Recently, a lot of people have started questioning the extent to which violence in contact sports should be allowed. The reason is that the previous several years have experienced a rise in fatal injuries amongst young players and authorities are of the view that it is about time that everyone reconsiders whether contacts sports should be allowed or discouraged. While the discussion has invited mixed opinions, let us dig deeper and discuss both advantages and disadvantages of contact sports to determine what should be the most appropriate decision.
Pros of Contact Sports
You Can Improve Your Fitness Level
The first major advantage of participating in or playing contact sports is that you get to maintain your fitness level. Although you can do it at the gym as well but contact sports takes it to another level. There was a time when teenagers weren’t suffering from diabetes as much as they do today and there is a good reason for that.
Health experts state that teenagers nowadays do not participate in physical sports and instead choose to play games while sitting on a chair for hours during the day. This leads to the accumulation of fat, which results in health concerns later down the road. Therefore, when it comes to maintaining your fitness level one should definitely engage in physical sports.
You Develop Important Skills
One of the reasons health experts suggest playing contact sports is that it develops important skills in an individual. These skills are not embedded by education, rather by playing sports. For instance, an individual by playing in a team learns how to lead a team and follow orders as well. This develops patience and teamwork. At the same time, you learn to deal with the competition as well. You will learn that winning and losing are a part of life and the same is the case in personal life as well.
You Get to Make New Friends
There are millions of sports clubs existing around the world. These sports clubs have youngsters playing for them who are more like a family. By engaging in contact sports, you will be making new friends and extending your social circle. Even if you do not plan on turning your sports career into a professional one, your friends will come in use later down the road. The bigger the circle, the better the opportunities.
Improves Self-Confidence
While there are many individuals out there that play sports confidently, there are some that succumb to pressure and negative criticism. Moreover, individuals who are relatively heavier in weight tend to avoid engaging in contact sports because they are simply shy. Contacts sports in that respect helps such individuals revive their self-confidence and inject a fresh dose of self-esteem as well. Those who continue with contact sports have stated that it has helped them relieve stress and anxiety.
This is a fact because several studies have been conducted to determine the relationship between sports and certain mental problems. And studies have found that playing sports helps pump blood, controls the sugar level, and encourages the production of new hormones.
Lower Blood Pressure
Another key advantage of playing contact sports is lower blood pressure. Health experts claim that engagement in aerobic activities can be used to control or lower your blood pressure. Contact sports enable and allow every muscle in the body to function and develop as a result. Since the body develops when it is pushed over the limits, it enables the muscles to grow and helps bring down the blood pressure.
Disadvantages of Contacts Sports
Fatal Injuries
This one is obvious. Parents and health experts argue that a major reason behind banning contact sports is fatal injuries. Sports such as ice hockey, rugby, and football, etc. tend to cause serious injuries that might leave an individual in a serious state for life. However, this is not it. Individuals who have suffered from paralysis and other severe injuries are more vulnerable to depression and anxiety since they are not able to fit in the same society and groups anymore. Furthermore, the ongoing treatments can be expensive that tend to put a lot of pressure on the families.
Extreme Competitiveness
Some individuals tend to become too competitive while playing sports. They want to overtake everybody, win every match, and become the best, even if it requires losing everything in between. The problem with these individuals is that they become too egoistic and when it comes to facing losses, they display extreme arrogance and rudeness. Unfortunately, this attitude transits into their personal life as well, which damages personal relationships. Therefore, if an individual was to become extremely competitive, it will hurt them both mentally and physically.
Stress and Sleep Issues
Having stress and sleep issues sometimes can be a normal occurrence. However, if you tend to lose your entire sleep for days just because you lost to someone can be seriously concerning. The fact that you cannot get over someone being better than you gives you a lot of stress and has in the past driven many individuals crazy. This is why it is always recommended that individuals be coached so that they can lead a balanced life. Furthermore, anxiety, nervousness, and stress can also buildup when big matches are coming up. This can lead to serious aftermaths as well.
Expense
Apart from the injuries caused due to contact sports, buying the right equipment can be expensive as well. If you do not have a stable income, you will drain yourself as well as your parents. Therefore, if you plan on playing a particular sport, make sure that you are able to buy the expensive equipment as well. Furthermore, the equipment will be needing replacement and repairs as well so think about that before engaging in an expensive sport
Sore Losers
Winning and losing is a part of the game but unfortunately, some people do not realize that. Every game or a team has a sore loser or losers that will whine after losing a game. Even if you do everything to satisfy them, they will still come up with lame excuses such as cheating. This type of attitude develops over time in individuals who believe that the sport only revolves around them. Although it should not be the case but since most teams are not led by proper coaches, such types of individuals are found in every team. Moreover, having such players in a team destroys the overall reputation. Studies state the middle-aged men tend to be the worst sore losers around.
Commitments
Sports take a huge share of your time. With practice sessions taking place almost everyday for an entire day, you miss out on so many personal things. Furthermore, if you are traveling, you have to leave your family, friends, and other close relatives just to play alongside your team at a different location. Although it might seem simple in the short run but it may take a toll on you later down the road. In addition to that, if you were to experience an injury, you are bound to remain in the hospital for days and might not be able to return to your home for months if not weeks.
Final Word
Concluding, considering the advantages and disadvantages outlined above, it can be said that there is an equilibrium that needs to be achieved in contact sports. Its absence is the reason people are so against it. If the concerned authorities are able to balance and lay down strict rules and policies against negative temperaments and extreme physical aggressiveness during games, we think that contact sports can be made a lot better.