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206The 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."

As pointing out that athletic competition does more harms than benefits, the speaker suggests that athletic competition should be stopped for children under nine. To support this, he lists three evidences which are seemingly sensible. However, close scrutiny shows that these evidences are not reliable and the suggestion given by the speaker is therefore unconvincing.

The threshold problem with the assertion lies in the figure of the injured children. The mere fact that there are over 80,000 children injured in softball and soccer game cannot tell that this is a figure large enough. Perhaps 80,000 injured children are only small fraction of the total children who take part in the games. Unless the speaker can prove with statistics that 80,000 injured children constitute the majority of all children taking part in the games, this figure would not be a convincing one to support the assertion.

Secondly, the report that children in major cities suffer from psychological pressure, even assuming nothing is suspicious of the validity about it, does nothing helpful to bolster the suggestion of the speaker. Because the response of children in those majors cities cannot represent the response of children in Parkville. It is entirely possible that children in Parkville do not feel any mental pressure to win games. What’s more, common sense can tell us that the psychological pressure may be aroused by many reasons. Perhaps it comes from the weak psychological endurance of those children rather than the athletic competition itself.

Thirdly, using the statement of the educational experts to uphold this recommendation, the author assumes that long practice session will affect children’s academy, yet this might not be the case. The experts claim that the time for practice could have partly been used to study. However, the assertion provides no evidence that occupying the time, practice will surely derogate from children’s academic achievements. Moreover, the practice for sports may even help relieve both physical and mental pressure that possibly come from academy.

Last but not the least, Even assuming softball and soccer games in Parkville do bring about physical injuries, or even mental pressure, the speaker unfairly conclude that all athletic competitions should no more be organized. Unless the speaker could provide sufficient examples and reasonable argument about all sports bring about more disadvantages than advantages for children’s health, I could hardly regard his conclusion is trustworthy.

In conclusion, the speaker makes a hasty suggestion based on several unconvincing evidences. To better assess his assertion, I need to know about the total number of children in Parkville who take part in softball and soccer games and their feedback about psychological pressure coming from the games. Furthermore, the evidence which can prove the time children spend on sports do affect children’s academic achievements should be given. The speaker also have to tell the reason why all athletic competitions should be banned.