SHOULD EXECPTIONALLY TALENTED YOUNG ATHLETES BE ALLOWED TO PLAY PROFESSIONAL SPORTS WHEN THEY ARE STILL IN THEIR EARLY TEENS EVEN IF THEY HAVE TO MOVE AWAY FROM HOME AND LEAVE SCHOOL?

Many believe that all of the hard work starts early. Like the saying says “he early bird gets the worm.” But is that all that sport is really about? I use to think that the answer to that question was yes! I feel that there are more disadvantages to sport specialization than there are advantages. Do you realize that sports affect us all in one way or another Whether or not you like sports has nothing to do with the whether or not it affects you. It's one thing for kids to dream of Olympic gold medals or Super Bowl rings and to work toward those …show more content…

Some will turn to steroids or other performance-enhancing substances to try to gain an edge. And some may give up on sports and exercise altogether. They learn to challenge themselves physically yet never mentally. A child can suffer severe self-esteem issues from being pushed too hard at sports. The child will become uptight and nervous about his performance in the game. When a child plays sports from a young age and tries too hard, his body will not be able to handle it. It could cause his body to become warn out during the child's teen years. Oftentimes the child's emotional and social maturity will not match that of the older players. It is usually best for your child to play with kids of the same age rather than push them up the ladder to play with older, usually more mature players. I think people are starting to realize how far the competitiveness has gone in sports. And I think that we are realizing that it has gone too far when we have children killing themselves to strive to be the best, taking drugs to try and obtain goals, eating disorders to make weights, and parents fighting making scenes in the stands. It is the responsibility of the adults overseeing the child’s physical, mental and emotional growth to insure the safety and well being of the