Dear Editor,

Over the past few months I have been observing youth sports such as basketball and football. One thing that I have noticed is that the competition and the and the level of energy in the coaches, players and fans is extremely high. I believe that this competitiveness may be a bit over the top.

For starters, injuries that used to only occur in athletes who are in high school are now becoming more prevalent in younger athletes. Back problems, knee problems, torn ACLs, all of these are being seen more in younger athletes. However, the game play is not always what is causing these problems.

The practices are becoming more grueling then ever before seen. Kids as young as nine already have their own personal trainers. These young athletes are being overworked and losing sight of the fun of the game. All they care about now is winning. Lastly the fans at these games are ridiculous. There are grown men drinking beer and tailgating hours before the game, and mothers roaming the sidelines screaming their heads off at the referees. There are even a few F-bombs tossed around amongst the crowd. It is absolutely absurd. Even at the third grade level games, this kind of behavior was present.

Now I do know that adults and the children themselves want to excel in their favorite sport. Sometimes the young athletes are determined enough to work this hard and actually want to have long, grueling practices. Nonetheless, if the young athletes keep at it, over time their bodies will become exhausted and they could become sick of the game.