“Be the best you can be” is indeed an important motto to keep in your hypothetical wardrobe; However, this idea highlights one of the biggest weaknesses of youth sports: hypercompetitiveness. While this is an important idea to remember, the benefits to society come from smaller, less complex ideas. Keeping this in mind, the negative connotation regarding participation trophies has taken the country by storm. A large percentage of parents whose children play sports oppose these awards because they "promote being an underdog" or "aren't real trophies." These positions have become usual due to the hypercompetitiveness in today's sports. Society promotes the idea that only the best will succeed and that individuals must strive to become the best in a certain area. While striving to be your best self is critical to becoming a successful individual, small steps not only in sports but in life further help children's mental and physical growth. In other words, hypercompetitiveness in sport has tampered with the values ​​of childhood activity. As athletes growing up in the age of hypercompetitiveness, our children have been wronged by the severe hypercompetitiveness in youth sports today. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay For starters, the demands of youth sports today are irrational and inefficient for the personal lives of child athletes. While practice is critical to maintaining success, it is important to note that these children play sports, most of which were created for recreation, and do not engage in these activities as a job. When kids start to see their sport as a job and not an escape, they also start to lose interest. For example, I played basketball for thirteen years with workouts five days a week for multiple hours, not to mention the additional summer workouts needed to maintain development. I slowly started to lose interest after years of crazy training schedules, because I also started to see the sport I once loved as a ruin. Additionally, excessive demands can lead to stress and anxiety. Newsflash: These kids are still student-athletes. Giving a child only a small amount of time to work on his studies is completely unwise. According to the US Youth Soccer website, children should not practice more than 18 to 20 hours a week. However, this amount of time devoted to training – about three hours a night – can cause kids to lose sight of education and other necessary areas. At such a young age, it is unfair to put their personal lives in so much turmoil, as these years can be the most crucial in their development as a human being. Stress and anxiety levels have increased in recent years and we don't help by imposing stricter training programs on them. Hypercompetitive atmospheres not only affect children's personal lives, but also their own bodies. According to Dr. Anne Murray of “Sports Medicine,” with the frenetic pace and limitless efforts of the human body, sports injuries are the second leading cause of emergency room visits. Physical activity is necessary for the normal growth of children. However, when the activity level becomes “too intense or too excessive” in a short period of time, “tissue breakdown and injury can occur.” The primary factor contributing to the dramatic increase in injuries in young athletes is the focus of more intense, repetitive, and specialized training at much younger ages. These injuries are found in all types of leagues.