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Physical and mental health benefits of sport
Effect of sports on academic achievemnts
Are competitive sports good for children
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Recommended: Physical and mental health benefits of sport
Competitive sports play a large role in many high schools. In high school I played every sport; Football, Basketball, Baseball, Lacrosse, Soccer, Swimming, I even Wrestled. High school sports over the past couple of years have become increasingly difficult to keep up with due to the vast amount of preparation you’re expected to do. Most recognize that the Pro’s and the NCAA have gone too far with there’s willingness to win. That do whatever it takes to win mentality kills from the game in my opinion. High school sports on the other hand are still a classic battle of one’s rivalry against another in shaggy glory. They give us hope that something in sports is still unsullied and restores our faith in the family values. Though in some places it has become too much of a win-at-all costs game just as college and the pros. They don’t have a super bowl that Americans watch on the first Sunday in February; there are no BCS games (Bowl Championship Series) with millions of viewers annually. Just millions of dollars spent to make the school’s sports more important than the actual education part. Coaches are beginning to care less about the student athlete and more about the athletic student. Kids getting pulled out of classes early to go play a game. Then they wonder why countries such as Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Japan out-perform the United States in math and science according to a recent study from the New York Times magazine. In the story Innocent Afield, written by Buzz Bissinger, he explains how schools in Texas are spending millions of dollars on sports complexes. He also writes”coaches in some areas are making close to $90,000 a year without teaching a class”. A school in Texas by the name of Permian high scho... ... middle of paper ... ...ate the night before the mid-term instead of studying and he bombs the test. As a student athlete in high school this has happened to me before and now that I look back at it I wish I would’ve studied. Nevertheless, I feel that sports should greatly benefit a child's self-esteem. Competition also builds self-esteem because children grow both emotionally and physically and sports help to develop a positive view of both themselves and their athletic skills. As long as children feel that they are beneficial to the team, they are developing self-esteem because they see their personal role in the team as important to the whole cause. If a child is not athletically gifted, he can always take up a more non-competitive sport such as jogging or weight training. This will also build self-esteem because the child can see his improvement and relate to others at the same time
In the article, “The Case Against High-School Sports” Ripley discusses how some schools put a bigger emphasis on sports rather than academics. Ripley explains that since sports gets more attention, nobody pays attention to the academic side and their needs. According to the author, some schools are willing to do whatever it takes to make sure a sport runs, even if there is no money in the budget. She states that too much of a focus is being put on sports is affecting academic achievement negatively in American high schools. The author gives the reader three reasons why schools should focus more on academic achievement and less on sports.
Growing up in America sport is a vital part of everyday life. From childhood to adulthood some aspect of sport pertains to virtually everyone. As a child one is looking to find a hobby so they play sports. As a parent fathers look forward to coaching their child’s little league team. And as tens and young adults sports are an opportunity to become a “somebody” and do something amazing. The general perception in high school and college is that athletes have it all. If you’re good at sports then you don’t have to worry about schoolwork or popularity and essentially you have but not a care in the world; you are invincible. Although it is great to see some succeed and become professional athletes many others do not have the same fate. The fate of these athletes, which happens to be the majority, is what drives my opinion on college sport.
Imagine this, Friday night, bright lights, the smell of popcorn, your classmates in the stands cheering you on, and the coolest thing of them all, the name of your own school on your jersey, representing the whole school. Some schools think sports cost too much money, but being a student is harder than ever. You are being held to tougher academic standards-and so is your school and that's why it is more important than ever for schools to keep sports because private and club sports are too expensive for most families and sport programs in school can affect and improve academic skills.
Bissinger does a great job of revealing Permian High School’s insignificant focus on its educational priorities. Putting football first over educational priorities can lead a kid to a very dark future with minimal opportunities except for that in the football world. An English teacher Larue Moore had been at Permian high for twenty years and she was paid $32,000 a year by comparison “she noted the salary of Gary Gaines, who served as both football coach and athletic director for Permian but did not teach any classes, was $48,000.”(Bissinger 131). This quote revealing that the town’s obsession with football is not only invested spiritually and intellectually but also financially with the way they distribute their money. The money invested in the football team should be less than the money invested into the school systems but it’s not and that is damaging to the town because their education suffers as a result of lack of funding by the t...
