From Students to Student Athletes
From Students to Student Athletes
Written by 8B student, Juno S, this essay will (hopefully) convince schools to make sports mandatory for all ages. Here are the benefits of school sports by Juno S.
Did you know
that a higher percentage of student athletes receive an A/A- grade compared to
non-athletes? According to the PSFN in 2020, sports helped students enhance
their mental well being, build longer lasting relationships, and increase their
brain activity. To ensure that students perform at their best, are disciplined,
have stronger bonds with each other, and are more engaged, sports should become
mandatory in schools.
To help students learn certain skills such as being on time,
being respectful, and handling success and failure to become more well-rounded
people. However, some students are not able to pick up these skills from school,
but sports can help with that! According to the University of Alberta, by
pushing athletes to arrive on time for practice and games, respect coaches and
teammates, and handle tough situations, it prepares them for the future. In
other words, sports help discipline student athletes and gets them ready for
either, high school, university, or their first job. As the Journal of
Education and Social Policy said, “Sports reduces students’ misbehavior
resulting in less suspensions.” Discipline through sports can build life skills
to take students wherever they aspire to go.
Have you ever noticed how well sports teams work together?
How they communicate, listen, and work as one? Teamwork is one of the most
important skills to have in the workplace. Team sports allow for stronger bonds
between peers and more trust in each other. According to both the National
Institute of Health and a study at the University of San Diego, by playing a
sport, especially a team sport, bonds can be built between peers and teach
children to work better together. Strong relationships and teamwork can help
build trust and teach students to communicate, sports help create a better
classroom environment by teaching these skills.
Recent studies show that playing sports before learning can
help increase brain activity to help students think clearly and learn better.
Also, by allowing students to release emotions and energy through sports, they
are more likely to focus in class. According
to a study at Harvard University, students who took a 20-minute walk before
doing work showed much more brain activity compared to someone who has been
sitting all day. As said by the National Institute of Health, from playing
sports, children and young adults have been seen to release thoughts and
emotions and are able to return to a task more focused than before.
However, some say that there is an increase in stress from
playing a competitive sport at a high level. For example, stress levels have a
major increase when playing an individual sport such as tennis because of the
pressure to do well and more stress about how you are playing as an individual.
Yet, there is no need to play at a high level. Young people’s stress levels
increase from playing at a high level or trying to become a pro player, which
is why sports teams created leagues to allow players to play their sport for
fun. Also, playing team sports such as basketball, soccer, and volleyball are
better for children and young adults since you have many people to rely on and
support you, therefore reducing the individual stress levels.
Sports in school can teach many useful skills such as discipline and cooperation. Sports can also create relationships between peers and increase children's brain activity, which all translates to the classroom and workplace. Overall, school sports discipline, creates relationships, and enhances brain activity in students of all ages, creating more well-rounded people for the future. Even if it’s not at a high level, sports should become mandatory in schools.
By Juno S
Works Cited
Lingley, Scott. “New Study to Look at Links between School Sports and School Success.” Ualberta.ca, 2018, www.ualberta.ca/en/folio/2018/01/new-study-to-look-at-links-between-school-sports-and-school-success.html
PCSFN Science Board. Benefits of Youth Sports Developed by the PCSFN Science Board. 17 Sept. 2020.
Project Play. “Youth Sports Facts: Benefits.” Project Play, ASPEN INSTITUTE, 2023, projectplay.org/youth-sports/facts/benefits.
University of San Diego. “The Benefits of Youth Sports in Child Development.” University of San Diego - Professional & Continuing Education, University of San Diego, 10 July 2023, pce.sandiego.edu/child-development-through-sports/.
This is a well-researched and persuasive post in favour of required school sports! You address the advantages of school sports from a disciplinary, team-building, and focus perspective and back your points with extensive research. I especially loved how you countered the argument that competitive sports are too stressful and your reasonable compromise with divisions for recreational leagues.
ReplyDeleteOne thing to ponder is how schools would accommodate differently abled children and students who may not have an interest in sports—would there need to be an array of more academically based options to ensure inclusion?
Regardless, this is a super solid project supported by research that champions the cause of required school sports. Great job!
this is really well done because i play sports and i really enjoy it i think this is very interesting and i agree that soccer, basketball, and volleyball are really fun. sometimes i take a walk before i do my work, it really helps the mental state. playing sports is fun because i play single A hockey. Good Job!!!
ReplyDeleteYour article is amazingly well put together. You put a few pros and cons which are admirable because I believe that to every good side there also may be a bad side and which you have put in your own exemplary way. Telling us how it will benefit us and how in a way it could give us stress and how although it does give a person stress it, there also may be a relief knowing that you have a trustworthy teammate or friends by your side. Also 1 thing I think that you could improve on would be to include some information on kids who aren't as active in class or don't feel as involved as others, maybe because of insecurities.
ReplyDeleteYour research proved your point, and I like how you incorporated grades and habits into your post. I am a big fan of sports and play multiple of them at competitive level and I agree with you. I like your picture with our school in it . Your conclusion was very smooth and it finished your post nicely. Great job overall!
ReplyDelete