It's a pretty commonly held view in society that youth sports is good for young girls. It gives them physical activity. It builds their self-esteem. It improves social skills.
I think, honestly, if a person mentioned removing girls from sports against their will, they'd be branded as some sort of misogynist, bent on denying young ladies the developmental benefits that participation in sports can provide.
Yet, there are plenty of people who think that sports for young boys is just one of many interests they can pursue.
Not buying it? Let's try this one on for size.
If you asked most folks whether it was more beneficial for young boys to play football, or to learn how to play piano, I think a lot of folks would say that both activities are probably equally valuable.
In fact, if a person said, "I took my son out of Lacrosse and made him enroll in piano lessons", a lot of folks would find wisdom in that course of action.
However, if you suggested that young girls shouldn't play sports, and should play piano, instead, you'd be accused of gender stereotyping and, again, of denying girls the benefits that are unique to participation in sports.
The main point here is that I think folks have it just about right when it comes to girls and sports. It's not just enough to provide ACCESS to sports for girls, but that it's probably right to encourage them to participate, to a degree. I'm not talking about forcing a girl to play a sport she doesn't want to play, but just making sure the girls are encouraged to do it if it seems fun.
We live in a nation where obesity is at epidemic proportions. That's somewhat good news because it means a lot of heart attacks and early mortality which should save us some social security money. It's bad news from and individual standpoint because it compromises quality of life.
Obesity isn't just an acceptance issue. It has actual health consequences. So, physical activity is something we should be encouraging of all our young people.
When it comes to boys, I'll even offer that sports is probably MORE important than it is for girls. Why? Because the academic environment is heavily weighted towards girls. They can get a lot of self esteem during the very long school day.
Boys, who are naturally more energetic and less likely to enjoy sitting still for extended periods of time, are already being browbeaten into acknowledging that our academic institutions regard them as little more than defective girls.
In sports, that's where boys behavior can be channelled. Their naturally more agressive and competitive natures are perfectly at home. Their desire to constantly be in motion can be channelled into something more productive.
Almost for this very reason, I think many folks see sports as a throw-away activity for boys. Because, basically, they sort of display all those traits, anyway. Time and time again, I've heard parents express the idea that sports just isn't that important... but always when referring to their sons... never their daughters.
Without sports, there really aren't that many convenient activities where young men can build their self-esteem. There aren't that many places where they can work hard towards manageable goals and feel proud of themselves.
Which is why I say that it's not enough to merely make sports available to boys. Just like with girls, I think it's right to actually ENCOURAGE them to participate.
The alternative, I fear, is another generation of kids who spend their adolescence on a couch, playing video games.
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