sured child athelete. Suddenly,he is not just playing for a hollow trophy and a pizza party. There is something greater at stake.College recruiters flock to high schools, dangling everything from full scholarships to brand newcars in front of their faces. For financially strapped students, a scholarship is the only way theycan attend college. A dropped pass or bad arc shot goes from being a human mistake to a lifealtering incident. Harmones play a big part in this stage of a childs life. Teenagers now want to look goodin front of their peers. So not only are they playing for parents, recruiters, and coaches, they arealso playing to protect their egos. No one, at any age, wants to be considered a loser. Especiallywhen you are seventeen(Roberts, Treasure, Hall).A perfect example of a parent properly guiding his child trough life is Joe Bryant, whoseson Kobe is a member of the world champion Los Angeles Lakers. In June of 1996, Kobe made acontroversial decision when he chose to bypass college and go straight to the NBA. Joe stoodbehind his son one hundred percent. All we could do was say, You can do whatever you wantas long as you work at it said the elder Bryant, who spent eight years in the NBA himself. When injuries slowed Kobe in 1997, he was able to share his experience with his ex-playerfather, who gave him the best kind of comfort: I give him hugs to let him know its OK and itwill get better(Kantrowitz 1996). Parents take note. This is the way things are supposed to be. Unfortunately, some youths are are restricted by what sports they can particpate in.Children who suffer from ADHD have this problem. Those who suffer from this tend to fidget,be easily distracted, and exhibit other behavior abnormalities more often than their peers. Thsstimulant Ritalin is prescribed for these children. ADHD may make kids energetic, but it alsomakes them highly unfocused as well as uncoachable. So those suffering from ADHD are bettersuited in sports...
