Sport is the antidote to anti-social behaviour

With the 2014 World Cup about to get underway, we are reminded of the important role that sport can play in the development of young people.

There may be a few notable exceptions, but in general soccer stars are extremely positive role models for our kids. Today's generation of top-tier players may be over-pampered and excessively paid (to put it mildly) but they do give our youngsters something to aspire to. Only a tiny minority of young footballers reach the dizzy heights of success enjoyed by Ronaldo, Van Persie or Messi. But so what? We should encourage them to chase their dreams.

•Teenagers should be encouraged to participate in sport to prevent them going down the wrong track. FILE PHOTO

A few days ago I noticed a bunch of teenagers loitering in a children's playground. Like any group of young lads hanging around, they looked more menacing than they actually were. A Garda patrol car happened to be in the park at the time. It slowed down as it approached the playground but the teens defiantly stood their ground. Realising there was nothing sinister going on, the gardaí drove off.

This particular playground has been vandalised by mindless thugs on numerous occasions. Expensive equipment has been set on fire and the surface has been badly damaged, costing the local authority tens of thousands of euro to repair it. There was nothing to suggest that this particular group of teenagers had engaged in such reckless behaviour. While they were largely harmless, their use of foul language in front of pre-school children made the atmosphere threatening and uncomfortable for parents.

The teens were a pitiful sight, really; sitting on swings and hanging out of the climbing frame like a bunch of five-year-olds. If boredom was a crime, these guys would have been guilty as charged. It was a bank holiday weekend and they had absolutely nothing to do but sit in a children's playground. Just a few metres away was an all-weather football pitch with goalposts and basketball hoops. There were enough of them there to organise a five-a-side match but they chose instead to do nothing.

Boredom can be extremely dangerous when it comes to teenagers. Kids from decent families can do stupid, out-of-character things when they are bored, from abusing alcohol to smoking a joint to shooting up heroin. A chaotic lifestyle often starts with anti-social behaviour such as vandalism and graffiti and quickly moves on to joyriding and more serious forms of criminality.

Teenage boys, in particular, are more prone to disaster if their hormonal angst and energy is not channelled in a positive way. Early intervention through sport is the best way to divert them away from a path paved with misery. Be it soccer, boxing or Gaelic Football, there are clubs in every community in Ireland full of dedicated volunteers who can help steer your teen in the right direction and make them believe in themselves.

Participating in team sports engenders a sense of camaraderie and instills confidence in young people. It promotes good health, making those who want to achieve sporting success less likely to smoke or drink. In a world of Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat, it forces our youth to socialise and interact with actual people instead of virtual friends.

With secondary schools now closed (except for exam students), parents should ensure that their teenagers are kept occupied by taking up a sport or joining a summer camp. Don't let boredom win and potentially destroy your child's life.