Behind the spectacle of the Beijing Olympics and the record setting performances of Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt, and many others, a brewing controversy over the exploitation of young athletes was muffled in the interests of athletic excellence, national pride and international harmony. Not that these aren’t worthy goals, even arguably outweighing the consequences of continued indifference towards unhealthy expectations in this particular circumstance. But the unavoidable truth of the matter is that the issue needs to be forcefully dealt with before this phenomenon becomes the status quo.
The obvious example is the questionable ages of the Chinese women’s gymnastics team, which has been largely derided for the competitive advantage it gave the Chinese. More troubling, however, is the lifestyle that these athletes led before arriving at the Olympic stadium as 14- or 15-year-olds. Taken from their parents as toddlers, these children spend their formative years undergoing a grueling training regimen in a setting that resembles a cross between Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and ancient Sparta. Historical and literary comparisons aside, a vocational school (for children who are so young that they probably don’t understand what they’re being trained to do) should raise some eyebrows. The damage inflicted on these individuals is immense. Physically, the dangers of extensive training for gymnastics (or any other sport) at an early age are well documented. Of course, there are the bumps and bruises associated with most sports, but there are also concerns about stunted growth or even permanent paralysis, as was the case with China’s Sang Lan at the 1998 Goodwill games.
Moreover, beyond the physical risks, it seems horribly unfair that these children are exposed to these risks while their peers play happily with their friends and develop many of the life skills for success in the world outside professional sports. Moreover, it seems likely that this singular focus on athletic success would create significant problems for the athlete’s emotional and social health. Many of them do not remember a life outside of their academy and, when their gymnastics careers inevitably end, they are left with a profound loss of purpose in their lives. Too often, Olympic athletes who spend the bulk of their lives preparing for their moments on the podium end up jobless and in need of psychiatric help within a few short years of retirement.
Sadly, the problem extends beyond the Chinese gymnastics program. Perhaps blinded by nationalistic pride, many Americans don’t realize the prevalence of unhealthy physical training in young American children. Though the individual cases in the United States are less severe than in China, there is little substantive difference, in terms of the social, emotional and physical tolls, between sending a child off to six hours of daily practice and sending him off to train at a boarding academy.
In a way, there are even more dangers in the American system of raising athletes, where nearly every child has an opportunity to reach the upper echelons of professional sports with enough grit and determination–for example, the Williams sisters. Both are admirable traits, but at times, they are developed to a fault. Despite the valuable lessons competitive sports provide for young athletes, they often fuel self-destructive behavior that will hinder their success later in life. Several scenarios that can result from the intense pressure on children to succeed at the highest level in sports. Most obviously, there is the dumb jock stereotype where athletes are so focused on excelling in sports that their studies suffer; this outcome is certainly not desirable, but far from the worst. The real concern is when young athletes, so driven to succeed by the message sent to them by their coaches, parents and peers, might push themselves to excess. This type of behavior most commonly manifests itself in the use of performance enhancing drugs or playing through debilitating injuries to seem “tough.”
The use of performance enhancing drugs has been well documented, but the sometimes foolhardy insistence on “soldiering on” has not. This isn’t to say that individual athletes shouldn’t be allowed to make decisions regarding their health and their ability to compete, but when a persistent self-destructive mantra encourages young athletes to take enormous risks, something is clearly wrong. An obvious example would be the National Football League, a quintessentially American institution. Every Sunday the nation is affixed to the bold sacrifices and otherworldly accomplishments of men often hailed as heroes. But many don’t realize the debilitating injuries these players sustain to entertain us, to provide examples of selflessness, dedication, perseverance and ultimately, to serve as role models for children. Hall of Fame safety Willie Wood can’t even walk anymore because of the damage that playing professional football inflicted on his body. Even current players occasionally push themselves too far, like San Diego’s Shawne Merriman, who risked permanent disability by attempting to play on two torn ligaments in his knee, until he wisely decided to shut himself down.
These acts can be called courageous, heroic and even legendary, but it doesn’t diminish the fact that they are dangerous, foolish and set a worrisome example for the thousands of children that idolize these athletes. At some point, the true reasons behind participation in competitive sports need to be reevaluated and reemphasized. Winning is important, but it should never come at the expense of the physical and emotional wellbeing of athletes, especially those too young to understand the sacrifices they are making.