734-266-1815
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32635 Ford Rd Garden City, MI 48135
10am To 5pm Weekdays
Closed Saturday and Sunday
32635 Ford Rd Garden City, MI 48135
While baseball may be “America’s pastime,” football is still the most popular sport in the country. NFL games are the most attended of any sports league in the world – with an annual revenue higher than the 2013 gross domestic product (GDP) of 75 countries. The sport is sure to be carried on for generations to come, especially with over a million high school football players nationwide.
Michigan is no exception! Public Policy Polling reports that while the MLB’s Tigers are the state’s favorite pro team, they only beat the NFL’s Lions “by a narrow margin”: 29% to 27% (Red wings get 20%, and the Pistons only 6%). They can only get more popular as the Lions are having a stellar season to date.
That being said, whether your son wants to eventually go pro or just play football for fun, he’ll reap a wide variety of benefits from the sport. Physical fitness is, of course, the most obvious, but there are many other important benefits as well.
As we mentioned in a previous blog post, Sue Castle of PBS Sports said that youth sports “has the power to combat everything from racism to low self-image, to the high-school drop-out rate.” Children who participate in team sports have been found to be less likely to go to prison, join a gang, skip class, have disciplinary problems in school, drop out, or become dependent on welfare.
At the same time, they were more likely to have higher grades, graduate, and become directors, managers, or business and political leaders. They are also more likely to participate in social and charitable programs. In fact, 95% of Fortune 500 executives participated in high school athletics, compared to only 47% who were members of the National Honor Society.
Of course, the parents, coaches, and leagues involved in each young person’s sports have significant roles in guiding youth athletes down the right path. As with everything else, moderation is often key.
Starting them early can make them better, faster, but never push them too hard. This is especially important early on, but you generally just want to be supportive throughout. Too often, parents can become overly competitive, and this can turn the child’s sport into a negative experience.
One of the most hotly debated topics is whether all players – including the losing teams – should also get trophies anyway. There are extremists on both sides, with one saying that winning should not be emphasized in youth sports, and the other saying that winning is the only point. Again, reason falls somewhere in between.
Lisa Lagrou, founder of OaklandCountyMom.com wrote on Click On Detroit the “strange” practice of her children’s different sports leagues, where all teams are given the same trophies and awards no matter the ranking. She also relayed the experience of her friend’s daughter who didn’t get the “Most Outstanding Player Award” that she deserved simply because “she won it last year.”
Jeffrey S. Rhoads, author of The Joy of Youth Sports, wrote: “A child’s motivation to play sports arises from both internal and external rewards.” External rewards, such as trophies and recognition, motivate a young athlete to train harder and perform better, but focusing too much on these can easily discourage athletes when they lose.
This is one of the reasons some leagues decided to just give all participants the same prizes, win or lose. That way, the ones who fall behind everyone else don’t feel bad and give up. However, this also takes away the motivation to excel and try for the top spot. As Lagrou pointed out, “How is a trophy even special any more if everyone receives the same one?”
A good compromise is to give all players something for trying, but to reserve the best prizes for the top performers to motivate others to try harder. For example, magnificent trophies of differing sizes for the top teams, and maybe fun football player bobbleheads for the losing teams.
Great Lakes Trophies & Engraving is a premier supplier of Michigan football trophies, medals, plaques, and other awards. Since 1995, we have served the local community of Garden City and surrounding areas with a wide variety of quality awards for any need. Browse our catalog or customize your own award on our website today!
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