Benefits of High School Sports

Almost all student athletes get butterflies before that Friday night football game, before the fans get to watch them compete, or even the to get the ability to practice. Many argue that high school sports are a distraction in the classroom or even cause career ending injuries. There are many different scenarios that prove that high school sports do the exact opposite of those. When it comes to high school sports, it keeps students fit, boosts a student’s academic performance, and enhances a student’s self-esteem. High school sports are very beneficial and for anyone who is looking to take on a new challenge to take on.

A prominent reason why high school sports is detrimental to academic accomplishments of students is because of how sports act as a powerful distractor to education. When a student starts to play sports in school, their mindset shifts from being focused on learning to now focusing on improving at their sport of choice. Sports are just another thing that consumes the time and attention of people. This simple fact clearly presents a problem because it means less effort can be dedicated towards academics. A perfect example of how sports teams magnify this effect of reducing academic effort is presented in the article “Why Student Athletes Continue to Fail” when it explains “Tight-knit student athletes will seek ways of fitting into a culture that they perceive as neglecting academics (by defaulting into majors of dubious merit and spending less time doing homework), knowing that their habits are observed by teammates” (Oppenheimer). Clearly, this statement demonstrates that school sports create an environment where students feel pressured to adopt a callous attitude towards academics. Since sports teams form a strong bond between the members of the team, the impact of peer pressure is emphasized because each student wants to behave like the others simply to feel connected to the group.

Daniel Gould’s non-fiction essay, “Are High School Sports Good For Kids,” explains the benefits of doing sports in high school. He uses examples from research, showing the true benefits of being involved. Than, Gould uses transitions to show both sides of high school sports. Than, he uses other sources to back his argument up. Gould uses his persuasive ways to pull in teens and adults. His purposeful tone explains all the beneficial aspects of sports in high school and how teens can gain educational and personal benefits.

Sports can be viewed as a learning environment that helps individuals learn life lessons, foster strong work habits and develop core values all the while learning a sport skill. Youth sports that truly benefit young athletes should be structured to emphasize participation more than just competition. Children enjoy a sport more when they are able to have fun (Humpries). Despite many excesses some sport programs still manage to promote important virtues like self- confidence, teamwork, personal responsibility, coping skills, and persistence. Through sports kids can learn to stay organized and learn how to prioritize (Ferguson). Sports enables development of physical skills and increasing proficiency makes kids feel good about themselves. It teaches kids that failure is something to overcome and and not to fear (Meyerhoff 8-9). Youth sports has many aspects that are truly benefiting for children, but these benefits are slowly being clouded by the negatives that are prominent in today's youth sports.

For starters, I believe that student athletes should be a leader to their peers and in their community through attitude and hustle. This seems like it would be normal for someone that is seen as the face of their school, but often times these two things can come low on some athletes list of priorities. In school, instead of being the typical “jock” personality, student athletes should be the ones that portray a positive and caring attitude towards their peers. On the field/court, student athletes should always give their all. Many like to give up if they aren’t playing well, or if they aren’t playing at all, but this only brings the overall morale of the team down tremendously. Whether it is making plays or supporting teammates, everyone on a team has a role no matter if they are on the field or on the bench. Every single player has a part in success and one negative attitude can be the one to overtake an entire team.

Finally, the most important reason college athletes should not be paid because they receive a free education for playing for the university or college. “College athletes receive numerous amenities and luxuries free of charge” (Post Column 1). The athletes are students sustaining entry to a college education through their involvement in sports, which means they earn scholarships that pay for their bills; living space, committee, and other authorized payments. “Paying college athletes would diminish all the goals and morals that colleges and universities stand for” (Post Column 1). College sports is not an occupation or vocation.

The main idea of this paper is to introduce you to what really happens as a high school athlete and the things you learn along the way. High school sports is way more than just playing the sport, it shows you what you are really made of and how to handle problems life is going to throw at you. The adversity you face as an athlete carries over to real world problems and you have been there and done that, so handling adversity is second nature. This information comes from all my coaches, myself and Friday Night Lights. I feel I have already grown as a person by competing in athletics and calling other people my brothers. Not only does high school athletics help you in the long run, but it helps you with problems you have now.

High School sports are a major part of the American society with over 5 million adolescents participating in sports every year. In the news broadcast “Kids and Sports” by CBS News it tells you that youth sports can greatly benefit a child in many different ways. Youth sports are helpful because they help develop character and confidence, keeps children healthy, and has positive effects on adolescents academics.

Student-athletes have a very difficult social life because of various responsibilities; many of those include doing well in school, exceeding expectations in their sports, and being a good role model for peers and other students.

According to "Are High school sports good for kids?'' by Daniel Gloud ''High school sports increase educational aspirations and helps kids stay determined."High school sports provide learning experiences to students and help students maximize efforts on their work.

This study deals with high school athletics and their long-term effect in the lives of those who participate; it also deals with the positive and negative aspects of athletics during high school, and the treatment of those who participate. This study was conducted with qualitative data obtained from five personal interviews with previous high school athletes. These five people come from a range of places, ages, and experience. Conclusions are that participation in high school athletics is a contributor to a better social life and experience during high school. Good friends and influences are obtained through the pursuit of high school athletics. The long-term effects

High school sports also has a benefit to an athlete's physical health. Today’s teens are exposed to a great amount of entertainment avenues such as television, video games, and other media devices. These things allow teens to be lazy. Young people generally get less physical activity as they get older. By being physically active it can help prevent obesity. The experience of sports, exercise, and kinesthetic activities helps boost teens’ bodies. Involvement in sporting activities keeps teens moving and and keeps them engaged physically which is vital for their overall health and

Sports are embedded in many American schools in a way they are not anywhere else. One element of our educational system consistently surprises them, “Sports are a huge deal in American schools,” says Earl Smith of the New York Times. The positives have always outweighed the negatives in the case against high school sports. As Sato Kai state, “The benefits of sports as part of the education process are abundant and sometimes beyond quantifications,” According to many academic specialists, sports offer formative and life long lessons such as: discipline, responsibility, self confidence, and accountability. These skills can furthermore excel your later life and give you a greater chance of being employed in a high level job. Participation in high school sports helps your later development as an adult and teaches you life long skills that can't be taught elsewhere.

They are held to a higher academic standard, resulting in higher grades (Logos). In most cases, if a student does not meet the grade requirement, they are not allowed to participate. This motivates students do not care as much about academics to work harder and get better grades. Schools that have strong athletic programs also have higher test scores. Participating in sports can help students find a place where they fit in It has been proven that student athletes have higher self-esteem, which leads to higher academic achievement. Sports are a great way to burn off steam and relieve stress after a long day of school. Not to mention, involvement in sports is a great way to make long lasting friendships and it makes school more enjoyable. Athletes are more involved in school activities and in the community. This helps bring the community together. Sports enrich and contribute to education.

Theoretical practices of sportsmanship in sports provide adolescents with positive attitudes about fairness, honesty, and responsibility. Athletes learn to reflect these values of sportsmanship and apply it to their daily lives, once again providing positive psychosocial benefits to youth athletes. “From the perspective of sport psychology, the sphere of research that encompasses the key concepts of sportsmanship, ethics, and morality has been termed moral development in sport” (Goldstein & Iso-Ahola 2006, p. 19). Moral development is influenced by the sporting environment that the adolescent is exposed too. The adolescent’s psychological growth is dependent on “moral cognitions (thoughts of right and wrong),