High School Sport

High school sport was emerged to provide physical fitness among teenagers, as well as strengthen the military. It also kept the teenagers busy: By doing sport they would stay away from bad decisions and behaviors. However, today we see a development with both positive and negative sides: It has become more important to create successful athletes and bring honor to the school, rather to ensure long-lasting motivation for sport and physical activity. This is not positive considering the increasing obesity trend we see in today's society. 

If we look at the objective of creating big athletes in High School, we may say they are being successfully met. Colleges has no longer problems with recruiting good athletes. They are stronger, faster and better than before - thanks to the high budget sport programs they attend from early age. However, the interscholastic sport has dark sides as well: When they start specifying in sport in such a early age, the chances for a "burn out" before they reach college increases - they are done, tired and unmotivated. And what about educational goals? When young athletes experience success, they are easily blended. They will say "Oh, I do not need to go to school, I do not need a education, I will go pro and thereby get famous and rich". What happens then when they start facing adversity? 

An even bigger problem, I believe, is the early selection and elimination of teenagers in sport. Already in middle school they have tryouts and chose those they think has the greatest "talent". But how can you tell wether a 13 year old got talent or not? Because of the early specialization, children with high potential and talent are excluded from the sport, while does who get a spot on the team might be put under a lot of pressure to preform. Is that right? To crush dreams and build pressure among children? Is this a way to create good values and attitudes, and long-time motivation for physical activity? I do not believe so. 

So what can we do to solve this problem? I believe by letting everyone participate, and focus on individual mastery and  progression, rather than results and performance is the key to safe gourd both the physical health and the elite sport. To have fun is the key to motivation - no matter what your goal is.