One of the all time best coaches of the Duke Blue Devils, Mike Krzyzewski ,once stated,”In high school, in sport, I had a coach who told me I was much better then I thought I was, and would make me do more in a positive sense. He was the first person who taught me not to be afraid of failure. ” It is unfortunate that people are beginning to look back on their childhood and remember school sports since they are now being taken away by schools. Students need school sports to keep them active and healthy.
It gives them a chance to build up their health. When kids join school sports they meet new people and friends. They also get a coach who will teach them lessons like how to work as a team, how to build endurance, and how to not give up after they fail. School sports help teenagers who are struggling and ensure them a happy and healthy future. One of the most important aspects of athletes playing a sport for their school is the life lessons they learn. These lessons can vary from setting goals, to never giving up, and to always work hard.
These lessons can be taught by their coach or other teammates: “Sports provide life lessons in teamwork,leadership, partnership, performing under pressure, conflict resolution, xecuting a game plan and knowing one’s role. “(Nicole M. LaVoi) This shows some of the main lessons that they will be taught. Sports will teach them how to work with others as a team, be a leader towards others, perform while they are nervous or scared, how to solve problems, and how to work out a plan that fits everyone.
All of these lessons will then lead them to adulthood: “As I moved beyond my NFI career, I incorporate much of what Coach Al taught me as a teenage boy- teamwork, responsibility, perseverance, accountability- onto other aspects of my life. ” (Donte Stallworth) This shows a NFL player who once as a teenage boy who played football. He started as a young boy and changed into a respectful man who was taught some of his most valuable life lessons by his coach. Previously stated, one of the most important parts of playing school sports is learning some of the most valuable life lessons that will change an athlete’s life.
One of the many life lessons that could be learned is to set goals: “Organized athletics lends itself to setting both individuals and team goals and then striving for those goals. It does not matter the skill level of the young athlete or the level of accomplishment of the team. Goals can be set that mirrors the improvement desired and the plan of action can be mapped out to reach these goals. “(Come Ready Or Never Start) This explains that playing a sport can teach teens to set a goal and strive for it till they reach it.
This then leads to another lesson to never give up after they fail. In other words, “To be successful in Baseball and Softball you need to learn from failure and losing more so than the art of winning. Perfect games are a rarity. “(New York Times) This presumes that another lesson is for students is to make mistakes and then teach themselves to learn from them. After they correct their mistakes the athlete will improve as a player. This lesson also comes to handy in real life. It teaches people that when they make a mistake, they should learn from it and try again.
Another one of the main reasons why teens should play organized sports is that they will have an overall healthier body. Working out daily with a team can keep a teen fit and in shape. One of the biggest health issues in America is obesity. Exactly 35. 7% of adults are faced with this issue daily due to not exercising and playing sports: “Over the past 20 years many tudies have looked at the correlation between the rising rates of obesity and the declining fund for physical activity, whether in gym class, or after school sports, in high schools. (Global Sports Development)
This shows that as the number of people that have obesity rose, the amount of schools that offer school sports dropped. Therefore, this is lives that are put in danger everyday due to this common issue. Due to this, one in every five Americans die of obesity. This can se solved by exercising and playing sports: “There are obvious health benefits as well. In igital age, organized athletics is one of the best ways to combat the ride in childhood and adolescent obesity. ” (Donte Stallworth) This focuses on the point that if an athlete plays sports while they are young, their bodies will be in shape.
This then leads to the pathway of adulthood and gives an athlete a better chance of being one of the four out of the five people that encounter obesity in their lives. Once again, another one of the main reasons why students should play school sports is because it leads to a more healthy lifestyle. Becoming overweight is a big and common issue that ccurs in the United States.
One of the most common ways to stay fit is to eat healthy: “Young people included in physical activity generally consume more fruits and vegetables, are less likely to become overweight and more likely to become physically active adults. (Global Sports Development) This means that the healthier one eats, the more vitamins and minerals they will put in their body. This gives them more energy and will keep their body from becoming overweight.
