The University of Maryland’s Youth Sports Program

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Purpose and Methodology Overview
Problem Explanation
Evidence of The Problem
Solution To the Problem
Recommendations
Conclusion
References

Introduction

People worldwide often neglect youth sports programs because they are perceived as inferior choices for students compared to academic excellence. Families and schools fail to focus on balancing learning and sports programs when it comes to creating a holistic environment in learning institutions. As a result, aspects such as physical education and other extracurricular activities are ignored by educators. Most students have the potential to become excellent athletes and often show high performance in sports programs. However, schools may decide to restrict their participation in sports activities if they do not get good grades. The blind-sided assumption that favors academic importance over sports programs has caused a skewed understanding of sports’ roles among school-aged students and the world (Chen, 2022). A learner’s overall positive development should focus on both aspects of academics and physical wellness to create a balance between students’ physical fitness and academic greatness, creating a holistic learning environment for students. Ultimately, it is essential to define the non-prioritization of school sports programs, the extent of the problem, and justify the solution and recommendations.

Purpose and Methodology Overview

The research report seeks to inform readers of the benefits of introducing a youth sports program at the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC). The program targets physical development in learners, resulting in well-rounded individuals in society. The research report will start by introducing the problem of failing to balance sports and academics, showing how the challenge is prevalent in schools globally. Furthermore, the report focuses on the advantages of sports programs that students miss when educators fail to integrate youth sports programs into their educational curricula. To show the importance of youth sports programs, the report will focus on secondary research to depict the imbalance of academics and sports in the current curriculum used by many schools.

Problem Explanation

The current education system is inclined to prioritize academic performance and use it to determine a child’s future failure or success. Educators introduce various systemized tests in stressful academic weeks to assess students’ performance. The attention on academic performance costs students in terms of physical wellness, which can be achieved through youth sports programs. In addition, learners are denied the chance to gain real-world outdoor skills (Chen, 2022). The current education system does create an imbalance between academic achievement and sports programs, falling short of the requirement of creating a holistic learning environment that encourages academic greatness and youth sports programs.

From a young age, children do not get to choose what may be critical to their life’s development and role as a member of contemporary society. Instead, well-wishers, schools, and parents heavily emphasize academic performance as a measure that guarantees success in life. While attaining good grades is a great way to secure high-paying and stable jobs, it does not necessarily dictate a student’s future success. Seldom does society talk about academic greatness and sports in the same breath as a result of the fear of adverse impacts that parents, well-wishers, and teachers may face (Chen, 2022). Factors that cause fear in parents or guardians of children and young adults include pressure resulting from career options, the child’s future, and their parents’ reputation.

Evidence of The Problem

The evidence of the imbalance between academics and youth sports programs is explained by the push for American education to create a rigorous curriculum that does not effectively imbue learners with soft skills. As a result, most employers complain that graduates lack soft skills and often question the education system. It does not require a unique insight to acknowledge that sports play crucial roles in developing children’s personalities into productive and well-rounded societal members in the future. Whereas academics enables students to acquire knowledge, sport teaches learners invaluable teamwork traits, persistence, leadership, hard work, and respect for others. In addition, sport nurtures unfazed acceptance of failure and success, stress management, and continuous enhancement of a student’s skills (Hirst-Bernhardt & Almasi, 2022). The inherent lack of these skills in current students and recent graduates highlights the imbalance and overemphasis on academics over youth sports programs.

The imbalance between youth sports programs and academics is portrayed in attitudes and stereotypes that favor academics over sports. The mental attitude towards sports programs shows systemic negativity as college sports is often viewed as a four-year activity that brings minute benefits to participants. The current education system encourages college athletes to identify careers outside of sports. Learners are often pushed into thinking they must choose their careers and majors with no focus on sports-related courses (Chen, 2022). There is a misconstrued conception that injuries and distractions associated with sports cause an increase in the adverse perception of youth sports, resulting in an imbalance between academics and sports programs.

The current education system has set academic achievement as the learning’s primary focus instead of concentrating on developing a whole human being, as shown in various educational aspects. For instance, schools and governments overemphasize science, mathematics, and reading while excluding history, vocation education, life skills, arts, social studies, and physical education. As a result, a nation is created with societal members who are out of balance with the development of a whole person capable of accepting and enduring the shocks and bumps in life. In addition, over-relying on standardized testing and grading has created a country where students only study to obtain good grades and pass tests instead of the intrinsic joy associated with learning. The focus on academic achievement is evident in the education system, and schools ignore youth sports programs because there is no pressure to focus on them (Rigby et al., 2022). Instead, academic achievement is linked to teacher pressure as standardized tests are connected to school evaluations.

