Why Do We Need High School Sports?

“High school sports are an integral part of the fabric of Americans society with over 5 million youth participating in any school year” (1). Sports are a huge part of our culture. Many high schoolers participate in them. Even though sports are so popular, many people are questioning the safety and productivity of high school sports. They are also questioning if the funding money should be used towards academic classes instead of sports. Although sports have made kids too focused on winning, high school sports should be allowed because sports promotes being a good citizen and helps prevent bad health problems. People claim that high school sports are making children too obsessed with winning. When they play the sport, their mental focus is on winning and not having fun, enjoying the game. In the article Are High School Sports Good for kids it says, “The overemphasis on winning issue is especially significant as when this occurs the educational objectives for involvement are often forgotten “ (1). This simple statement explains that winning is okay, but when they lose focus of the real reason the
kids become overbearing. High schoolers rarely listen to adults about winning and losing. Although it may seem like sports are bad, they can be very good. First, when high schoolers play sports they learn how to be a good citizen through sportsmanship and motivation.
Daniel Gould says, “Associations indicates that it promotes ‘participation and sportsmanship’ in an effort to ‘develop good citizens through interscholastic activities which provide equitable opportunities…’” (1). The author must have noticed that when students play, they not only learn how to play the game, but learn to be a good sport whether they win or lose. The students have the motivation to win, but they must choose to have sportsmanship. The author also states that there is, “positive recognition and learning experiences to students while maximizing the achievement of educational goals” (1). They use motivation to help be a good citizen and excel at school and make goals. As shown high school sports promote good sportsmanship and
motivation. Furthermore, high school sports should be funded because the they help stop bad health problems. According to Hank Hill high school sports are, “The single greatest factor in preventing the nation’s number one killer – heart disease – is regular and vigorous exercise…” (2). This shows that exercise is very good for kids. They need it to stay healthy. When they are doing exercise they are decreasing their chance for long term problems. He also says, “The health benefits of playing sports include proper weight management” (1). This means that not only will it help with heart diseases it helps with weight management. To sum up high school sports are so healthy for the participants. In conclusion, whether it is volleyball, baseball, basketball, or football sports should be funded. Sports are a huge part of today's modern society, and even though there are a few bad things that cannot be overlooked in sports, they should still be funded. Like Hank Hill said, even though academic things are important, sports help high schoolers find sportsmanship, motivation, and health.