High School Athletes Juggle Benefits and Drawbacks of Sports
By Kyle Sandell, 11th Grade

Two things that many teens hold valuable in their lives are school and sports. Often, these two are intertwined, as athletes take to the playing field representing their school in a particular sport. Participation in sports is a great way to build school spirit, make new friends, and gain a sense of worth around the school. There are, however, a few problems to this otherwise great idea. Many student-athletes have a tough time in school and feel overwhelmed juggling their school workload as well as practices or any other activities in their lives.

Such an emphasis is put on sports during high school that the majority of students give at least one sport a try at some point. They find that while committing themselves seriously to the sport, the rest of their lives seem to slip away. Nowadays, a student cannot be a part of a high school athletic team without giving 100% to the team. All practices must be made, even if the coaches deem them “voluntary.” All of these factors also add stress upon the player, who tends to worry whether or not he or she will make the team. Coaches become more and more demanding, calling for several practices or workouts a week, even if exams are scheduled that week! Football is one of the greatest offenders in this regard. It seems that every day the team is on the football field, whether the players are running sprints in the heat or running plays in the frigid cold. The coaches establish a mindset that the athlete must make every practice, must devote his or her entire life to the sport to be successful.

As years pass, the number of two- or three- sport athletes has diminished considerably. There are a few reasons for this trend, the most important being schoolwork. Students are constantly being issued homework in every class, sometimes in four to five classes a night. Some students have jobs or have to take care of younger siblings or would just like to have a decent social life outside of school. How can coaches expect their players to practice and compete at an acceptable level with all of these things going on in the player’s life? I’m not saying to strip high school students of all responsibility, but some are simply swamped with work and other important events. Practices take only an hour or so, but away games for some sports demand an entire night of students, which makes it impossible to study for that big test or finish math homework.

As many downfalls as there are to athletics, there can be many benefits as well. Sports help develop character, something that cannot necessarily be found in everyday school life. High school sports require tremendous dedication and selflessness, which are always fantastic qualities to have. Athletics can actually make young people become better students, as they learn how to regulate their precious time and become more focused on getting tasks accomplished. Obesity is a tremendous problem in our country today, and sports can help keep kids in shape and teach them how to stay that way throughout their lives. As long as sports are incorporated in a healthy manner in a young person’s life, the results can be extremely positive and beneficial.

Such an emphasis is put on sports today in our culture. Unfortunately, many people view high school sports as important as professional leagues because high school is where players learn the game. Many great athletes have started their careers through high school sports, but the problem occurs when the athletic programs become corrupt and are only out for success. For high school sports to become the great thing that it once was, schools and coaches must forget about personal glory, money, grants and recruiting and focus on the true values of sports: having fun while nurturing these young athletes to be the best people they can be. Character is much more important than sports will ever be, and when these roles are switched problems occur.

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