Article 2: Youth Sport

During the February 13^th and February 18^th class of American Sport in the 21^st Century class we discussed youth sport.  We discussed the decisions to that youths make in order to make the commitment to participate in the youth sport of there choice. We discussed some the qualities that promote the youth to participate. They are through the Agents of Socialization which is made up from Family, Friends, School, Community (47 million involved) and Mass Media (Athletes as Role Models). In an article from the Murfreesboro Post, it discusses the same qualities that we learned about in our lectures that youth sports are supposed to be FUN! As stated in our notes and in the article that I found, the participation in youth sports is supposed to teach about accountability and teamwork. According to Coakley, (2009, pg. 132), youth sports have become increased involvement and concern among the parents. Parents are becoming move involved and sometimes that will interfere with the youth participation as that will put more pressure on the young youths. Another way parents put more pressure on the kids is by put there kid in the top of the line performance institutions to work with the best instructor there is. Sometimes when the kid tries too hard and doesn’t do very well they will want to quit and it will become not fun anymore. Parents need to allow the kids there own space to have fun before they determined that they want to quit and they will never see the full potential they have if they would have continued playing.