“On tiptoe,” Ole shouted to all his teammates. Ole is my ten year old son, who has been playing soccer since he was in first grade. He plays two seasons a year and we are in the tenth season. Ole has started to show leadership with his teammates this season. Ole's team shows him respect, he is a very strong player who has always supported his teammates. No matter how tired he is, he is there to help his teammates. When Ole started playing football I never dreamed he would take this path. Our family was never into sports, it just fell into our laps while we were raising our kids. Since my eyes were opened to youth sports, I have watched my son grow with football. His growth is incredible every football season, I can't wait to see how Ole develops. I believe that playing sports benefits children of all ages because the lessons and values ​​they learn in sports outweigh the disadvantages. An article in Parks in Recreation, A Matter of Picking Your Game, by Boris Weintraub, explains how popular youth sports have become. become. After World War II, parents began to worry about the safety of their children. As television became more popular, so did youth sports. Little League baseball was first established in 1939, as of 2007 there were 2.6 million youth playing on Little League teams. For these youth players, this can turn into high school teams and, for the more elite leagues, Babe Ruth and Pony. A 2007-2008 survey showed that 54% of young people play sports at school. For both girls and boys, soccer ranked in the top five among youth who play sports. Playing sports can benefit children of all ages. Many children at a young age are ready to join together with their classmates...... middle of paper...... 37.1 (2006): 39-49. Premier of academic research. EBSCO. Network. June 3, 2011.Theokas, Christina. “Participation in Youth Sports: A View of the Issues: Introduction to the Special Section.” Developmental Psychology 45.2 (2009): 303-306. Premier of academic research. EBSCO. Network. 3 June 2011Weintraub, Boris. "YOUTH SPORTS". Parks and Recreation 44.7 (2009): 36-41. Premier of academic research. EBSCO. Network. June 3, 2011 Whitaker, Jonathan, Andy Cunningham and James Selfe. “Youth Sports Injuries and Their Immediate Management: A Review.” Physical Therapy Reviews 11.3 (2006): 171-177. Premier of academic research. EBSCO. Network. June 3, 2011Wiersma, Lenny D. and Angela M. Fifer. "The program was tough but we think it's worth it": The joys, challenges, and advice of youth sports parents." Journal of Leisure Research 40.4 (2008): 505-530. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web . 3 June 2011.