Sports fans around the world are struggling to reconcile with the sudden loss of American basketball icon Kobe Bryant. The 41-year-old died on January 26, 2020, when his private helicopter crashed into a hillside in Calabasas, California — about 30 miles away from Los Angele. The crash also killed eight other passengers including his 13-year-old daughter Gianna. The extremely heavy fog condition is believed to have been a major factor.

Bryant, who spent his entire 20-year-basketball career as a shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers, was born in Philadelphia. The basketball star, who decided to turn professional after graduating from high school, was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th overall pick, and then traded to the Lakers. At just 18 years old, he was the youngest player to be drafted in NBA history. The trade proved to be lucky for the Lakers. By his third year, Bryant had moved from being a reserve to the starting lineup. He had also firmly established himself as a star. In 2000, Bryant led the Lakers to their first NBA championship since 1988. The dream team continued to dominate the league for the next two years.

In addition to helping the Lakers win two additional NBA titles in 2009 and 2010, Bryant was also a member of the basketball team responsible for bringing home the Olympic Gold medals in 2008 and 2012. By the time he retired in 2016, the 18-time NBA All-Star had played a total of 1,560 games and scored an astounding 33,043 points — a record surpassed by only three players Kareem Abdul-Jabar (38,387), Karl Malone (36,928), and James (33,655) —in the NBA’s 73-year history.

Though there are many ways to honor Bryant, the best way to pay tribute to one of the greatest sports heroes of all time may be to follow his philosophy on life: “Life is too short to be discouraged. You have to keep moving. Put one foot in front of the other, smile, and just keep on rolling.” — Kobe Bryant, 2008.

Trainers and parents saw children play sports at a young age and then saw them become professional. Many correlated the training to success. Competitive sports are good for young children because they teach children life skills, provide health benefits, and offer special opportunities.

To begin with, sports teach children life skills. A formal athlete stated, “I played soccer in high school and college and found team sports weren’t just about winning, but also about developing a solid ethic(行为准则), and learning why that’s important.” In short, playing highly competitive sports teaches kids many life skills like teamwork. People will have to use teamwork for the rest of their life, and sports can help them improve that skill. Taking part in sports can help develop a positive attitude towards life, which will help in the long run.

Sports are also good for kids because they provide health benefits. It is healthier for a kid to play a sport competitively than to waste time playing video games all day. Furthermore, a research group of University of California said, “96 percent of the participants(参与者) said they enjoy their sports. They’re all loving life.” That is to say, kids playing highly competitive sports tend to enjoy life instead of doing something else like watching TV.

On the other hand, some people might argue that competitive sports are bad for young children because they are so time-consuming. However, the time spent is not “robbing” kids of their childhood, but offers unique opportunities. Athletes can get success to live their dream life by playing sports. Even though sports are time-consuming, they offer distinctive opportunities.

In conclusion, competitive sports are good for children because they can provide wholesome benefits, create new experiences, and build skills that will last a lifetime.