High School Sports Essay

"One who plays a sport fairly and loses gracefully" is how The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines sportsmanship. What is a sportsman? The definition seems to have undergone a big change over the years.

There are numerous myths that are going around in society about the comparison of athletes and non-athletes. Many athletes believe that non-athletes have an advantage over them, mainly because they may have a less demanding schedule and are not entitle to spend many hours training rigorously or leaving almost every week to go away on sporting events. Also, many say that athletes have an advantage because of past research that was done about athletes and their performance in their academics; they mentioned that athletes are able to function well based on what they are taught as a sports person, which is to be an over achiever (Austin, 1993;Ryan 1989).

The Baltimore Ravens WR-Jeremy Maclin sits on the sideline, after his bout with the Cleveland Browns defense. Maclin took a massive hit to the midsection, in order to meet his first game-catch for a 22-yards, according to the ‘Baltimore Ravens’ website. Unfortunately, he experienced severe knee pains and the Baltimore Ravens’ medical staff sat Maclin for the remainder of the game. The actual hit came from CLE-Safety Jabrill Peppers (see video), which occured at the end of the third snap of the game. Frankly, WR-Jeremy Maclin has experienced more than one injury, during this 2017 NFL season (hand injury/shoulder injury/back problems). Breshad Perriman and Chris Moores will see more opportunities, as a result of

Are schools the right place for sports? This is a question that educators and experts everywhere are asking themselves, as more and more schools are faced with budget cuts and low academic scores. No one is debating the health benefits of exercise one receives from sports, but does the exercise benefit outweigh the expense, risk, and impact on academic grades? Amanda Ripley, the author of The Smartest Kids in the World, thinks club organizations, not schools, should provide sports programming (“Should schools eliminate sports” 1). Earl Smith, author of “Race, Sport and the American Dream,” along with Ripley believes sports are given priority in some schools, drawing attention away from education (“Should schools eliminate sports” 1). During an interview with the New York Times, Smith stated “high schools should not have competitive sports teams. And especially not in the under-resourced intercity high schools where academic programs are often sacrificed to finance sports teams” (“Making Sports an After-School Activity” 1). He went on to say “even the student bodies in many high schools have developed cultures that glorify sports at the expense of the scholar.”

There is no “review of literature” section in this study. However, in the “Introduction,” the authors discuss some of the background knowledge for the study. They mention how previous research done in Texas has shown that, on average, fitter students score higher on Texas state assessments. The authors also discuss that, based on previous research, athletes are more likely to be fit because they engage in physical activity for more hours during the week than non athletes. The authors include additional background information explaining that although participation in athletics has not been shown to increase intelligence scores, previous research has shown that there is a correlation between athletic participation and higher academic performance. However, the authors believe that there have been limitations in such studies, such as small sample sizes with lack of ethnic diversity. Therefore, they conducted their research study to address some of those

Despite the many stereotypes that are connected with being a student athlete, student athletes in general are held to much higher standards by their institutions. Before a prospective student athlete even enters college, they are made fully aware of the academic standings and requirements of the college they choose. Although the academic requirements vary from college to college, the standards are still held high for all student athletes. The transition into college can be exceptionally difficult especially for the

According to The Huffington Post an online article, The Dumb Jock Myth is Dumb by Myles Brand a blogger empathizes when a stereotype can not be beneficial when he states “Student-athletes graduate at a rate of 63 percent, one point better than all other students. Given that more than 100,000 student-athletes participate in Division I, the differences in federal rates are statistically significant”. To many people not all athletes are seen the same way in intelligence. The more of a meathead an athlete is, like a football player or wrestler, the more they will be stupid jocks to people, if the athlete is a swimmer or volleyball player then they are a lot smarter with no extra evidence to prove

Junior Varsity volleyball was assembled of many talented young women. They all worked together amazingly allowing them to stay positive through rough games.Many of the girls had personal goals that they wanted to reach. Maria Blackburn '18 explained " My goal for the season was to become a better hitter." Blackburn '18, along with many other girls, achieved their goals with a little help from head coach Samantha Dye. Olivia Smith '18 and most others strive to make varsity next year.Smith said she is "Preparing for next season by participating with a club team off season." Playing off season keeps their eyes on the prize of earning their varsity letter. The varsity letter that displays School pride and so far the girls have done an amazing job.

Yet another thing sports can do is teach a player many life lessons. According to Scope Magazine's Tim O'Shei, sports teaches perseverance, team spirit, and fun. Many sports coaches will not allow players to participate in a game if the player's homework is not done on time. Some studies even show that some grades may drop after the season is over because of the lack of motive in a student. A student could also learn how to be a good sport by congratulating his or her team even if they lose. They should learn to be a good sport because whether the team wins or loses, the good spirit of the team would remain. A good team spirit could also make it fun and motivational for everyone else. The perseverance, team spirit, and fun in a team player could make both a good role model and a fun person to be around.

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.

School is not easy for everyone, especially for students who have to balance school and the sport and/or sports they decide to participate in. John Mosbach insists, “The balancing of both the student and athlete part is hard. The misconception that they're just here for athletics is just not the case” (Mosbach). This shows that even though stereotyped as being dumb

tend to forget the reason for sports for children. They get caught up in the excitement

The fight to decide who is the Low Mass Champion of the Universe is only a couple of months away. Many people doubt that I will win this fight because of my lack of experience. What does Henri Manon have in his advantage, his name? The fact that his dad was one of the greatest zeroboxers of all time is insignificant to me. Manon does have power and strength, that is what has got him to this point, but his grapple techniques are weak and I will easily be able to take advantage of that. My goal for every match is to win, but this particular match is slightly different. I also do not want to leave any doubt that I am the best zeroboxer, and make sure that everybody watching this match knows that winning is no fluke for Carr Luka.

The last time I went to a football game, I felt like I wanted my money back and wasted my time by being there. A complete lack of competition.