throughout life. A study done showed that greater
precollege sport participation predicted higher self-esteem (Richman). They foster
positive body images, enhance perceptions of physical competence, and more flexible
gender identities, which in turn, predict higher self esteem. As athletes become
competitive and earn rewards for their efforts, at any level, it places in them a desire
to become better. This encouragement builds greater self-image (Thomas, 155). It is
important that each individual athlete believes in himself and knows that he is capable
of performing any feat. Confidence is distinguished between successful and less
successful performers. In a study done by Mahoney and Avener in 1977, 13 gymnasts
involved in the final trial for the 1976 United States Olympic team were questioned and
administered for 48 hours before the trial competition. In comparing he data of those who
qualified with those who did not qualify for the team, the questionnaire data showed that
the qualifiers tended to be more self-confident. Mahoney, and Avener also reported a
higher frequency of gymnastic performance-related dreams among the successful gymnasts,
within which they tended to see themselves being successful. 
One of the most important skills learned through sport is that of motivation. To say that
elite performers must be highly motivated is a statement of the obvious. However,
extremely high levels of motivation may be necessary to repeatedly produce the kind of
high quality training sessions that are required for elite performance (Hardy and
Parfitt, 1994). There are several factors involved in the motivation process. As for the
younger aged athlete, motivations can include those such as school or even family
obligations. Along with the incentives of winning games or placing in a sporting event,
come the results outside of the sports realm. Bonnie Blair stated that once she became a
better athlete and had the success within her sport, she began to see tremendous
improvement in her schoolwork (Mertzman, 300). It is proven that young athletes who
participate in sports see improvement in their discipline skills applied to school and
other responsibilities (Green, 1142). There are athletic teams and organizations for just
about every educational institution in the world. There has to be some kind of incentive
or motivation for those who participate on the teams to make the grades in school as well
as perform on the field. Most institutions have grade point requirements that have to be
met in order for the student athlete to actively participate in the sport. Meeting this
requirement serves as the motivation for a lot of student athletes. When asked if he
could convey ideas to young athletes still in grade school who are not as interested in
their schooling as much as their sporting accomplishments, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar replied,
"I would tell young athletes that their athletic dreams are great". "Those dreams will
motivate them to do wonderful things, but that cant be the only motivation that they have
in their lives" (Mertzman, 296). 
There is more to life than sports, but being actively involved in sporting activities at
a young age will develop lifelong skills that will benefit individuals outside of the
sporting realm. Skills including psychological, self-confidence, and motivation, will be
of great support to those who use and exhibit the skills on other areas of their lives.