Here’s Why Youth Sports Are Important in Fighting Racism
Organized sports encourage participation in physical fitness, improving the health and well-being of its participants.
We know that and we bet you do too, which is why it’s a part of our mission statement. But what if we told you that sports, especially youth sports, play a role in the fight against racism too?
Studies have found that kindergarteners already begin to show bias, or favoritism, to groups of certain races. That means the discussion about racism and exposure to people of diverse backgrounds must happen at a young age. And this is where youth sports come into play. Keep reading for a few reasons why the California State Games emphasizes the importance of youth sports as well as its place in ending racism.
Athletes have teammates from all backgrounds
There is a lot going on at any sporting event, to say the least! You’ve got your athletes, coaches, parents, teammates, mentors, officials, referees, umpires… you get where we’re going with this. This is all an opportunity for a young athlete to interact with people of many backgrounds and widen their circle of friends. Think about it: how many of us met one of our childhood best friends through sports?
Sports expose children to diverse coaches and officials
In addition to their teammates, young athletes have authority figures in their coaches, mentors, officials, and others. People from all backgrounds and cultures fill these roles, which exposes children to a range of diverse authority figures. Athletes build relationships with their coaches and learn to respect them. In addition, this challenges the negative attitudes they may have developed about other groups.
Sports teach values in inclusive environments
Sports teach values like teamwork, character and respect, which is why the California State Games and other organizations so highly value them. But furthermore, it’s likely one of the first places where young athletes learn those values all the while working within a diverse environment. This sets them up to be more tolerant and accepting of people who are not like them.
