Sports are one of the driving forces in what defines a childhood. Yes, we had our Disney and Nickelodeon shows that we’d tune into everyday. Yes, we had the foods that defined what it was like to be a child. But, when you look at sports, no matter what age, it brought people together. Waking up on an early Saturday morning to prepare for that game is unparalleled. As we grow older, we start to realize more and more what competition really is. As we go into high school and college, sports become less of an extracurricular and more of a part of life.
Late nights, sore muscles, hours of perfecting your craft, and time after time getting screamed at by the coach were all worth it. Why? Because it leads to the one day where you get a college offer or, perhaps, even make it big. That’s the journey that sports take many people on. However, in recent years, I’ve been witness to the politics that have been inserted into the sports world. From getting college athletes paid to the never-ending meritocracy, sports have become a problem for the youth. They’ve shifted from something that was “fun” to something where everyone wants their fair share of compensation or championships. For a multitude of reasons, in today’s day in age, sports are simply destroying the youth.
The Upbringing
The problems with sports and the youth begin to come at a young age. With the most impactful sport in America among the youth being football, that in itself has posed problems for young athletes. Safety is obviously a huge concern when it comes to these risky sports. However, the problem falls less in safety and more in the fact that this is the beginning of what largely impacts the future for the youth.
Studies say that the longer someone plays tackle football, the more likely they are to suffer from a neurodegenerative disease such as CTE. There are a variety of factors that contribute to this destroying the youth; factors that are to be discussed throughout the article. But, the basis of that is obviously injuries. The injuries that can occur with sports can compromise a kid for the rest of their life. Football isn’t the only sport in the world. It’s just the sport that provides the highest health risk.
Luckily, this part of the article relates to the younger generation of athletes. The risk of disease is becoming more and more clear. That’s why there have been regulations put in place to prevent this. Most recently, lawmakers held a hearing in New York on legislation that would prohibit children under 12 from playing tackle football in the state, something that seems necessary.
Granted, little kids obviously aren’t delivering NFL-like blows. Though, the numbers don’t lie, and each year a player takes the field, their risk for developing the disease is increased by 30%. If debates in New York aren’t enough, similar legislation have been proposed and/or passed by Maryland, Illinois, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. Massachusetts has even gone as far as to sponsor an act that would ban children in seventh grade or younger from playing tackle football. In addition, states such as Maryland have expanded the proposals to include soccer and lacrosse as well. The proposal is to restrict both headers and checking for players before high school. Each proposed state law is simply with the intent of protecting the youth.
Anyone can make the argument that the legislation are pointless. Why? Because these athletes are just kids. Some people realize that the issues aren’t immediate. It’s rather about what can build over time – a huge disease that can derail one’s career/life. These laws are geared to have a child’s sports career start later in life. Quite frankly, I’m all for it. Not only is it safer for the athlete, but it suppresses huge risks. Ages 5-12 are years where competition isn’t truly potent. Safety in sports has grown to be a huge issue in recent years. It contributes to the detrimental effect that the sports have on the youth.
Travel Youth Sports: Filled With The Best Talent? Or Just The Richest?
If you want another reason why sports are destroying the youth, you can look at the lack of equal opportunity. That’s not based on race or culture or anything of the sorts, rather how much money is coming into their parents’ pockets. In the almost $17 billion industry that is kids sports, there was a 4.5% decline between 2011 and 2017 in participants. Is it because kids are into video games and ice cream? Maybe so. But, let’s take a look at the numbers once again.
Richer families are experiencing an increase in youth sports participation while lower-income families are experiencing the opposite. The most-talented individuals are often ones not even on a team due to the high cost of team sports. It’s easy for the richer families to write a $3,000 check to put their son/daughter on a superteam that travels across the globe for a single tournament. High-level, expensive travel leagues don’t look to acquire the best talent. They look to get the best from the richest families. While the rich are across the globe, the lower class athletes are in the local recreation league playing games 20 minutes away on Saturdays. This is what people call the “classist system” which separates young athletes into two categories: the travel-team (wealthy and talented) and the locals (not as wealthy, maybe more talented).
If I’m a kid and I see my wealthy friend traveling across the globe for a game, that discourages me. That makes me think that I’m not good enough, possibly leading me to quit the sport. All the blame, in this regard, can be put on these expensive travel teams. That’s what the youth of America faces in sports. It’s just part of the reason why sports are destroying the youth.
When Competition Becomes Potent And Priorities Need To Be Set Straight
Now, we move to high school sports – the glory days for many athletes across the country. However, high school sports often derail a person from what their true goals should be. No one is telling any athlete how they should run their life. However, it’s alarming to see students transfer to schools solely because they’re elite in a sport. As everyone should know, playing sports is a privilege and not a right. As quick as one joins a team is as quick as one can get kicked off. High schools across the country take pride in the sports, in which, they’ve been dominant. For the athletes, though, they often treat sports as their only way out.
