Although sports are instrumental in ensuring a productive and healthy individual, children from deprived backgrounds increasingly fail to harness these advantages. Statistically, over 2.3 billion children live under the poverty line. They do not only lack basics needs, but most importantly, they are disadvantaged in sports, an aspect that they or their families do not deem as important due to the need for opportunity cost while taking care of their varied needs. Compared to affluent kids, children from low-income areas start at a disadvantage because poverty, in various ways, bars them from participating in sports.
While well off families and neighborhoods can afford sports-related kits as well as facilities such as fields, those from poor neighborhoods do not have this privilege. Although they might be aware of the importance of sports in early childhood development, most do not have the means to take their kids to sports academies or even contribute towards sports facilities such as fields and tools ( Edwards et al., 2015) . In addition to this, such families, in most cases, cannot afford to pay school trips that have to do with sports ( Cook, 2017) .
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Educational institutions are notable platforms where children can develop their sports-related talents in general ( Edwards et al., 2015) .. Well-equipped schools do not only have all-round curriculums where sports are just as important as studies, but they also have the equipment and sports training facilities. In most cases, such schools also have trainers who train kids in different sports. Children from well off backgrounds can attend such schools and take advantage of such facilities as their parents can afford high tuition fees. On the other hand, however, children from poor backgrounds do not have such educational opportunities and hence, an inability to take advantage of sports-related opportunities in such institutions. Statistically, more than 260 children worldwide do not go to school. These students, therefore, fail even to get the sports opportunities offered by the less equipped institution. Closely related to the above, discrimination in sports, especially for children who are homeless or do not suit certain criteria derail them from participating in sports ( Cook, 2017).
Child labor is one of the other major factors that derail children from low-income areas from having sports-related opportunities in comparison to affluent kids. Statistically, more than 200 million worldwide are child laborers. Most of them do not go to school and hence, fail to harness sports-related opportunities offered at school. Besides, they spent a considerable amount of time working and hence, do not have time for leisure and sports. On the other hand, affluent kids are unlikely to be involved in child labor and, therefore, use their time for studies and extra-curricular activities such as sports.
Information is a powerful tool that wholly transforms an individual. When it comes to sports, affluent kids are privileged in terms of having a variety of sources of information. Most of them do not only have access to the internet and other media such as televisions but they can also afford time if need be to acquire the information they need about sports. This directly or indirectly influences their skills and their interest in sports. Underprivileged kids, on the other hand, might not have sources of information in comparison to their affluent counterparts. Even when they have a few, they might not afford the time because they might be burdened with house chores.
As a researcher, one of the class aspects that I think is notable is the need for various stakeholders to take the initiative to ensure the disadvantaged kids get to have what those from well off families have. I feel like there is a lot more that needs to be done by different governments and non-profit organizations to ensure that poor kids have great sports opportunities. Public spaces where kids could get all the information about sports that they could want can also be put in place by the necessary authorities. I also think there is an information gap among some poor communities. Some of the parents do not give sports a priority as they do not know the benefits. There is a need to raise awareness in such communities about the importance of sports. Closely related, advocacy is necessary. By emphasizing the need to ensure that kids, regardless of their background, have access to sports facilities, it is possible that the necessary stakeholders will be intrigued to take up sports development projects. Besides the above, I think there is a need for communities with fewer sports facilities to solicit funds through undertakings such as fundraising and ensure their kids have access to sports activities ( Edwards et al., 2015) . .
In conclusion, sports are highly essential in child development. Income disparities between children from low income and affluent areas is a significant factor that puts kids from low-income areas at a disadvantage when it comes to sports. The inability to have a quality education, inability to afford information, child labor and lack of equipped sports facilities, among others, are major factors that set apart kids from low income areas from their affluent counterparts. Regardless of these differences, when given equal opportunities, all kids have equal chances of thriving in sports.
References
Cook, B. (2017). It’s Tough for Low-Income Kids, Especially Girls, To Participate in Sports.
Edwards, G., Grubb, B., Power, A., & Serle, N. (2015). Moving the goal posts: poverty and access to sport for young people.
