It's a given that parents only want the best for their children. And that's one of the reasons they enroll them in organized sports -- often at a very early age; they believe that sports participation builds "character."
People can go on and on, expounding on the many values children supposedly learn by taking part in competitive sports. It's been the conventional wisdom for longer than I've been alive. But the truth is, there's little research to support the theory. There is, however, evidence to the contrary.
Consider this: a 1995 poll of 198 Olympic or aspiring Olympic athletes, reported in Sports Illustrated, showed to what lengths individuals will go to win. Asked if they would take a banned, performance-enhancing substance that would both go undetected and enable them to win, 195 said they would; only three said no. And when asked if they would take such a substance if they wouldn't get caught, they would win every competition entered for five years, and then die from the substance's side effects, more than half of the athletes said yes!
But, you may be thinking, those were athletes whose lives had revolved around winning for many years; they're probably an exception to the rule.
Maybe, but the attitude had to begin sometime and grow from there, as this story indicates: a survey of 965 students at four middle schools in Massachusetts found that almost 3% of the children were using anabolic steroids to enhance their appearance and performance. From where do children as young as 10 learn such skewed priorities?
Other research shows that long-term participation in sports results in the display of less sportsmanship and more aggressive behavior -- and that even if athletes learn some prosocial behaviors on the field, they rarely transfer them to other areas of their lives. Studies have also demonstrated that competitive children are both less generous and less empathetic than others.
Most recently, the Josephson Institute of Ethics released a report on the impact of high school sports on the values and ethics of student athletes. Here's part of what it found:
- Boys who play baseball, football, and basketball are more likely to cheat on the field and in school.
- Nearly half of the baseball and football players saw nothing wrong with using a playbook stolen from a rival team.
- A high percentage of both male and female athletes thought it was okay for a coach to tell a player to fake an injury.
- About half of all baseball players thought it was okay for a coach to tell a pitcher to throw at the opposing batter.
Still, people continue to believe that sports participation builds character. But is that the kind of "character" we want our children to grow up with?
Your post brought back a lot of memories. Competition ruined the enjoyment of play and sport for me for most of my childhood. No one ever emphasized the fun of doing it, it was all about the reward of winning. I now have my five year-old in swimming lessons for safety reasons. He needs to learn how to respect and use water. Right now, his bravery outranks his abilities and it scares me.
Your post reminded me to keep focussed on his growing abilities for his own enjoyment rather than watching to see how he's doing compared to the other kids in the class!
Posted by: Kate | October 29, 2007 at 05:47 AM
Wow, Kate, thanks for this post! I may want to talk more with you at some point about your childhood sports experiences!
Although I'm sorry my post brought up unpleasant memories, I'm glad it reminded you of what matters for your son. And you're so wise to recognize that "his bravery outranks his abilities." That's the concern of a lot of experts -- that children who are comfortable with the water won't be afraid enough of it! It's good to remember that children your son's age are still too young to take responsibility for their own safety!
Posted by: Rae Pica | October 29, 2007 at 09:18 AM
Just wanted to drop in and say "Hi!"
Hopefully I'll be commenting more now that I'm getting the hang of this baby thing, heh.
Moving on to the actual comment...
I think sports CAN teach kids good things like being a good sport and working with others, etc as long as that's the focus and not "winning-at-any-cost". I agree with Kate though, too - it stops being fun when competition completely takes over.
Posted by: Lisa G. | October 29, 2007 at 07:15 PM
Hi, Lisa! Just went to your site and saw the photo of Isaac. You have my congratulations on the birth of your first child and my deepest sympathies on your sleep deprivation. The latter is a horrible thing, isn't it? But the former should make it worth it...
Look forward to your continuing participation here! : )
Posted by: Rae Pica | October 30, 2007 at 08:59 AM
As with most things I feel that this is an area that requires balance. I do wholeheartedly agree that the majority of parents are pushing for competition and to win, when that should not be the focus. The focus of organized sports (as already mentioned) should be cooperation, physical fitness, and most importantly - having FUN!
I know of one example in particular where the parents have sacrificed EVERYTHING to allow their two sons to play hockey - money, time, several summer camps, camps over school breaks, expensive equipment, etc., etc. They tape every game and review it with their children after about what they can do to improve. This is EXTREME and NOT HEALTHY; their sons are only 10 and 8! They are already banking on their sons' sports abilities to get them passes into college. This is an extreme example yes, but there are far too many parents and coaches out there who are not that far removed from this example.
As a mother, I long for my child to at least experience an organized sport, but we are definitely waiting until they are older, maybe even letting them decide the "what" and "when", I'm not sure. I want them to be old enough to understand that their focus should be just to have fun. There are far too many other demands and pressures on our children today... ... that's not one that I need to willingly place my children in, especially as toddlers and young children.
Posted by: Ellen McBride | October 31, 2007 at 10:35 AM
I'm sorry but what you have to say is TOTALLY WRONG! I have been playing sports my entire life from little league to college now and sports have molded me into becoming a strong moral man. I am writing a paper on how sports (especially football, baseball, and track) have shaped me to be the man I am now. I must say if it wasn't for these sports I played and baseball I am still playing now I wouldn't be the same. Sports have taught me who I am and what it is like to give you everything to something you love. Sports have instilled integrity, honor, respect, and great work ethic in me. So don't just go on what studies say talk to athletes who have played these sports for their intire life, they will tell you how much sports have helped them. -Kyle
Posted by: Kyle | February 25, 2008 at 08:28 PM
Do you think sports build character or reveal it?
If you think it does both, please explain.
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Sports are sure to build character, but I think they tend to accentuate the prior tendencies.
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