G07: Art of Argument: Competitive sports

Participating in youth sports is beneficial for children's health in both the short and long terms, as sports involve a variety of aerobic, muscle-strengthening, and bone-strengthening exercises that can help protect against obesity and disease.
Youth who spend most of their time practicing and playing a sport are at risk of developing overtraining syndrome, characterized by high anxiety and changes in sleep patterns, as well as sports-related injuries.

According to Stanford University's Children's Health Center, approximately 3.5 million children suffer sports-related injuries each year. About 40 percent of emergency room visits for children five to fourteen years old are for sports-related injuries.

Athletes are believed to be more vulnerable to anorexia and other eating disorders than nonathletes. In particular, anorexia tends to strike most often among athletes competing in sports, such as gymnastics, running, and wrestling, that require lean body types. Researchers believe that because of the highly competitive nature of sports, equally competitive participants become obsessed with maximizing their performance. The character traits found in many anorexics, such as perfectionism and obsessive behavior, are usually traits that can be observed in highly competitive athletes. Experts think that competitive sports can trigger an eating disorder in an athlete with an obsessive and competitive personality

Athletes and parents make commitments every time they sign up to play on a team. Parents commit to time, money and support of their children. Players commit to time, training and to be there for their teammates.

Any slack off to any of that commitment affects the entire organization. At what age does that commitment allow for absences or excuses, apart from family emergencies, illness or other important situations that may arise?