Soccer in Bettering the Life of Troubled Youth - Research Paper Example

The Role of Soccer in Bettering the Life of Troubled Youth Introduction Soccer has changed the life of millions of people around the world. Being a game which is adored by many people, soccer has had an exclusive attraction to many youth. Youth look at it not only from the entertainment part of it but also as a way of livelihood. It is a means to earn a living, to keep one’s body fit and live to the expectations of the society. As a game, it can be used by governments to tame youth from getting involved in unethical social activities which might render them as useless in the society. The world is full of personalities who have been made stars just because of their involvement in soccer. Their every aspect of life has been defined by this game loved by many. The scope of beneficiaries of the game is wide and range from the footballers themselves to coaches who teach the youth how to play soccer. Like in Europe, soccer has a considerable share of the European economy and for this it forms an important part of the economy. It supports other industries and hence treated with a lot of seriousness it accords. To other parts of the world, soccer is used for similar reasons among others. This research is explores how soccer can be used in shaping the live of youth. It digs deep into the possibilities of using soccer game to help youth dream big, be disciplined and have a clear focus about their future. In addition, it evaluates how soccer can be used to instill teamwork and self-reliance besides assessing how popular soccer is among the youth, the age commonly attracted to soccer and finally the risks associated with the act of playing soccer. This is done in a very systematic way in which several resources are used to get the fine details. All time professionals’ life in the game, like David Beckham, has been studied so that a fine grip of the reality at the ground is realized. The of talks of renowned football coaches is also studied so as to unearth the truths which help these coaches instill discipline in these young players. Adolescent is quite challenging among many youth and hence means and ways to curb the effects of troubled adolescents through soccer are studied closely to yield reliable information for governments and other concerned bodies to take action. Soccer and Life skills In life, failure to have discipline in any life undertaking is failure already. David Beckham acknowledges that for one to succeed in football, he has to be disciplined. Football does not request for discipline, but instead it demands for it. You have to make a choice; either to be disciplined and learn football or to forget about soccer. Discipline in soccer is a wide aspect. Plainly, it can be stated that discipline is doing what is right all the time for the right purpose and place. When it is time to eat, go and eat. When it is time to play, you just have to go and play. Nevertheless, in soccer, discipline calls for more than just this. A player’s rise to stardom has to establish a very strong foundation of discipline. Respect is of great importance when it comes to adding to discipline. Soccer is a game which entails a lot of stakeholders. There are the players who are teammates, the coach, the team doctors, management team fans, etc. A good relationship between you and all these members of a team depends mostly with the respect which exists in between. Everybody yearns to relate well with the people around them and for this is easily achievable through the discipline of respecting others. It begins with acknowledgement and dip conviction that everybody in the team is important. This conviction yields respect which in turn stabilizes discipline. When practiced over and over, it becomes habitual. Respect being a 2-way traffic, you will be respected back by those whom you respect. When playing the game, you are not alone in the field. Youth react very quickly to any happening; either good or bad. With proper respect induction which comes with football training, it is possible to have discipline of the highest order when playing football. The opponent team needs to be respected as well as all its stakeholders. The rules of fair game should uphold at all times. This is easily achievable through proper discipline. When youth show up for the training of football, they get to learn this respect. The respect gives them a direction about life because they will not only respect their comrades but also everybody who comes their way in life. This is what is needed for every human being and this is what football yields; respect. Consistency is an element of discipline. Beckham confirms that you cannot be consistent into what you are doing if you have no discipline within yourself. He affirms that it is through the training he received and was nurtured with at his stay in Manchester united that has helped him remain at the top realm of the game. Alex Fergusson taught him how to be respectful to everybody and to love what he was doing. With the love of what you are pursuing, then you can remain to be consistency on it. Consistency yields focus which helps youth to direct their energy into a profitable activity. Otherwise they would direct this energy into the feelings which come with adolescent hence exposing the entire society into trouble. The routine schedule which is found in football school is of great importance. The jogging, waking up early, commitments to training times and many other activities help youth to be responsible. The mind is trained to adhere to set goals. The excitement of training for a big game accentuates the importance of strictly following a well laid out routine. When the mind of young person grows in an inducted routine, it is hard to be swayed away by immoral behaving which proves to be a challenge to youth. Teamwork is needed everywhere in the different sectors of economy. Even at family level, having a common goal is of great importance. All these exclude not soccer. Soccer demands teamwork. Teamwork results from a disciplined team. Soccer does not involve one person but many. The twelve players, who are normally in the field at any one given time, need to coordinate their activities in the field excellently. Some professional football players, like Beckham, confirm that they are able to perform because of the cooperation they get from teammates. Teamwork is instrumental for the success of the team at all levels hence the training gives the necessary attention it accords. Besides teamwork, the element of self-reliance is cultivated. This self-reliance is trained not only to benefit the player while in the field but also in other areas of life. Out of the routine schedule, the player needs time to reflect, time to think and redefine himself accordingly. This cultivates the character of self reliance which he can appropriately intertwine with teamwork to yield something magnificent and adorable. It is unarguable that soccer is a good option to train youth some valuable life skills. Despite the aspect of intensifying their skill of playing football, they also get to learn other skills which help them interact well with the society. They learn how to respect people, how to be consistent into what you are doing, how to love their work and how to remain focused through a routine involvement. When youth get control of their life, their future is guaranteed to succeed. This is easily achievable through football. Through soccer they get to learn teamwork, discipline, hard work and focus on future goals. Soccer impacts hope through opportunities which show up when one excels and this keeps the youth busy pursuing that dream (Rose p.332). In life you need to be a team player, to be disciplined and to learn how to be self-reliant. When these