When I was four years old, I was a very shy girl who was afraid of talking to strangers, did not enjoy sports, did not make friends easily. All this changed when my parents took me to have a look at the training in gymnastics. I looked at it once and loved it forever. Sport has changed my life completely and helped me to avoid a lot of dangers of teenage years.
First of all, I never got into a bad company. I had enough friends among those boys and girls with whom I trained and I did not feel the lack of socializing activities, which makes many youngsters seek the company of popular school groups. Moreover, my interests were very specific and I could not get the enjoyment of skipping classes, because regular training of my mind was perceived as something equally important to the training of the body. Then, we were only allowed to take part in competitions and visit training camps if our academic record was high and flawless, which meant I did my best to show the top level of knowledge in all subjects. Finally, I never tried smoking or taking drugs, as this would have meant the end of my sporting career, which took such an important place in my life that even thinking about such a possibility caused almost physical pain.
I definitely agree with the idea that participation in sports keeps teens out of trouble. Moreover, it gives them the whole new world of achievement, helps them find friends and escape boredom. So, parents, save your children, help them take up and love sport.