To begin, the definition of sports is an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment. Skill is one of the most important things for an athlete to have, but they don’t always have it to begin. Most athletic teens take sports very seriously. All the other kids in a high school that don’t play any sport, or don’t have a commitment can’t see the importance of sports to those who do play. To a non-athletic teen sports just seems like a regular game, but to an athlete that game could determine the college their going to attend. Playing sports should be part of everyone’s life! There are so many sports, there’s got to be one for everyone!
In high school, there are many opportunities to become involved in activities throughout the academic year. Whether it’s club such as GSA, chess, debate, or a sport like baseball or soccer in which athletes can challenge one and other, students have numerous opportunities to get involved in beneficial activities. These opportunities help prepare students for the real world by teaching important life lessons. Although clubs can teach students some major life skills, they do not teach the students as much as a student actively involved in high school sports. High school athletics teach students valuable life lessons, teach students how to manage what is important in their life, help cure depression, show kids how to work with each other in teams, and teach students to remain physically active throughout life. High school sports are an important key to teens becoming successful in life and should not be taken for granted.
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In sports, to become not only an excellent athlete yourself, but a great team as well, athletes need to work hard, and work together. Whether it is by practicing or training to become better in the weight room, or training yourself to eat better, athletes know it takes hard work to acquire their goals. An athlete’s mindset is always growing, they know it takes hard work and dedication. This is also true in life. Whether it is for work or just mowing a lawn, it takes hard work to get where you want to go or be where you want to be. Student athletes know the pain of doing things they may not want to do in order to do the fun stuff. This is a very important life lesson that can and should be used throughout a person’s life.
Second, participating in sports helps athletes better work in teams. In the real world it is crucial to be able to work with anybody and everybody. Every job you’ll have will require some communication to other people. Rather it be a teacher, or even an author. Sport teams help prepare students for the adult world of teamwork. According to Doug McMillion (CEO of Walmart) ninety-seven percent of employees and executives believe lack of alignment within a team impacts the outcome of a task or project. Teams in sports are very important, if someone isn’t there to do their part the whole team may fail. Athletes learn this the hard way, they also learn some people aren’t the most reliable.
Another important lesson learned through high school athletics is to never give up. Throughout life, everyone goes through a tough time. Today, for adults, it can be hard to find a job. For students, it may be hard to make new friends. Instead of just giving up after a while you need to work even harder than before! Figure out what you’re doing wrong! Whatever happens, don’t give up! Sure, you might get turned down again, but it’s worth a shot. The same can be said and is demonstrated through high school athletics. In a football game when the team is losing by third quarter, do you think they’re going to just stop trying? No! They’re going to work harder, communicate with each other better, and have even more spirit then the first half of the game! Moreover, these student athletes try harder. They fight to the very end and never give up hope. Because these teens have a chance to participate in high school athletics, they learn valuable life lessons which will stick with them for the rest of their lives.
Although competing in athletic events can be fun, students learn to manage their schedules in a very difficult. If a student athlete is busy competing and practicing, they may fall behind in school, chores, and other responsibilities. He or she will be punished as a result. At west high, if a student becomes ineligible, he or she cannot compete in an athletic event until they bring their grade(s) up. A student becomes ineligible by containing just one F or failing to obey the school rules. Athletes even get punished by not obeying regular laws, even outside of school. This teaches high school students to pay attention to what is important, academics and not athletics. In most instances, a student will get a job based on their academic record and not by athletics. However, by being active in high school athletics, students will learn to control their schedules more efficiently and learn to always stay focused on what is important in their life.
Finally, athletics are important for the obvious, remaining in shape. It appears more and more people are becoming overweight. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ninety-three million people were affected by obesity, they also found medical bills costed around one-hundred-forty-seven billion dollars in America. The best method to lose weight is by exercising and becoming active in society. The best way to do this is by participating in a sport. If a teen actively participates in high school athletics, then exercising will become a no brainer. Although many teens do not look as though they need to worry about their weight, as they get older, their metabolism will most likely slow down. In a nutshell, their weight will catch up to them. If teens participate in sports during high school though, it will be easier for them to get out and exercise when they need to later in life.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention participation in a sport or group activity can help cure depression. Before school sports were provided to schools there was an average of 37,450 teen deaths in America due to lack of involvement and encouragement from the society. That number dropped drastically by the early 2000s, only 26,950 deaths were said to be caused by lack of involvement and encouragement by peers. Participating in a sport can help a student fight depression. Students always need a chance to be involved, sports is a great way to start. Sadly, according to the CDC thirty-three percent of American students agree that they are not welcome in sport teams. This needs to change!
Some adults believe high school teams have a negative effect on the lives and education of teenage students. They believe sports are becoming the number one priority in a teen’s life and students would be better off without the opportunity of participating in high school sports. Although high school sports are extremely important for teenagers, it should not overcome the importance of academics. At West, academics come first. Although most kids thoroughly enjoy the opportunity to play sports, they realize that unless they focus on their academics, they won’t get the chance to participate in sports. This fixes the problem of kids not worrying about school. Education always comes first, and the athletes know this. Just one F and the kid can be forced on the bench. Coaches even pay attention to their overall behavior, if they’re not acting right, they be kicked off all together. Athletes are some of the smartest and well-behaved kids.
Yet, there are still a very large fraction of the high school students that do not participate in any sports during high school. That fraction only increases with the size of the school. A goal should be set in each school to where the number of students that do not participate in high school athletics decreases every semester. This will not only be valuable for the teams that they join, but even more beneficial to the students themselves. Additionally, some teams don’t even have enough students to compete in tournaments, or games! How do the kids who want to play but can’t feel? Students need to get out of their comfort zone and try something new! They could be good, it could become a new hobby, they could find new friends, the benefits from sports are endless. If a student becomes involved in high school athletics it will help him or her tremendously. It will teach them valuable life lessons, teach them how to manage what is important in their life and teach students to remain physically active throughout life. The opportunities given through high school sports are very important and should be used to any high school student’s advantage.
Works Cited
- Eladore, Margret Fransis, editor. 'What is Physical Activity .' Choose My Plate , 9 Apr. 2000, www.choosemyplate.gov/resources/physical-activity-what-is. Accessed 18 Dec. 2019.
- Elliot, Patrick. 'Combating Depression and Anxiety in Sports .' Physiology Today, Feb. 2004, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mental-game/201811/combating-depression-and-anxiety-in-sports. Accessed 18 Dec. 2019.
- Heard, Jessie, editor. 'Depression.' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , 6 May 1990, www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/depression.htm. Accessed 18 Dec. 2019.
- 'Highschool Sports .' MaxPreps, Nov. 2012, www.maxpreps.com/. Accessed 18 Dec. 2019.
- Horsley, Nick. 'Sports Participation .' Sports Facts , pp. 1-2. Datalys Center , www.datalyscenter.org/sites/datalyscenter.org/files/Sports_Participation_Prevent_Obesity.pdf. Accessed 18 Dec. 2019.
- McGuire, Emma Elizabeth, translator. 'How to make your kid hate sports without really trying.' CNN, 8 Sept. 1998, www.cnn.com/2016/01/21/health/kids-youth-sports-parents/index.html. Accessed 18 Dec. 2019.
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