Can competitive sports be unhealthy

Answer 1

Can competitive sports be unhealthy? Good question. And that's a "yes" if one steps back and looks at the whole. A BIG yes. First there is the possibility of physical injury in a sport. Some sports injuries can be repeated with disastrous results. People have become permanently disabled or have even died as a result of injuries received in a competitive sport. And I'm not talking about race car driving. I'm talking about boxing, football, and a ton of other sports. Competitive sports YOU probably participate in. There is also the possibility of psychological difficulty stemming from obsession with or over-commitment in competitive sports. We've seen that theme countless times on television and at the movies, haven't we? Competitive sports pose a risk to our physical and mental health in many ways. Grab a couple of friends and make a list together to see what you come up with. It's a jungle out there. But competitive sports also offer us things we cannot get anywhere else. They offer us things we NEED. We build our bodies. Toughen ourselves up. Develop our physical packaging. And what about what happens between our ears? The things we learn about others, about interacting with them, and especially the things we learn about ourselves when we participate in competitive sports have a value greater than gold when we incorporate them into our lives. But that's another topic. The trick to participating in competitive sports in a healthy way is balance. We need to commit to something to become successful at it and go on to higher achievement, but we need to monitor ourselves to insure we are on a healthy path. And the healthy path for one might not be healthy for someone else. We must develop a strong set of skills to manage the risks associated with participating in competitive sports, especially at the top of the ladder, and that's where parents, family, friends, mentors and coaches all come in. Lastly, remember that the ultimate competition for each and every one of us is with ourselves.

Answer 2

It can be if you push yourself too hard. Be careful!