Solution To the Problem

Today’s youth, including all school-aged students, is potentially vulnerable because of their lifestyle changes. They often show risky behaviors such as increased numbers of hours spent sitting, tobacco or alcohol consumption, minimal hours to rest, and high-stress exposure. In addition, they lose free time to partake in outdoor activities and report increased inappropriate eating habits.

Ultimately, increased pressure to perform in a nation that prioritizes academic achievement causes an imbalance between academics and youth sports programs, which nurture additional skills to develop into a whole human being. The imbalance causes irrevocable adverse effects on the future of society as young learners lack the chance to make sports programs part of their behavioral patterns (Sáez et al., 2021). Thus, the research proposes introducing a youth sports program to reduce the imbalance in the school’s academics and sports, resulting in invaluable student benefits. As a result, it is significant to support the program by exploring how it would help learners. Sports enhance a person’s healthcare and teamwork and allow them to gain financial freedom by nurturing talent.

Promoting Healthcare

Sports participation can help boost a person’s health as well as well-being. Individuals participating in sports are often confident and have a high chance of indicating better mental health compared to those who do not acknowledge the significance of sport-related programs or participate in them. According to the University of Missouri (2021), sports affect the human brain by stimulating reward pathways and strengthening neurochemicals that boost human mood, such as dopamine. High dopamine levels, as well as other neurochemicals found in the blood, enhance a person’s well-being while curtailing an individual’s risk of developing adverse health effects such as depression and anxiety. The disorders are considered the most common among young persons, including school-aged children (University of Missouri, 2021). In another study, Malm et al. (2019) argue that people who conduct physical exercise regularly experience essential gains in the nervous system, which in turn lower their levels of stress. The positive effects of regular and persistent exercise on the human brain reduce the risk of young people engaging in self-medication (Malm et al., 2019). As a result, they cannot use drugs and alcohol to distract and relieve themselves from mental health ailments and stress.

In addition, developing a youth sports program will alleviate obesity, a significant problem for developed and developing countries. According to Wyszyńska et al. (2020), limiting sports in different schools adversely impacts the capacity of students to partake in outdoor activities that help lower body weight to normal levels to avoid obesity. Thus, exercise effectively regulates an individual’s body weight (Wyszyńska et al., 2020). Furthermore, consistent physical activity achieved from participation in school youth sports can help students maintain their weight and lower the risk of heart diseases, diabetes, stroke, osteoporosis, and cancers. Existing scholarship agrees that sports are vital in managing obesity among school-going individuals (Leiss & Kim, 2022). Introducing a youth sports program can help UMGC students improve blood flow, reduce fat, and maintain healthy body weights.

Enhancing Teamwork

A youth sports program can increase the ability of students to work in teams efficiently. Sports in schools create a team spirit that cultivates collaborative behaviors among students while promoting activities that encourage the combination of the efforts of different people to achieve a specific goal. As a result, a vibrant team capable of setting clear goals can be created by participating in team sports. Thus, a behavioral habit of collaborating with others in teams is nurtured in a youth sports program, setting most students to achieve successful careers. In addition, it would enable learners to translate the teamwork skills acquired in sports to gain leadership and influencer positions. McEwan and Beauchamp (2020) argue that students participating in sports programs comprehend the significance of good communication, requesting help when stuck, and supporting others. Furthermore, students can master the skill of accepting mistakes and leveraging constructive feedback (McEwan & Beauchamp, 2020). As a result, sports nurture students who can balance their weaknesses and strengths compared to persons who never participate in sports.

Additionally, according to the University of Missouri (2021), sports participation improves the potential of students to work efficiently in teams. Sports activities require learners to follow specific guidelines mandated by different sports. As a result, they become persons who are predictable while working with others and avoid making unilateral decisions since they can affect their team. Students also benefit their personal lives by forming good relationships, including romance or friendships. Success in personal relationships requires compromise, support, communication, as well as the willingness to work with others to achieve common objectives (MU, 2021). Sports can improve teamwork skills early, allowing future societal members to possess the necessary skills to interact with others.

