How do sports affect children？

For this week's discussion, let's think about how physical activity affects
childhood development. Some parents stress the importance of organized sports, and many young children spend a considerable amount of their time focused on athletics. While organized sports can be beneficial, some people caution that too much emphasis on sports can also be a problem. Before our next class please use the discussion board to share your thoughts about how sports affect children.

One benefit is that kids who play team sports spend less of their time using screens. Young children who don't play sports are more likely to spend their time watching television or using computers. Unfortunately, young children who use screens for two or more hours a day are at greater risk for behavioral problems. Clearly, kids should be physically active.

We should balance athletics with other important skills. For example, focusing excessively on organized sports might lead some students to ignore education. While a career as a professional athlete might be lucrative, fewer than 2% of university athletes and far fewer high school athletes make it to a professional team. It would be better to balance physical activity with academics.