High school sports are killing the youth by simply adjusting what their main focus should be. Today, you have athletes who seem to care less and less about the average on their report card and more about where their next offer is coming from. That’s unacceptable, at least, to me. For most jobs, you’re going to need some type of degree. And, in my opinion, any and everyone is capable of earning one.
The argument being made here is that athletes often value sports over education. Think about those high school seniors who go the entire season without that offer they hoped for. Those same athletes were so focused on receiving an offer that they turned their focus away from the real numbers that matter: grades. The disappointment leads to athletes taking various paths towards the same goal. Football players often shift their focus to playing ball at a JUCO school while basketball players may re-class. Other sports have their own methods as well, but the point is realized.
The only person who knows what someone goes through is the person themselves. Different situations can lead to dependence on different things. However, that doesn’t excuse more athletes from having any motivation to even step foot in class. Anything can happen in this game of life. That includes career-ending injuries. Some athletes, at ages of 14-17, don’t value education as much as they should. That’s the biggest problem with high school sports in reference to how it destroys the youth.
It doesn’t matter if you’re an athlete or not, you should chase your goals. What I’m saying is that athletes, in chasing those goals, often put the sport above more important things, such as education. In the grand scheme of things, this isn’t as big of an issue as children and disease. However, it’s another example as to how sports are compromising the youth. If you want to play DI sports, go ahead. But, don’t put your educational potential aside for a sport that gives you a slim chance to “make it.” That’s the biggest issue. If we’re being realistic, most athletes probably won’t get a sniff of what playing in a DI program is like. The fact that they have that high hope is, once again, both commendable and detrimental.
I, at 17-years-old, have taken notice to how high school students portray themselves in accordance with sports. One thing my Athletic Director always stresses is that playing sports is a privilege and not a right. That’s something that needs to be put through these athletes’ heads. Sports are destroying the youth in the sense that some of their mindsets are off. Education matters. I’ve witnessed athletes who have the potential to do something for themselves in regards to their grades. Instead, they elect to chase that scholarship. That’s the biggest issue among high school athletes.
You may also think that athletes are so reliant on sports because it’s the only way in which they’ll pay little-to-nothing for college. That’s far from the case. As of 2010, 28% of DI basketball players came from low-income families. Five years later, that number was 19%. As of August 2019, only one in seven students with a DI scholarship are from families, in which, neither parent went to college. That alone invalidates the previously-mentioned argument.
Give Your Homegrown Athletes A Chance
Another issue that arises when it comes to high school sports is the matter of “recruiting” or bringing in transfers every year. Especially in basketball, established powerhouses often bring in transfers to bolster their roster. And more times than not, these transfers are already established players who’ve come to play with the best team they can. This is an issue. High schools, more often than not, lean on transfers to be the final puzzle piece towards championships.
The reason why this is a problem is because of that gem sitting on the bench that’ll never see the court because of the transfer. Of course, top teams have open workouts throughout the offseason that should be used to display talent. However, if an established player transfers after zero open gym workouts, you can bet your money that your spot has been taken, no matter how many times you’ve busted your behind in the gym.
Look no further than Los Angeles’ Sierra Canyon High School for evidence of this very situation. This past spring, Bronny James (son of LeBron James) and Zaire Wade (son of Dwyane Wade) both transferred to Sierra Canyon. Any player would also transfer if given the opportunity to play for last year’s top-ranked high school basketball team in the country. James and Wade are joining a team that went 32-3 and won a state championship last year. They’re a team that lost Kenyon Martin Jr. and Scotty Pippen Jr.
What I’m trying to get at here is that Sierra Canyon has obviously brought high-level talent to continue their winning tradition. In the process, they fail to think about the homegrown prospect who may (or may not) be better than players being brought in. Some may be quick to shoot down that statement, but none of us truly know. The “tryout” process that’s traditional for all sports is basically nonexistent in this regard, as teams are basically already decided upon in the offseason.
Sports, or in this case, high school sports, have developed a system that doesn’t really give players a chance to shine. Sierra Canyon was just an example. But, what happens to the homegrown kid who worked his tail off to get to the place he wanted to be? He gets put on the bench for another transfer who stole, what could’ve been, his spotlight.
When a player transfers, you can bet your money that it means another tryout hopeful just lost their spot. With the number of transfers coming in, that only means less for those who are actually working to find their place. That can be the case for many other sports. Similar to the idea for setting priorities straight, this isn’t a big issue. Because, at the end of the day, all the team wants to do is win.
There’s no doubt in my mind though that high school athletes (especially in basketball) have seen their goals fade due to the influx of established talent coming to their school. You can’t use the argument that the situation should fuel the “gem” or sleeper player to work harder. The way this system is set up, no matter how hard you work, you’re not getting a spot ahead of LeBron James’ son. That’s a fact.
