Sports have been around since man starting roaming Earth. Whether a person is three years old or sixty-five it is never too early or late to pick up a sport. The great thing is that there are so many sports out there. Whether you have a passion for swimming, baseball, or running; there are facilities and groups everywhere that a person can join. There are many more positive aspects of sports than negatives.
For many kids sports are a way out of a bad situation. There are a lot of professional athletes that came from poor, broke, and hungry families, but their out was sports. Sports let them move out of those situation. Sport gave them the opportunity to get a college degree. I like to think of Mariano Rivera’s life story. He came from a very poor family in Panama, his father was a fisherman and Mariano was on the same path. As a boy he would have to help his father work and in his spare time he would play baseball. Well one day a scout was there in Panama and saw him pitch. Just like that he had a career in baseball. He then helped his family get out of that poor situation and live comfortably. He still gives back to his home town. There are many more stories like this; this is just one example of how sports have a positive effect on kids.
Physical Health: Kids that participate in sports show decreased risks of high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease, diabetes and some types of cancer.
Mental Health: Physical activity triggers the release of endorphins in the brain, chemicals that boost mood and help prevent and relieve depression, according to the Mayo Clinic. In fact, the University of Florida reports that kids who participate in sports are less likely to develop depression than kids who don’t participate. Physical activity also relieves anxiety.
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1. Self-Esteem: The University of Florida reports that participation in sports helps children develop self-esteem and girls who participate in sports develop increased confidence and have a healthier body image than girls who don’t participate in sports.
2. Social Effects: Participating in sports provides opportunities for children to develop friendships, to learn to lose and win gracefully, to practice taking turns, to take on leadership roles, to learn to follow rules and to practice managing conflict. The social interaction experienced while participating in sports also improves mood and mental health
Discipline: Kids learn that they must show up to practice, be on time, and not to be disrespectful from sports.