Specialization in Sports

Course: Sports and Exercise Psychology
Specialization in Sports
Seeing that I am a prospective Physical Education teacher, I believe that Physical Education plays an important role in a child’s development. According to Mark Hecimovich (2001), “Sports participation can provide youth with a social environment that fosters fair play, competitiveness, and achievement. The psychological and social benefits of regular physical activity help in coping with stress and anxiety, counterbalance the burden and symptom of excessive quiet sitting and mental concentration, and have a favourable influence on developing a positive self-image and functional social relationship”, so I applaud you for making an attempt to get your child involve in a formal club so that she can become an elite athlete and get involve in physical activity however there are numerous dangers in participating in a specific sport at an early age. Novak (1976), view sports as, “the progressive loss of freedom in exchange for increased excellence and precision. Thus, young athletes who choose to specialize sacrifice creative spontaneity and playful impulses to become increasingly oriented toward record setting and quantitative assessments”. Children don’t get to do what children at their age should be doing like engaging in jump ropes, hopscotch, moral, monkey bars, ketch and hide and seek that they enjoy doing and is active at the same time. In addition, Tofler,Stryer BK, Micheli LJ. Herman LR (1996) stated that, “there are adverse consequences from intense training and competition” and a three year old is not physically or mentally prepared for intense training.
Researchers has also shown that while sports is a good avenue for individuals to build and create relationships it could also affect young children participating in specialise sports. Tofler Stryer BK, Micheli LJ. Herman LR (1996) stated that,” social contact outside of school is largely limited to the athletes who train together, and the interactions that occur in high-level sport during training are minimal. Athletes are taught that a total commitment of time, energy and emotions is needed to succeed, which often means that school, family, and peer ties suffer.” Athletes feel socially handicapped and this could put a lot of strain on the children which forces them to be responsible at an early stage of their life. As a prospective Physical Educator I would not advice you to start your child off so early in a particular sport, agree with me to let her explore and have fun because of the disadvantages I mention.
I would recommend that you start your child in a Physical Education Program because it has a lot of benefits. Psychological and social factors attributed to the level of physical activity entailed in the Physical Education Programme can be one of the major contributors to the overall performance of your child.
“Increased activity levels might also be related to increased self esteem, which could be expected to improve classroom behaviour as well as academic performance” (COE, 2006). When students differ from their usual levels of activity each day by performing an increased amount of physical activity in a physical education program, self esteem can be increased. This may be as a result of being able to perform a difficult movement in a physical education sessioon such as a tripod. This can also be one of the foremost roles in the increased levels of self efficacy in an individual. This proves, therefore, as an indicator that when students of a physical education class performs an increased level of activity their general behaviour increases.
Since physical activity helps to increase the self esteem and self efficacy in individuals, the motivation of these individuals will also increase. According to Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs all humans have the need to be respected and to have self esteem. The endorphins produced during physical activity makes an individual’s self esteem increase and thus that individual’s motivation will also increase because his/her esteem needs were met. Further motivation occurs when a student is able to complete a difficult task by him/herself.
The aim pf physical education, according to L. Hoyte, in the primary level, generally will be to display good sportsanship, develop desirable social standards for citizens and respect for authority and exhibit social skills and to assume supportive and leadership roles in the classroom.
Specialisation in sport has alot of benefits but Dr. DiFiori encourages youth attempt to a variety of sports and activities. He says this allows children to discover sports that they enjoy participating in, and offers them the opportunity to develop a broader array of motor skills. In addition, this may have the added benefit of limiting overuse injury and burnout.
“Physical activity contributes to a happy and healthy childhood,” says Dr. DiFiori, “however, parents, coaches and children should monitor and measure their involvement level in a singular sport against the overall well-being and future success of the participant.”
REFERENCES
* Tofler JR, Stryer BK, Micheli LJ. Herman LR. Physical and emotional problems of elite female gym- nasts. NEJM 1996;25:2 1-285. * Tofler Stryer BK, Micheli LJ. Herman LR (1996) * http://www.yorku.ca/bakerj/High%20Ability%20Studies%20paper.pdf

References: * Tofler JR, Stryer BK, Micheli LJ. Herman LR. Physical and emotional problems of elite female gym- nasts. NEJM 1996;25:2 1-285. * Tofler Stryer BK, Micheli LJ. Herman LR (1996) * http://www.yorku.ca/bakerj/High%20Ability%20Studies%20paper.pdf