An issue that has been debated is are competitive sports harmful or not.   Competitive sports are not harmful.  It is clear that they are not because they help build real life skills.  Another reason is they promote healthy lifestyles.  One more reason is that kids playing sports may help with their psychological well-being.

The most important reason is that they promote a healthy lifestyle. 

Sports help kids get active because obesity and diabetes rates are going up (Get off that couch and play).  In addition when kids play sports they are more motivated to eat healthier (Livestrong).  I know when I played soccer I wanted to eat healthier so I could perform better.  With participation in sports, kids could become stronger, increase endurance, build healthy muscles and bones and control weight (Livestrong).  Research shows that if all adolescents played at least 2 team sports per year and if if all adolescents walked or biked to school at least 4 days per week throughout the school year, and that obesity rates would decrease by 22.1% to 10.0% (Best way to fight teen obesity).  

Another reason is that kids learn and build real life skills.  Kids learn to accept criticism, pressure, how to work at a goal, and how to win and lose graciously.  I know when I played soccer and won I knew not to say “I won and you lost” I knew that you needed to win graciously and not rub it in.  Sports also help making a self image, getting involved, and strengthen social skills (Get Off That Couch and Play).  Sports also help with building new friendships  (The Benefits of Participating in Sports).  I agree with this because when I play new sports I always made new friends and some I still have today.  Those are some of the life skills that kids can learn from sports. 

My next reason is that sports can help kids with their psychological well-being.  According to Marianne Engle, sports psychologist and clinical assistant professor, with the New York University Child Study Center “a child participating in a sport tends to gain important physiological benefits” (Livestrong).  Playing sports also helps lower depression and anxiety (Livestrong).  Children playing sports can also give them self-esteem boosts, which can help in school and in their confidence (Livestrong).

Some people might say that competitive sports are harmful because there are more reasons to be against them than for them.  Some of the reason some people may think that they are bad because there is too much pressure, too many injuries, and parents are pushing to hard.  That is untrue because when playing competitive sports kids learn to work in a team and how to cooperate (Get Off That Couch and Play).  They also are more likely to be more active and make better food choices (Livestrong).

In summation competitive sports are not harmful.  Some people argue that competitive sports are harmful because there is too much pressure or parents are pushing too hard.  Competitive sports are beneficial because they keep kids healthy and guide kids to a healthier lifestyle (Livestrong).  Sports don’t only have physical benefits but they also have physiological benefits  (Livestrong).  An example is that kids playing sports may have higher self-esteem (Livestrong).  With participation in sports, kids could become stronger, increase endurance, build healthy muscles and bones and control weight (Livestrong). Kids who feel overwhelmed or tense with academic issues might benefit from the physical activity involved with sports activities (Livestrong).  Those are my reasons that competitive sports are not harmful.