Both adults and kids are starting to realize that youth sports are becoming too intense. I agree with that statement. Children today are being pushed way too hard to succeed at a sport that they might not even like. Parents need to calm down, not every child needs to be the number one athlete. According to Statisticbrain.com 87 percent of parents are worried about their childs sport being too intense and getting injuries. With youth sports becoming more intense, the children that are playing or becoming more intense as well.

Is spending all that money worth it? According to High Cost of Youth Sports [INFOGRAPHIC], the parents of 45 million children ages 6 through 16 are estimated to pay $671 per child annually. More than 21 percent pay over one thousand dollars on their children. Spending all this money goes to waste when you start kids at such a young age, because it may just burn them out, This leads to them not want to play when they grow up or go to college for the sport. Competitive teams can cost thousands of dollars every year and they might not even be put to use.

Injuries are another big reason that youth sports are becoming too intense. Athletes who spend twice as much time or more than free play are more likely to get injured according to American Academy of Pediatrics. Many kids are being more aggressive, which is causing more injuries. Parents are putting their children in sports to have fun and enjoy their childhood, instead they are getting pushed around and injured making them not want to play anymore. “Risks of Specialized Training and Growth for Injury in Young Athletes: A Prospective Cohort Study,” concluded that children are playing and practicing more hours per week than their age. For example, A 10-year old would be involved with their sport for more than 10 hours a week.

Kids in today’s society are taught they need to be the best at everything they do. They are worked until they cannot stand anymore, pushed until they want to quit. They strive to be the best so they can get that number one spot on the field. When kids are told they are not the best or need to work harder it makes them also not want to play anymore.

More and more kids are quitting due to being told they are not good enough, they can’t do anything but practice or play because they are told that sports is their number one priority. The money and time spent on youth sports needs to be controlled, it is causing stress and even injuries on athletes.