Sports and politics?

Imagine that today is the big day for your soccer club's championship game.  Your team goes out there to kick some butt, and instead the ref says that your team is disqualified.  That's because your team socks have stripes and the new rules say that socks have to be one color.  That would make most people really angry.

If you are like a lot of kids your age, being involved in sports is a really big part of your life. Whether that is for school, club, or just for fun. But, if you are like a lot of kids your age you also don't think about politics much.  So you may ask:

Right, but what do sports have to do with politics?
Politics doesn't have to mean tax cuts, welfare reform, defense down-sizing, and other topics that people your age can't really do anything about. Politics can mean rules like you are kicked off a certain baseball league because you're over 14, or that you can't wear your favorite Nike shirt under your basketball jersey or you'll get a technical foul, to even things as serious as suing a coach because he or she verbally or sexually harasses you. It has happened. These rules are just as much a part of American politics as anything else, and they're especially important to kids because it affects you personally.

 

So what? I can't vote, so I can't participate, right?
Wrong. Kids who are under 18 can become very involved. Just knowing what the rules are is one way to be involved. Here are some links to sites that show some new rules in different sports that will affect you.

National Alliance of Youth Sports

National Youth Sport Safety Foundation

Sometimes big changes are made.  Then if there are rules you don't agree with, you can tell your coaches, parents, teachers, and tell them your opinions on the rules and what you think would be a better way to do things.  Or you can even get petitions signed or protest to change rules you disagree with. You ARE a voice that can be heard. Don't let the fact that you're too young to vote discourage you.

If sports are important to you, then you'll want to make sure the next time you take the field or court, you won't be disqualified by some rule you didn't even know about that you think is unfair. Make your voice heard.  Make a difference.

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