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Youth Sports
Youth sports allow many people to be the best. One of the worlds greatest soccer players
in history and four time world best player Lionel Messi, was born June 24, 1987 in Rosario,
Argentina. At age thirteen, Messi and his family moved to Barcelona spain. Messi started playing
as a young child for the Football Club Barcelona under 14 team where he scored twenty-one
goals in fourteen games for the Junior Team. Messi quickly graduated through the higher level
team until at age sixteen he was given his informal debut with Football Club Barcelona Senior
Team in a friendly match where he stayed and achieved his important goal as one of the greatest
soccers players in the world. This is an example of how youth sports have made people famous,
rich and well respected. However, this greatness requires a great deal of discipline. Messis story
proves that youth sports are not too intense. Even though many people believe that youth
sports are too intense, they are not because they teach the value of discipline and hard
work, help youth benefit from schools and organizations and they also improve healthiness.
To begin with, youth sports are not too intense because they teach the value of discipline
and hard work. Playing sports teach the value of discipline and hard work through routine
practices and game preparations. Travel to and from events and actual time on the field also
require hard work and dedication. Therefore, these basic functions of simply joining a sports
team teach different types of discipline. Time management is one of the disciplines learned from
playing sports, especially as youth. According to Vern D Seefeldt, When playing sports as a
child or youth, we should take enough time to sleep(1996). By doing that, a person is able to
manage time more efficiently and that is a form of discipline that is learned from playing sports.

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From my experience, as a sport player I have learned that discipline in sports is not just
time management. It is also the ability of a player to exercise by his or herself. Having control of
the mind and tension in the game is a great discipline for a sport player, especially as a child.
When you do this as a youth it proves that youth sports are not too intense. What Vern D Seefeldt
said also means that youth sport(s) require commitments which is working hard on and off the
playing field or court. As proven above, youth sports are important because they teach the value
of discipline and hard work.
Let me start by saying youth sports are not too intense because they help youth benefit
from schools, organizations, etc. According to Steve Bilafer, In the past 15 years youth sports
have been very supportive by helping with the college fees of sports player(2009). When you
are a sport player as a youth, your chance of having free college education is very big. Eric
Wickel also added that Children and adults with disabilities can gain numerous mental and
physical benefits from being physically active(2007). This is regardless of the persons
condition, they can get help either way from playing sports. Arguing on what I know as a sport
player, especially as a youth, sports help you out in many ways like getting free education, and it
also takes people places. For example, people who play sports are able to travel to another
country like the USA team went to Brazil. Also, beyond the benefit of traveling students are
exposed to different cultures and can make good use of opportunities at his or her disposal .
Based on the above, youth sports are not too intense because they are beneficial.
Furthermore, youth sports are not too intense because they improve healthiness. Physical
activities like playing sports are essential component of a healthy lifestyle. According to Vern D
Seefeldt Other people can not exercise because there is no fun that they find in it but by playing

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sports you can have fun and exercise at the same time(1996). In this instance, he is suggesting
that playing sports is having fun and your health will improve at the same time. The following
graph shows these benefits. As depicted, the students that exercised experienced better health,

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focus, and sleep which supports my arguments.

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According to Eric Wickel Fat obesity rates are 38% higher in children with disabilities
than children without disabilities(2007). This proves that playing sports have helped and is
helping the other 62% with better health. As a sport player and sports lover, in the past 4 years, I
have never been sick. Because of my constant exercise, I have experienced a good and healthy
lifestyle. As shown above, youth sports are not too intense because they improve healthiness. I
will like to encourage parents to let their children partake in youth sports so that they save money

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on hospital bills and improve their childs overall health. In doing so, this will positively affect
their education and ultimately their futures.
Because youth sports teach the value of discipline and hard work, help youth benefit from
schools/organizations, and help youth to be healthy, they are not too intense despite the fact that
many people believe that sports need drastic changes to make them less intense. In the recent
past, there have been a lot of talk about youth sports. Many argue that they are too intense
because of the number of concussions and other injuries. Today, due to the high level of
diagnosed concussions many people are making a strong push to discredit sports and their role.
This is a mistake and needs to be challenged. In the future, technology can be used to help
improve equipment. There should be a push to create lightweight equipment that will prevent
concussions and children will still benefit from playing sports or even more.

Works Cited
Bilafer, Steve. "Will the Real Grown-ups in Youth Sports Please Stand Up?"
SportsBusiness Journal (2009): 1. 17 Aug. 2009. Web. 24 Sept. 2014.
Loh, Stefanie. "Safety in Youth Sports Act Aims to Safeguard Youths with
Concussions." Pennlive.com. 27 Jan. 2011. Web. 19 Sept. 2014.

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Seefeldt, Vern D., and Martha E. Ewing. "Youth Sports in America: An Overview."
Research Digest 2nd ser. 11 (1996): 1-19. A Study of Ethnicity and Sports
Participation. University of Florida, 05 Sept. 2002. Web. 19 Sept. 2014.
Wickel, Eric. "Contribution of Youth Sport to Total Daily Physical Activity... :
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise." Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
39.9 (2007): 1493-500. LWW Journals - Beginning with A. Sept.-Oct. 2007. Web. 19
Sept. 2014.
Wiersma, Lenny D. "Risks and Benefits of Youth Sport Specialization: Perspectives
and Recommendations." Pediatric Exercise Science February 12.1 (2000): 13-22.
Human Kinetics Journals. Human Kinetics Inc. Web. 19 Sept. 2014.