Arg206,请大牛猛拍，有改必回

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TOPIC: ARGUMENT206 - The following appeared in a letter to the editor of the Parkville Daily Newspaper.

"Throughout the country last year, as more and more children below the age of nine participated in youth-league softball and soccer, over 80,000 of these young players suffered injuries. When interviewed for a recent study, youth-league softball players in several major cities also reported psychological pressure from coaches and parents to win games. Furthermore, education experts say that long practice sessions for these sports take away time that could be used for academic activities. Since the disadvantages apparently outweigh any advantages, we in Parkville should discontinue organized athletic competition for children under nine."

In this letter, the editor recommends to the authority that due to over 80,000 of childre below the age of nine paticipated in youth-league softball and soccor suffered injuries throught the country last year, Parkvill should stop organized athletic competition for children under nine. To support the conclusion, the edior also states that some softball player in several major cities also reported pressure from coaches and parents to beat their opponent according to a recent study. Additionally, the writer cite education experts as saying that these sports take away too much time that could be used for academic activities. This argument is unconvincing as it is based on faulty reasoning and a complete lack of evidence to support its conclusion.
The first problem with the argument is that it does not provide any information about what types of injuries the eighty thousand youngsters suffered. Although any injury, no matter how slightly, is undesirable, the argument is weakened by not discussing the relative severity of these injuries. This is necessary information when weighing the advantages or disadvantages of youth league sports for children under nine.

Secondly, unless the surveyor sampled a sufficient numbers of participants and did so randomly in all cities, the survey results are not reliable to gauge that youth-league softball players all suffers pressure from coaches and parents to win game. For example, if the 200 players were surveyed in 3 major cities while there 20,000 players nationwide, but only 20 responded, the conclusion that plays have psychological pressure would be highly suspected. Moreover, the study was only for one sport, not all types of athletics. Even if softball players have such problem, it does not mean that all the children below the age of nine are under pressure of their coaches and parents.
Furthermore, the writer mentioned that long practice sessions for these sports take away time that could be used for academic activities. There is absolutely no evidence presented that Parkville youth league sports have long practice sessions or that they have any practice sessions at all for that matter. In addition, too much time for academic activities is not healthy for children; they need time to exercise their bodies as well as their minds. Without evidence that that long practice sessions are hurting the children’s studies, the argument is further weakened.
Ultimately, the author fails to consider the possible positive impacts brought about by athletic competitions. For example, children will learn how to protect themselves in sharp contests, how to corporate with their teammate and how to balance between learning and exercising. No evidence is presented that indicates that the disadvantages outweigh the advantages—some weak and ambiguous information is merely thrown into the argument. Furthermore, the writer commits a fallacy of hasty generalization. There could be other changes that could be made short of discontinuing the program. Solutions such as shortening practice sessions, enforcing mandatory equipment rules and emphasizing sportsmanship rather than winning or losing are all ignored by the writer, which greatly weakens the argument.

In summary, the argument is based on merely speculation with absolutely no evidence presented to show that Parkville should discontinue organized athletic competitions for children under nine. No convincing evidence is offered that eighty thousand children below the age of nine injured seriously in youth-league softball and soccer. Furthermore, there is no support for the idea that the children in Parkville in any way suffer pressure from their parents and coaches or feel competitions expense too much time which could be use for academic activities. Thus, this argument should be rejected due to the lack of any supporting evidence that the disadvantages of organizing competition for children under nine outweigh the advantages.