Although a big part of an athlete’s health and well being is taking care of their weight, another component is one’s mental health: “A rowing body of literature suggests a relationship between PA and improved mental well-being for adolescents… decreased physiological stress; lower levels of mental health problems.. (Valois) This quote explains that when someone play sports they have decreased anxiety, and a more open and peaceful mind. This allows them to be under less stress and have an open mind. The third reason why students should be pushed to play a school sport is because it decreases the chance of them wanting to use drugs. Exercising often gives a teen healthy body and when they are healthy they do not feel the need to use drugs or ther substances: “Participation in PA was associated with… reduced tobacco, alcohol, marijuana use, and satisfaction with mandatory gym classes in school. (Valois)
Therefore, it has been found that the teenagers that perform in sports and are found exercising are the ones who don’t get involved with drugs. People who are involved with drugs when they join a team, are helped by others to be pushed away from the situation: “I grew up in a rough neighborhood engulfed by gangs and drugs, but there were to many who helped guide us through. Mike Alberghini my high school coach, is responsible for much of my ife success. ” (Global Sports Development) This shows a boy who grew up in a neighborhood that was involved with drugs, gangs, and violence.
When he joined his school team his coach, Mike Alberghini, drove him away from the path of violence and other activities. Previously stated, playing school sports can decrease the chance that a teenager or student will use drugs. Exercising can help to push someone away from drugs. When drugs are used, they can result into damaging their health for the rest of the athlete’s life: “There are many aspects to substance abuse and he areas we will focus on here are smoking, smokeless tobacco and illicit drug use.
These particular forms of substance abuse have been studied and showed a lesser chance of being abused if the child participates in sports. When teen girls abuse substances there are a host of negative consequences that are damaging to their immediate and long-term health, safety and well-being. While sports it seems can have a buffering effect against some kinds of substance abuse. “(Women’s Sports Foundation) This explains that drug use has been found to be used in less athletes than non-athletes.
The people that do use drugs can end up with long-term health issues and risk the safety of the athlete. Sports also build confidence which can help them say ‘no’: “Sports can help to counteract these factors by providing girls confidence in themselves and a strong body- imagine, as well as making girls more reluctant to smoke because it can compromise their athletic performance due to reductions in lung function. ” (Women’s Sports Foundation) Therefore, playing school sports can teach a teenage athlete to build up their self-confidence which can teach them to say ‘no’ to drugs.
This can keep the athlete to becoming peer pressured to drink or use other substances. While many say that school sports can take away from time for homework and to study for tests, playing a school sport has been proven to improve a student’s academic life greatly. Many of the lessons that are learned and taught in sports and school are alike and come in handy in both fields: “There is a relatively consistent body of research showing that students who participate in athletics tend to fare significantly better both in school and in later life.
Participating in sports, like playing in the chool band or competing on the debate team, are cognitively and organizationally demanding activities that help convey self- discipline and leadership skills. This is especially true for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. ” (New York Times) This shows two common lessons that are used in school and sports which is leadership and self discipline. In sports and school the child has to be a leader by helping others and teach themselves to follow the rules by disciplining themselves.
Then when their team is winning, they push themselves to do better n school too: “The social benefits can also lead to academic benefits. Physical activity is shown to lead to better academic performance, and when your team is performing better, on the court and in the classroom, it adds an incentive for the individual players to do better. ” (Global Sports Development) This quote explains that if their team is winning they strive further to do good in school. This provides the athlete with a good academic and athletic life. Therefore, not only does sports not get in the way of school, but it strengthens their academic life.
The availability of school sports in secondary schools should not be stopped. Allowing sports in schools is very important because it allows students to have a healthier life and to be taught many skills and lessons that will be used often. Sports makes students happy. It gives them something them a way to release stress and most of all, have fun. Physical activity not only provides teenagers with benefits that will last them in their middle and high school years, but some that will be later used in adulthood. In order for a teenager to live a successful and happy life, they should join school sports.
