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I was also in the gifted program and the thing that helped me the most was getting involved in youth sports like little league, rec basketball, and soccer. It a

I was also in the gifted program and the thing that helped me the most was getting involved in youth sports like little league, rec basketball, and soccer. It allowed me to be friends with both the smart kids and athletic kids. I can't stress enough how important youth sports are for kids

btilly 7y ago
Let me guess. You don't have a coordination problem? I do. I received about a year of therapy for the fact that my left hand quite literally doesn't know what my right hand is doing. That helped. But being clumsy still made school sports really unpleasant for me. Just because sports was right for you doesn't mean that it is right for everyone.
- RHSeeger 7y ago
  For any given activity X, there will be people for which X is not a reasonable thing. That doesn't mean X isn't a good thing, it just means it isn't for everyone.
  - mrob 7y ago
    If schools do not take into account those people for whom X is not reasonable, it's entirely possible for the marginal net benefit to be negative. E.g. the students who benefit most from sport would do plenty of exercise anyway, but the students who are most harmed be sport will end up permanently hating exercise.
  - isostatic 7y ago
    OP stated "I can't stress enough how important youth sports are for kids" Based on a sample size of one. For any given activity X, there will be people for which X is a reasonable thing. That doesn't mean X is really important, it just means it's important for one person.
    - blackflame7000 7y ago
      Here are a number of things youth sports helps foster: 1) leadership qualities 2) coping with adversity 3) how to win and lose gracefully 4) coordination (all sports take practice) 5) fights childhood obesity 6) forces kids to be around other kids instead of in isolation 7) Experience working with a team from an early age These will work for any child, not just me.
      - btilly 7y ago
        Yes, it fights childhood obesity. None of the rest is universally true. Let me go through them one by one to demonstrate. 1) leadership qualities Constant reminders of how I was at the bottom of the totem pole didn't develop leadership for me. You develop leadership by doing something you are good at, not bad at. My positive experiences only happened much later in life. 2) coping with adversity I got lots of practice with adversity. Particularly when my physical challenges made me a target for bullying. I never noticed that the experience helped me cope with adversity though. 3) how to win and lose gracefully If by luck I wound up on a winning team in PE, it was clear to all that I did not contribute to the victory. I got practice at losing, but never noticed that the other children learned to be particularly graceful at winning. 4) coordination (all sports take practice) Did you notice the bit about my having a medical problem which required therapy? Yes, physical activity builds coordination. But the way it was done in school did not build mine. I wound up fixing that as an adult. 5) fights childhood obesity This I grant. Though it was superfluous in my case. Everyone in my family is skinny until at least 30. 6) forces kids to be around other kids instead of in isolation Given the way it made me a target for bullying, isolation would have been better. 7) Experience working with a team from an early age For me it was so demoralizing that I never felt like I was really part of any team until I was in my 30s. And when I did, it was programming that got me there, not sports. These will work for any child, not just me. Bullshit. I am a definite counterexample to your theory. As you would have known if you paid attention to what I said before. I am strongly in favor of all children who are physically capable of it getting exercise. But competitive sports are NOT a good idea for everyone.
        7y ago

btilly 7y ago

Let me guess. You don't have a coordination problem? I do. I received about a year of therapy for the fact that my left hand quite literally doesn't know what my right hand is doing. That helped. But being clumsy still made school sports really unpleasant for me. Just because sports was right for you doesn't mean that it is right for everyone.

RHSeeger 7y ago
For any given activity X, there will be people for which X is not a reasonable thing. That doesn't mean X isn't a good thing, it just means it isn't for everyone.
- mrob 7y ago
  If schools do not take into account those people for whom X is not reasonable, it's entirely possible for the marginal net benefit to be negative. E.g. the students who benefit most from sport would do plenty of exercise anyway, but the students who are most harmed be sport will end up permanently hating exercise.
- isostatic 7y ago
  OP stated "I can't stress enough how important youth sports are for kids" Based on a sample size of one. For any given activity X, there will be people for which X is a reasonable thing. That doesn't mean X is really important, it just means it's important for one person.
  - blackflame7000 7y ago
    Here are a number of things youth sports helps foster: 1) leadership qualities 2) coping with adversity 3) how to win and lose gracefully 4) coordination (all sports take practice) 5) fights childhood obesity 6) forces kids to be around other kids instead of in isolation 7) Experience working with a team from an early age These will work for any child, not just me.
    - btilly 7y ago
      Yes, it fights childhood obesity. None of the rest is universally true. Let me go through them one by one to demonstrate. 1) leadership qualities Constant reminders of how I was at the bottom of the totem pole didn't develop leadership for me. You develop leadership by doing something you are good at, not bad at. My positive experiences only happened much later in life. 2) coping with adversity I got lots of practice with adversity. Particularly when my physical challenges made me a target for bullying. I never noticed that the experience helped me cope with adversity though. 3) how to win and lose gracefully If by luck I wound up on a winning team in PE, it was clear to all that I did not contribute to the victory. I got practice at losing, but never noticed that the other children learned to be particularly graceful at winning. 4) coordination (all sports take practice) Did you notice the bit about my having a medical problem which required therapy? Yes, physical activity builds coordination. But the way it was done in school did not build mine. I wound up fixing that as an adult. 5) fights childhood obesity This I grant. Though it was superfluous in my case. Everyone in my family is skinny until at least 30. 6) forces kids to be around other kids instead of in isolation Given the way it made me a target for bullying, isolation would have been better. 7) Experience working with a team from an early age For me it was so demoralizing that I never felt like I was really part of any team until I was in my 30s. And when I did, it was programming that got me there, not sports. These will work for any child, not just me. Bullshit. I am a definite counterexample to your theory. As you would have known if you paid attention to what I said before. I am strongly in favor of all children who are physically capable of it getting exercise. But competitive sports are NOT a good idea for everyone.
      - 7y ago