Economic Growth

Sports programs can lead to the nurturing of talent, which may become a source of student income. Learners spend more time in school environments, allowing them to identify and nurture sporting talent. Therefore, the role of schools is crucial as they can offer learners the necessary resources to improve their sporting skills. Sports teachers play a vital role in helping and determining students evolve and improve their performance in various sports. Introducing a youth sports program at UMGC can help teachers and students discover the potential sporting talent that can be nurtured during formative years. If a student is talented in a specific sport and is supported, they can leverage available resources to train and improve their skills, resulting in professional careers. As a result, some students can succeed and achieve financial freedom through different sports (Downward et al., 2019). Schools can support sporting talent by hiring committed coaches and providing students with good pitches and training equipment. Ultimately, schools can improve sports orientation to offer gifted students an opportunity to earn from their sport.

Recommendations

Based on the research herein, it is critical to recommend reorientating youth sports programs through mass sensitization. Parents and teachers need a better attitude toward sports activities that will continue to percolate in the youth. Furthermore, creating programs that are positive and targeted at wholesome activities ensures minimal scandals and their longevity (Chen, 2022). Hiring specialized and skilled coaches will build a good image among the parent-student body and enhance the introduction of sports programs to schools countrywide.

Most parents are often worried that dedication to sports may discourage academic success. Thus, all school stakeholders should collaborate to create clear expectations. Teachers, parents, coaches, and administrators should craft eligibility policies for those interested in sports programs. The guidelines should be carefully designed to promote accountability among students. The policies must also be easily understood by all stakeholders, including teachers, coaches, parents, and students. For instance, students should be able to practice with specific teams even when their grades are low. Furthermore, it is essential to ensure disabled students get special programs where they can participate in enhancing an inclusive school and sports environment. Finally, creating sports clubs can transform the way students perceive sports (Dorsch et al., 2022). As a result, they will develop a sense of fulfillment and competencies applicable to real-world situations.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is essential to explore the non-prioritization of sports in schools by defining the problem and exploring how to remedy the situation. Teachers and parents ignore sports as they are perceived to influence academic performance adversely. In addition, the emphasis on academic performance in the curriculum does not favor sporting activities. Introducing a youth sports program would remedy the issue and improve health, teamwork, and financial independence. The program can be introduced through stakeholders’ consultation to set clear expectations and create inclusive sporting activities.

References

Chen, A. (2022). Reconceptualizing Physical Education: A Curriculum Framework for Physical Literacy. Taylor & Francis.

Dorsch, T. E., Smith, A. L., Blazo, J. A., Coakley, J., Côté, J., Wagstaff, C. R., Warner, S., & King, M. Q. (2022). Toward an integrated understanding of the youth sport system.Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 93(1), 105-119.

Downward, P., Frick, B., Humphreys, B. R., Pawlowski, T., & Ruseki, J. E. (2019). The sage handbook of sports economics (reprint). SAGE.

Hirst-Bernhardt, C., & Almasi, K. (2022). Policy Position Paper: Hardwired to learn science but left out of the landscape: The role of expanding access to quality science education in America for elementary learners.Journal of Science Policy & Governance, 20(02), 1-7.

Leiss, J., & Kim, J. H. (2022). Against sedentary school environment: Rethinking the aims of education through physical education. The Journal of Educational Research, 115(2), 111-121.

Malm, C., Jakobsson, J., & Isaksson, A. (2019). Physical activity and sports—real health benefits: A review with insight into the public health of Sweden.Sports, 7(5), 127.

McEwan, D., & Beauchamp, M. R. (2020). Teamwork training in sport: A pilot intervention study.Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 32(2), 220-236.

Rigby, B. P., Dodd-Reynolds, C. J., & Oliver, E. J. (2022). The understanding, application and influence of complexity in national physical activity policy-making.Health Research Policy and Systems, 20(1), 1-14.

Sáez, I., Solabarrieta, J., & Rubio, I. (2021). Reasons for sports-based physical activity dropouts in university students.International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(11), 5721.

University of Missouri (MU). (2021). Benefits of sports for adolescents. Benefits of Sports – MU Health Care.

Wyszyńska, J., Ring-Dimitriou, S., Thivel, D., Weghuber, D., Hadjipanayis, A., Grossman, Z., Ross-Russell, R., Dereń, K., & Mazur, A. (2020). Physical activity in the prevention of childhood obesity: The position of the European Childhood Obesity Group and the European Academy of Pediatrics.Frontiers in Pediatrics, 8.

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