States Are Granting Rights For College Athletes Regarding Compensation
California recently set off a trend in regards to college athletes and their money. Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law a bill that would ease the process in which athletes profit off their name, image, and likeness. That law is due to go into effect in 2023. That means that, as of 2023, college athletes will be compensated for those previously-mentioned items. For now, the NCAA will be forced to avoid scheduling games against California schools.
Money for college athletes in California means that California schools are no longer part of the NCAA. With that, the NCAA’s backs were against the wall. Many other states were going to follow suit. If more states signed into law the same regulations that Governor Newsom did, then they too would be excluded from the NCAA. On the bright side, those states would have other excluded states to compete against, outside the NCAA umbrella. That would leave the NCAA with only one option: take back the narrative.
NCAA Retaliates Against State Legislators & Furthers The Issue With The Youth & Sports
The biggest problem facing youth sports today is the NCAA. Although those athletes do look like grown men, they’re still kids. In recent years, especially in 2019, college athletes and compensation have been constantly circulating within the media. The bottom-line is that the NCAA made a huge, huge mistake.
Their top policy-making group voted “unanimously to permit students participating in athletics the opportunity to benefit from the use of their name, image, likeness, in a manner consistent with the collegiate model.” This voted-on agreement will have to occur within principles and guidelines which include: “maintaining the priorities of education and the collegiate experience to provide opportunities for student-athlete success, making clear that compensation for athletics performance or participation is impermissible, and assuring student-athletes are treated similarly to non-athlete students unless a compelling reason exists to differentiate among other things.” No other specific details were provided.
To understand the problem the NCAA is to the youth, one must understand the background behind it. With this unanimous vote, college athletes are now able to be paid by anyone except the university they play for. That’s a huge problem that destroys the youth in terms of morals and performance, among other things, in the near future.
How The Present and Future Of The NCAA Compromises Athletes The Most
This trend has set off a variety of questions with the most important one being: should college athletes really be paid? Well, I can tell you the answer is no. This is one of the biggest reasons why sports are killing the youth. There’s no bluff when I tell you that Duke’s Men’s Basketball team, especially Zion Williamson, often displayed a cocky persona while on campus. The reason why is obvious. He’s the most hyped-up prospect in NBA history. Nevertheless, that’s a persona that can extend to many athletes if they’re getting paid. If athletes are being compensated for their work on the court/field/ice, it creates a “me” rather than “we” mentality. It creates the sense that certain things matter less because, at the end of the day, they’re getting paid.
Above everything, you can’t mention college athletes getting paid without mentioned the Title IX law. If you’re not familiar with the law (which all sports fans should be), it goes as follow:.
Basically, men and women must be provided equal opportunities to participate in sports. That law extends to equal treatment in regards to coaching, locker rooms, facilities, medial/training services, dining services, support services, etc.
How would a DI women’s field hockey player feel to be paid a fifth of what the quarterback of the football team would? According to Title IX, this is something that should never happen. The simple fix is that colleges should pay these two players equal right? That’s the problem. The college won’t be paying athletes anything. Instead, they’re allowing them to be paid through endorsements and video games, something the NCAA would say they have no control over. Does this mean that EA Sports should make an NCAA Field Hockey video game? Yes. Will they? No. That’s how the youth is being destroyed, once again.
This law, proposal, vote. or whatever you want to call it is simply unfair. College sports are the NCAA. The NCAA is college sports. You can’t pass a law allowing athletes to be compensated when you know the treatment will not be equal for all parties. How would it feel to see two teammates make significantly more money than you do just because they are a popular player? The worst part about it is, the NCAA looks to forbid colleges to compensate athletes based on performance. In sports, you might just see some brands take the clout over skill, leading to yet another uneven, unfair money advantage.
No college athlete should be paid. That’s what the next level is for. You can’t argue that these athletes have a large chunk of their time taken from them because they aren’t forced to participate. The concept of paying athletes has too many problems already. All of these laws that are being passed are contributing to the reason why sports are simply compromising the youth. The cons are way more evident than the pros. The NCAA has yet to give specific details nor mention how Title IX factors into the decision. But, since getting athletes paid seems to be near the top of the NCAA’s priority list, that only means a decline in the morality and equality of the youth.
Wrapping Things Up
The future is bright, and the future is now. It needs to be understood that out of the millions of athletes across the country, only few get to the pinnacle of where sports can take them. The feeling of competing is something that’s unmatched. From laws limiting young kids from playing football to college athletes getting paid, sports are indeed beginning to destroy the youth. For all the reasons above, sports simply are turning into something that can compromise the young athlete.
Are sports destroying the youth? Let me know.
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