skills are impacted while young, they tend to stick in the minds more than when taught while one is old. Thus soccer is one way in which you can train youth how to acquire life skills. Popularity of Soccer among the Youth It is important to note here that soccer is acknowledged worldwide. It is one of the games which command a good following from all the continents of the world. There are some continents like South America, Africa and Europe where football is a big business. To these continents, playing soccer starts as just a fun game before it materializes to something professional where you can earn a living. Nevertheless, there some parts of the world where soccer is not given attention. Note that it is not practiced but because it has been overtaken by other games which initially dominated in a certain culture. For example, it is only recent when the American people started embracing soccer. The basket ball and the American football have been dominant hence overtaking the fame of soccer. On average, soccer is very popular among the youth. This is the most energetic age bracket and soccer is played mostly by the youth. It thrills the youths to see their fellow youths rise to stardom through play of football. Initially, the game was only played and enjoyed by those who are only in the field. Today, the game is played by a few people but watched by millions of across the world. Through digital technology, it is now possible to transmit signals from any corner of the world. This technology has helped many youths get access to the ups and downs of soccer. The game has become more popular to them and even learning new tricks using channels like YouTube. It has facilitated the youth get tips that mould up a good football player. The impact is felt everywhere because if you stretch from china, across Africa in to the Americas and Europe, you will find the young people being fans of certain renowned clubs like Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal among others. The promotion of the game is normally done on the youths. Through seminars and sponsorships, the youth get to know more benefits of playing soccer. This advances the knowledge the youth have about football. Through seminars, they are exposed to interviews which involve the real players whom get to share their experience on the game to the soccer fans. In USA, the football game is picking popularity among the young. The young are getting to know that there is a great fortune in playing the game. In addition, the game comes with a lot of incentives of which being recognized world leading. With Beckham having played football in the USA, it is a clear indication that the youth have got to know the game and embraced it thus giving it a future. Football overturning indigenous games like basket ball is a big step. Its publicity has been successful and many may result into the game. Across the world, the English Premier league is watched. The EUFA championship league is also watched worldwide. The media houses air the games worldwide. This aspect of globalization has made soccer very familiar among the youth wherever these games are watched. It has even gone beyond to motive potential players to take up their position and push soccer to the next level. It is not only in Europe, but also in other continents soccer has been going on. This has enabled analysis of the football at the international and local level. This too exposes the youth to a variety of experiences they can train on. Risks associated with Soccer Nothing good that comes without a cost. Soccer has its bad side too. There are a number of risks which comes with play. Firstly, it is the bone breaking injuries. When people are in the field playing, fouls do occur. The fouls are either intentional or not intentional. For the case of intentional the referees take an action of punishing the wrong doer. Breaking of the opponent’s bone intentionally is not allowed. The rules of fair play forbid it. Whether intentional or unintentional, injuries of broken bones have been reported. The breakage can appear on any part i.e. either at the leg, the hand, etc. the fatalness depends on the magnitude of the “accident.” It is a serious thing because someone may get a bone injury which will deter him from playing football again. This is even the reason why footballers go ahead and insure their body parts just in case such a tragedy befalls them. Training which soccer players are subjected to is always extreme. This is because for a player to keep fit for the ninety minutes of play, he needs to have undergone a good training. The training exposes risks to people with other unknown health complications. This is the case in most third world countries where challenges of funding the game are still high. In advanced countries, checkup for asthma and other diseases that might hinder extreme trainings are carried out. Soccer is a game of sprinting. The sprinting is so swift and this hence calls for care. This care involves being cautious for yourself and the other person in the neighborhood. The sprint also results into muscle pulls if somebody has not been training well. The ankles and joints may be affected by the sprints hence causing problems. Heading is a common feature in soccer. Being acceptable and professional, many players use it and others have even capitalized on it as their style. Nevertheless, it is prone to injuries. The injuries of heading my include neck complications on a hit Besides the body injuries, there are risks of becoming a star. When a player excels, his demand increases and he becomes a celeb. Life is no longer the same and now he may even start thinking about his personal security. Despite all the risks involved, football remains to be a big game loved by many and many look forward to join it. Age for joining Soccer Amazingly, soccer is played nearly by all ages. The only difference comes in when who is playing and for why. At a very early age, children are introduced to soccer by their dads. In South America where soccer stars like Pele and Messi come from, soccer is introduced to children at a very early age. Those identified to be having the talent and those interested are encouraged to pursue the career of football. At a very elderly age, old people play football with their grandchildren. This is done mainly for fun. Most people get into professional soccer during their teenage. They grow in it during their twenties and in their late thirties, they start quitting from international football. In general, soccer may be described to be “ageless” when it comes to who plays it. Conclusion Sports in general are very instrumental in helping out troubled youths. Youths are exposed to a lot of vulnerabilities and if they are not taken care of they may end up being dangerous people in the society. Through sports, youths get to learn tips about life. They get a way of earning their livelihood and being more responsible. Through the trainings and interactions with other players in the gaming process, new opportunities open up and they have a hope for a brighter future. In addition, like in football, they get to learn some important traits which could shape their lives even better like self-reliance, discipline and teamwork. Through their earnings from activities of professional playing, they can invest their excesses and help mould the lives of many other youths. Many professional footballers have foundations which accentuated talents of youths who are interested in sports. This is a result of helping troubled youths. By nurturing them sport-wise, they will nurture others and network will grow big. Worked cited Rose, Sheldon D. Group Therapy with Troubled Youth: A Cognitive-Behavioral Interactive Approach. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage, 1998. Print Read More