Playing sports in high school is a great opportunity given to students to have a fun experience. However, many students have not even given sports a try, if they tried playing sports for their school, I think that would change their perspective of how they like it. Playing on a sports team in high school is beneficial because it gives students the chance to build important relationships with teammates, get them physically active, and gives leadership opportunities..
Team sports like basketball, football, soccer, baseball, etc, require teamwork and collaboration. With that comes building strong relationships between people. Athletes create bonds with their teammates through sports. Taking part in sports allows teammates who were once strangers to unite as a group, opening up new opportunities to get to know people beyond their sports.
“When I started to play soccer here at Preuss, I would have never thought that my relationship with Shalom would grow this much. I am glad I get to play soccer with my teammates who have turned into my best friends,” said Richard Yiv (‘28).
Additionally, playing on a sports team gets students to be physically active. Engaging in physical activity is a critical part for the development of teenagers. According to the St. Agnes Academy website, physical activity allows the likelihood of future health conditions to decrease dramatically. Conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity can be prevented from sports. Sports overall helps kids develop healthy physical habits to assist them later on in their life. Engaging in sports is not only about getting physically active: it also has multiple effects that positively impact high school students. Playing sports is beneficial to teenagers because it reduces anxiety and depression levels while also lifting moods.
Participating in team sports also opens up leadership roles like becoming captain or co-captain. Becoming a leader on a team builds important life lessons and skills like communication with peers, building confidence, and accountability in the mistakes the team makes. Over time, those qualities help shape athletes into better, more mature human beings who can prepare themselves for the future. Leadership also allows people, normally younger, to follow in a person’s footsteps, while they set an example for their work ethic and dedication. In addition, becoming a leader is a huge role and would look great on a resume because it highlights a person’s skills, responsibilities, and resilience. It is especially useful if a person wants to go to college or even play their sport at a higher level. Leadership in sports is important to the performance of the team, builds trust, and can become a great way to practice how to navigate challenges.
Playing sports on a high school team has many benefits to a person’s life, and the opportunity to be on one should be taken by every high school student.
