I am here today to debate the topic of whether kids should play in organized or unorganized sports.
Before we talk about this let me define what I mean by organized sports and unorganized sports.
Organized sports are sports where tryouts or assessments are held and individuals are tested for their abilities. People with similar abilities are put into the same skill level. This means that the teams are fairly chosen.
Organized sports teams usually have a coaching staff that schedule regular practices so team members can learn new skills and improve upon their individual skills to help them be successful in the games. Besides practices there are games against other teams with similar skill levels. The games are played under the supervision of referees who ensure that both teams play within the rules of the game. This way neither team has an unfair advantage over the other.
In contrast, unorganized sports are typically different. Teams are often chosen on the basis of popularity and often one team will have a much higher skill level making the games unfair. There are no practices and no referees to make sure the game is played fairly.
I think some of the reasons that kids should play organized sports are that the teams are fairly chosen by age and skill level so kids do not get discouraged, individual are given the opportunity to practice and improve through the season and learn sportsmanship and teamwork. In organized sports at the end of the season there are playoffs where teams compete to be the best team in their level.
There are also cons for playing organized sports. Your friends are not always able to be on your team. Often practices are on weeknights or early in the morning on weekends which cuts into your homework time and your free time. Research shows that kids will learn to cheat and cut corners from their coach. which is not good sportsmanship*
I think some of the reasons that kids should play unorganized sports are that everyone’s friends can play at the same time and there is no age groups. The games are not organized so the kids can play for as long as they want. The kids have to make their own decisions about fair play which encourages them to make decisions on their own and in a group. Children also learn about leadership and cooperation when playing unorganized sports.
There are also cons for playing unorganized sports. Arguments about goals and about fair teams and fair play can go on for a long time which can take away the fun of the game and the time to play. Teams are picked on the basis of friendship and skill which can lead to children being discouraged when picked last.
I think kids should play a mixture of both organized and unorganized sports. As I have outlined, there are advantages to both and both offer valuable experiences to everyone involved. The important thing for both types of sports is that kids are playing and competing with on another which help develop valuable skills.
