The Health Benefits Of High School Sports

Popular basketball player Kobe Bryant said, “Sports are such a great teacher. I think of everything they’ve taught me: camaraderie, humility, how to resolve differences.” This idea of the benefits of sports brings us into the very controversial topic today, high school sports. Should they be part of the high school experience or not? But first, what is a sport? A sport is any activity that involves physical movement where an individual or team competes against another. Sports are included in high school programs because they foster many of the skills teens need to live an amusing and healthy life. High schools promote many sports and some students take them very seriously and do multiple types. Since this can be a very contentious topic, people
Even though there are many positives to high school sports, many people oppose that idea, and believe that there are many dangers when it comes to students playing competitive team sports. One idea being that “..any teen who feels suppressed by the pressures of competition may choose to engage in harmful practices in order to win and encounter athletic success” (Chen). Obviously, if one were to play a competitive sport, they would tire themselves everyday by working out excessively, and dieting, which could lead to multiple illnesses and issues. Aside from that many physical injuries occur as well. It was found “that in 2012, 12% of all ER visits...involved a concussion, the equivalent of one every three minutes. Nearly half (47%) were in kids ages 12 to 15” (Healy). And lastly, one negative side of high school sports, is the fact that too much pressure is placed upon the students, and they are pressured to try too hard, and “when the focus shifts from athleticism to winning, however, what was once an enjoyable and supportive activity can turn into a high-pressure and anxiety-filled job for a child” (Huggins). There is never only a positive side of something, and danger comes along with anything, so is it all worth it in the