Every young black male I grew up with played some sort of recreational sport at the local rec center at some point in their lives. Sport was a way for us to express ourselves, to meet people with similar interests, to focus our attention on something positive and, most importantly, it became a way for us to avoid any affiliation with the streets . The recreation center sits in the center of a blighted neighborhood, surrounded by violence, drugs, and people aged ten to forty-five immersed in a life of crime. The only refuge was the leisure center and specifically the football league, and this is generally the case throughout the country. Sport combats juvenile delinquency by creating barriers to protect young people from drug addiction, violence and crime, while helping them develop their social skills, and by changing their outlook on life, it inspires them to become adults who thrive in society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay It can probably be assumed that children growing up in the inner city or poor areas do not have the healthiest outlook on life, which would explain their reasons for getting involved in something self-destructive. These children are actually dealing with undiagnosed depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and more. and most of the time do not have access to a healthy outlet, except for sports. According to a 2010 article by Dr. Ian Janssen and Allena Leblanc, Janssen states that sports are a positive leisure activity and have been proven to improve psychosocial health outcomes among adolescents. When we give our young people a positive activity to enjoy recreationally, sport gives us the chance to direct them toward prosperity instead of engaging in destructive paths that lie ahead. It is imperative that young people's leisure time is filled with something to improve their mental health rather than something detrimental. If the children in question don't improve dramatically in terms of their mental health, they at least have an activity to distract them from the obstacles capable of persuading them of evil. Once someone dedicates themselves to a collective whole, other outside activities that can be done are simply out of the equation because all of your time is focused elsewhere. It is indicated that young people who participate in sporting activities are at lower risk of engaging in delinquent behavior than young people who do not participate in sporting activities. This way of thinking has led local governments to establish more youth sports programs, so that sixty-three percent of young people aged twelve to seventeen play at least one sport. During adolescence, it is essential to establish relationships and have positive social interactions. The people you associate with play a vital role in your mental life, so being surrounded by people involved in productive activity will lead to positive results. The attachment, commitment, belief and involvement that sports bring play a huge role in a child's mind. Professor Robert Agnew suggests that when young people engage in sport, they may refrain from any deviant activities, as this could jeopardize their chance of playing the sport. Getting involved in a team and having positive team goals with people from a young age has proven to be effective time and time again. Essentially, a fourteen year old wouldn't want, 29(1), 84+