Referring to athletes as "dumb jocks" is a thing of the past. It takes a lot of time, effort, and guts to be an athlete, but in the end it all pays off because playing sports help prepare children for the future. Playing sports as a child is like a practice run for the future; there are many life lessons that are taught through sports. The child will be forced to deal with these life lessons in a larger prospective when they grow older. Athletics are a very important part of growing up because of the benefits and life lessons that sports teach.

It is important for children to find out who they really are and to develop their own character. Sports help them find out more about themselves and teach them to be happy with whom they are. The book How to Win at Sports Parenting states that involving children in sports helps them to become "self-directed, compassionate, cooperative citizens of integrity" (Sundberg 71). The development of character also develops "independence, responsibility, and accountability" which boosts self esteem (Sundberg 71). Sports teach children not only to get better physically, but also emotionally and mentally. Being the team's MVP does not develop self-estee

Did you know that the number of overweight children has doubled in the past decade? This startling fact is one of the main reasons children should be involved in some sort of physical activity. Obesity is a struggle that over five million children, between the ages of six and seventeen, are dealing with. This startling fact is due to children eating too much junk food and not getting enough exercise. Did you know that the average child between the ages of two and five watches 26 hours of television a week? It has been proved that the more television a child watches, the more likely that child is to become overweight. Physicians say that a person's fat percentage should not be over 30 percent, but the average American diet contains 36 percent fat ("Athletics: The Benefits...). In this day in age, too many people have what Sports Parenting calls "The Dunlop Disease". The name came about from a southern man when he said, "My

like them, they just want to have fun. It is said that the true spirit of sports is through friendships and there is no other bond like one a player develops with his teammates (Micheli 29-30). Along with the friendships comes teamwork, which teaches them to relate in positive and cooperative ways to others. Teamwork is something that a person deals with when they are young and old (Sundberg 72). Team sports teach children to work together and encourage one another. Playing together creates a special relationship and bond amongst teammates that is hard to break (Conner 191).

stomach done lopped over my belt" (qtd. in Sundberg 76). Playing sports teaches healthy habits and a good lifestyle that will stick with a person when they become adults (Sundberg 76). Being active affects a person's short-term and long-term health, helping to avoid diseases and injuries while they are young and when they are older. Doctor Lyle Micheli comments on the subject by saying, "Kids who exercise are stronger, more flexible, have bigger hearts, and have less fatty tissue" (Micheli 26) The three parts to having good physical fitness are: strength and flexibility, good body fat to muscle ratio, and heart-lung endurance (Micheli, 26). In conclusion, sports help children to understand why it is so important to be active and not to live a sedentary lifestyle.

Another reason why children should play spor

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Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)