Are Youth Sports Out of Control?

The author compares being on a travel team to having ______.

• an annoying little sister

• a serious injury

• a full-time job

• a bad cold

Based on the article, many kids quit playing team sports because ______.

• they feel too much pressure

• they need to get jobs to help support their families

• they don’t like to sweat

• they prefer to watch sports on TV

A school might offer an athlete a scholarship if he or she is very ______.

• rich

• short

• talented

• young

Based on the article, how many young athletes are injured each year?

• nearly 25,000

• about 700,000

• about 1 million

• more than 3.5 million

The article says that “youth sports have turned into a big business.” Which line from the article best supports this statement?

• “Today, more athletes are getting serious at an early age.”

• “Websites rank athletes on their skills in elementary school.”

• “Every year, American families spend about $17 billion on their kids’ sports.”

• “One study found that 90 percent of top high school athletes love their sport.”

Which of the following is a central idea of the section “Chance of Fun”?

• Kids care only about having fun.

• Sports are fun when played at the right level.

• Kids on travel teams never have fun.

• Pick-up games are pointless.

A central idea of the article is that an increasing number of ______.

• states are holding soccer tournaments

• teens are playing multiple sports

• pro athletes are coaching kids

• athletes are getting serious at an early age

Reread Samantha’s quote in large type next to her picture on page 6. What does she mean?

• Soccer was such a big part of her life that she felt incomplete without it.

• She lost her memory because of a soccer injury.

• When she gave up soccer, she also changed her name.

• When she gave up soccer, she also gave up all of the other activities she enjoyed.

. What is Samantha referring to when she says, “It was 100 percent worth it”?

• giving up soccer

• joining the tennis team

• working on her skills at home

• playing soccer