Athletics is a big part in the life of a kid. And, no matter what the sport they always seem to have a good time. Kids get to play in all sorts of sports from dodge ball and kick ball to tag, hopscotch, four corners and jump rope to more traditional and competitive sports like football, soccer, hockey and baseball.

However, in today's society there is a problem. More and more emphasis is being put on athletics then there was ten or twenty years ago. This is due, in part, by big money contracts as well as the decline in jobs and income. Families in poverty-stricken areas of the country rely on their children's athletic prowess to bring them up from the ghetto. This way of thinking makes children spend more time worrying about their performance than education - athletics being more of a "quick fix" solution.

Coaches sometimes push student-athletes because winning games means they get to keep their jobs and feed their families. Sports bring more money into the school than any other curriculum. A good coach will try to maintain a proper balance between pressure and the challenge of the sport. People need challenge in order to push themselves to improve upon the tools they already possess. Parents and Coaches can push their kids too far though by setting unrealistic expectations. After all, if it was easy - everyone would be playing in the NFL or the NBA.

Unfortunately, winning is not something every player can achieve. The only thing that the player has any real control over is how hard they play. Parents and coaches neglect this aspect of sports and fail to reward hard work.

Another stress factor is trying to juggle a busy athletic season with school. If you are a parent who likes that your child is active in a sport that is great unless their school work suffers. This can cause a tremendous amount of stress and both school and sports will both suffer in the end.

Being able to manage the stress of school and sports is not very easy to do. Realizing that sports are not as important as schooling is the best thing that one can do. You can get a degree and a great job by going to college. Sports should not be an emphasized over education because the likelihood of someone making it in professional sports is very slim.

The long term effects of participation in various sports by young people growing up can be very positive. Self-esteem and discipline can all benefit greatly. However, sports have to be taken for exactly what they are "an extra-curricular activity". Support the important aspects of sports such as fair play and hard work if the child excels at it. Too many kids are lost in today's world because they placed or had placed on them a higher value towards sports than education.