to a high school a good program is needed.Involvement in sports and competition can also be very negative for children. In todays culture winning is believed to be everything. This may be because of parental involvement and professional sports putting a great emphasis on winning. Seventy-five percent of children in organized sports drop out by the age fourteen because of over emphasis on competition (Picon). Three out of four children wouldnt mind if no one kept score at all. They would prefer to lose and have fun than to win at all costs, but overzealous adults and parents drown voices out (Spaid 1997). With Little League, soccer, and football programs increasing parental involvement is increasing as well. Parents watching their children compete brings out an unfamiliar intensity of emotion. They enjoy childs success much more than their own. The intensity and frequency of tantrums that many parents display at games is on the rise (Spaid 1997). Parents often yell at coaches for not recognizing talent, other parents, referees and sometime the child herself. They are believed to behave this way because they see in their children the embodiment of their own unfulfilled expectations and goals (Tye 1997). Children do not need this burden and stress; they are having enough trouble putting one foot in front of other without falling down. Too much stress can seriously affect a childs ability to focus on skills and performance and competition can be seen as a threat and not a challenge. Some parents push their children so far in sports to a point where it is more work than fun. The child may begin to feel they are playing the sport for their parents instead of for themselves. Some parents even use guilt or bribery to keep the child involved (Tye 1997). Children cannot handle the parental pressure and stick with it to avoid disappointing these parents. Parents who over do themselves in sports make the mistake of punishing a c...
