Buy essay on Literature review. What is the influence of High school sports on the development of elite athletes?

It goes without saying that sports have always played quite a significant role in the education systems of different countries and according to the statistical data for the United States for close to 100 years, highly competitive, elite athletic programs have been part of our nation’s educational system. It is notable that the U.S. is the only country in the world in which such programs are sponsored by secondary schools. In Europe, for example, the responsibility for the development of elite athletes and teams is borne by private sports clubs or professional teams. The purpose of this essay is to explore the following question and the aspect of different literary sources, which investigate the influence and correlation between the High School sports on the development of elite athletes (Gerdy, 2003). It goes without saying that this question is one of the most discussed in the sphere of contemporary educational programs and there exists a number of investigative papers that are aimed on understanding and defining the role of the high school sports and development of the elite
Generally speaking participation in sports activity from the very early age has become a norm. Parents, tutors and coaches consider that professional sport has quite a positive influence on children, teach them how to work in the team, strict discipline and other helpful features that would play quite a positive role in the further life of children. But contemporary investigations make us rethink the positive role of professional sports and the whole question of high school sport influence on the development of elite athletes. American investigators such as John Gerdy are concerned about significant influence of the sport within the high school and sometimes professional athlete development is put ahead than education itself: “The disturbing truth is that it is in great question whether the justifications for highly competitive, entertainment based, elite athletics being an integral part of our nation’s educational system are being realized. Again, the issue is not the value of elite athletics in our culture, but whether our educational institutions should be saddled with the responsibility of developing our future college and professional athletes” (Gerdy, 2003). It goes without saying that these disturbing signals have a significant impact on the education system and with a significant growth of the drop out rate, the influence of the sport is inevitably negative. Many of us are tended to think that sports are fun and games, but profession sports and training significantly influence our life. Among the reasons, which children go to high school sport is standing not on the last step: “The National Education Commission on Time and Learning found that most American students spend less than half their day actually studying academic subjects. The commission’s two-year study found that American students spent only about 41 percent of the school day on basic academics. Their schedules jammed with course work in self-esteem, personal safety, AIDS education, family life, consumer training, driver’s ed, holistic health, and gym, the typical American high school student spends only 1,460 hours on subjects like math, science, and history during their four years in high schools” (Sykes, 1999). We see that the education does not take many hours, hence gym is included in the primary interests of those who are going to the high school. The interest of the professional athletes to the other educational issues is less than in general students and the question is raised is it good or bad to create profession athletic development on the basis of the United States high schools, or create a system which differs from existing one, separating the development of professional athletes and high schools (like in the European Countries).
The same times the scientists, who consider that the development of professional athletes in high schools has mostly negative effect consider that a number of positive effects are observed: “First, involvement in athletics is educational for, and builds the “character” of, participants. Life lessons in discipline, sportsmanship, teamwork, communication skills, and sacrifice are being taught on the playing fields and courts by coaches who are educators. Second, athletic programs serve a unifying function for the school and surrounding communities, generating positive school and community spirit.

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Third, school sports provide entertainment. And finally, participation in athletics is not only healthy for the athletes but also serves an important public health function by promoting awareness of the value of being fit” (Gerdy, 2003). This aspect is supported by the group of scientists who consider that the development of elite athletes within the high school have positive influence on the students and could not me removed from the contemporary schooling program of the United States. A group of scientists, headed by Joseph Baker , Sean Horton, Jennifer Robertson-Wilson and Michael Wall came to the conclusion their research devoted to the Nurturing Sport Expertise and factors influencing the development of elite athlete found out that communicative practice only with parents and coach does not correspond the appropriate psychological development of the athletes, their growing up separately from the ordinary people avoiding normal social communication with the individual of the same age does not promote themselves as emotionally strong and healthy people that is why for the proper development of the athlete it would be necessary to promote his sport career teenagers of his or her age and the positive influence would be observed on the both categories.
The same time they notice that the racial question is also very important in the investigation of the development of elite athlete in the high school period: “In addition, the sports that Black America have come to dominate, consisting primarily of basketball, football, and track and field, reflect a cultural emphasis made evident by the support these sports receive through the public school system. Black athletes have access to coaching, facilities, and competition in publicly funded school sports to a much greater extent than for traditionally more exclusionary endeavors. Sports taught primarily in a country club setting, like golf and tennis, provide a significant barrier to entry for Blacks, as private clubs have historically denied membership to certain minority groups for economic and social reasons” (Baker, Horton, Robertson-Wilson et al, 2003). It goes without saying that the development of then professional athlete involves racial questions as it is still one of the burning problems in the high school. Despite the desegregation programs in the United States there is still observed racial discrimination and in the development of elite athletes and the Afro-Americans in the high school it is perfectly observed.
The contemporary research dealing with the development of elite athlete in the high school sports deal with different subjects. They observe the core problematic areas and come to the different conclusions. But it should be noted that there are the questions, where different research groups come to the same conclusions, realizing that the sport has positive influence as well as negative on the teenagers of the high school. Understanding the necessity the high school reformation (as well as the whole educational system of the United States) the different research groups found out that the influence of professional sport on the high school education establishment should be decreased as students should devote more attention to their studies alongside with their physical development. Gym is called one of the core interests, why American youth is going to the high school, but the shift for education should be made. It does not mean that the elite athletes should be separates from general teenagers, but it is obvious that something got to be done to attract teenagers to the studies more than visiting gym. The physical development is also very important, but our country needs not only professional athletes, but also doctors, scientists, teachers, engineers and many other professionals. That is why the correlation between the high school and professional athletes should be shifted on the high school raise of interest. The same time we should not forget about the positive influence of elite athletes on the other individual and take into account that physical development is also very important for contemporary teenagers as they spend long hours behind the computers and need certain physical development.
References:
1. Gerdy J. (2003). Competition At What Price? Rethinking the Role of Athletics in Our Schools. The College Board Review, No 198, Winter 2003.
2. Baker J, Horton S., Robertson-Wilson J. & Wall M. (2003). Nurturing Sport Expertise: Factors Influencing the Development of Elite Athlete
3. Rosendahl J., Bormann B., Aschenbrenner K., Aschenbrenner F. , Strauss B. (2008).Dieting and disordered eating in German high school athletes and non-athletes. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. Vol. 19 No 5, Pages 731 – 739
4. Sykes C. J. (1995). Dumbing Down Our Kids: Why America’s Children Feel Good About Themselves but Can’t Read, Write, or Add. St. Martin’s Press.