Critical Response: Why I Don’t Want My Kids to Play Team Sports

Critical Response Essay
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Critical Response Essay: Why I Don’t Want My Kids to Play Team Sports by Jeff Pearlman
According to Michael Jordan, talent is essential in winning games but intelligence and teamwork are the main determinants in winning championships. Many parents want their children to join team sports as a way of building self-confidence and understand how to relate with others. On the other hand, some of the parents perceive that teamwork is about fulfilling the team interests without regarding individual interests. Therefore, some parents do not support teamwork because it does not enhance individual wellness. In this article, the author uses ethos, pathos, and logos to persuade the audience why joining team sports is never beneficial.
The article is reliable because the author utilizes personal experiences to convey his message to the audience. First, the author appeals to ethos by using a real-life experience from his brother. He outlines the personality of his brother, who was “painfully shy, socially awkward, owner of few friends” (Pearlman, 2013). After the parents suggested that he joins team sports to enhance his confidence and happiness. Unfortunately, there were never any benefits from David’s engagement with the team. The experience did not work for his brother because the coach expected the players to act in the best interests of the team. In this way, there were minimal benefits to his brother. Additionally, the coach gave his brother limited opportunity to play, which limited further the opportunity for David to enhance his happiness and self-confidence. Through this experience, it proves the credibility of the author and makes his message reliable.
The author laments that letting children join team sports leads to an individual who is not weak to be fellow teammates' laughing stock. The author adds that an individual who does not meet the right standards according to a coach's desires; cannot have the needed time to play in the field. Besides, a person will be ridiculed for not offering their best while in the area, and lastly, a weak player will waste their talent on the bench. The author gives the information from the point of experience as he notes that his brother did not get the self-confidence that he thought would be there by being part of a sports team (Pearlman, 2013). As a re...