Abstract: High school football in the state of Texas has become out of control. The sport is no longer played for the sake of the school but rather has become a Friday night ritual to these small towns in Texas. The players are no longer just high school kids inter acting in school sports but have now become heroes to these small town communities. Communities simply no longer support their local high school team but rally in pride of their hometown rivalry against another team. School administrators and coaches no longer are teachers and mentors for the kids but are the equivalent to what in professional football are team owners and "real coaches". Parents have become agents and sacrifice their jobs and homes so that their child may play for the right team. Finally the fans, the fans have lost the sense that it is just a high school sport and changed the game to a level of professional sports. I plan to prove and show that for all these reasons Texas high school football has become out of control. It is no longer the game that it was originally meant to be.
The night last May when I had my late practice I did not feel sorry for myself. I took control my situation months ahead of time. By preparing myself over the course of the year I did not need to cram last minute despite naturally wanting to. Wayne looked at this a little differently. He waited until the night before all of his exams to study. He even bragged to me over Christmas break that his usual routine was: Go to get lunch, go to practice, and go hit the bars. He said the only time he went to class was when he knew he had a test. Had he not played football Wayne would not have even been at college. The day I got the results of my AP test I was proud of myself. Not because of the good scores I received, but because I thought I had done a great job over the course of four years balancing academics and athletics. I was finally enjoying the fruits of my excellence. Fruits Wayne will never taste because he lacked the character to get the job done when it mattered
Though problems exist, the true qualities of sports maintain the role they have in developing young ones. Varsity sports give great qualities of teamwork unity and give you an opportunity to step outside your norms and do big things. While there are alternatives to everything there are truly nothing better than putting that uniform on for the school you have put major time in for. We must not alienate a basic developing factor that has played huge roles in developing the future. Society must stay with what varsity sports stand for, and just sometimes accept that not everything goes in the way of individuals, but in the way that benefits all and work as one
Stephen D. Keener, writer for the New York Times, says in his article Sports Teach Kids Valuable Lessons, “The lessons young players gain between the foul lines have guided some to become astronauts, emergency first responders, bestselling authors, military heroes, professional athletes and even president of the United States” (Keener). Keener talks about how playing on a sports team as a child can teach the kid very important characteristics, like: teamwork, leadership, and sportsmanship. Any kid who wants to get a job when they’re older is going to have to know how to work well with people, which is where learning the skill of teamwork is so huge. Considering Ripley’s point about sports lowering academics, Keener argues, “These lessons directly translate into the classroom and beyond” (Keener). These are some very important lessons I think that kids can benefit from
“Show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser,” Vince Lombardi once said. This saying could be the unsung anthem of American sports for children and teenagers. Everyone loves to win. In sports there is always competition. Is there too much emphasis on “the win” for kids and teens? This issue is important because it essentially develops the way children and teenagers think and react; it will affect them later on in life. Too much emphasis on winning is a problem because there is extensive pressure from parents and coaches, and the consequences can be severe.
Athletics in American schools have always been controversial for many reasons. Some of these reasons include health concerns, safety precautions, and academic significance. Daniel H. Bowen and Colin Hitt wrote an article titled, “High-School Sports Aren’t Killing Academics” to present the factors of positive correlation between success in athletics and academics. I believe that athletics in high schools not only benefit students socially, but also academically.
After reading " The Case Against High School Sports" by Amanda Ripley started to make me think. There were many strong points about how the priorities of the sports are beginning to be more important to students than their education. Another great point was that the financing and budgeting is unfairly distributed throughout school districts and is spent more on athletics and clubs and not enough on classes. And I Believe that schools should put certain restrictions on the spending and promoting or in school sports and clubs because of the major drop in national and world comparisons.
This can be observed in nearly all of the football players at Friday Night Lights. This can also be noticed in the world today. “Athletics help high school students understand their own abilities and talents” (Chen 1). This piece of evidence is very accurate when describing high school athletes. Sports can make a high school student humble.
In “Organized Sports Can Benefit Children,” David Brooks argues that sports are healthy for children, helping them build character and showing them leadership skills. David points out that sports can teach a kid responsibility in a variety of ways. For example, it’s easy to slack off in a classroom full of kids who don’t have much care for their own grades. Some students find disrespecting teachers and talking back to their parents cool and amusing. Teachers don’t take action into this bad behavior and assume its okay because of their young age. “You rarely see a teacher tell a kid to tuck in his shirt or have pride in his appearance, but coaches do it all the time” (Brooks). Coaches expect different from their players. They expect their players to keep a passing grade point average. If their grade point average doesn’t meet the requirements, they are not allowed to play. They want the players to show nothing but respect towards them. Any form of talking back or disrespect can lead to some kind of punishment, like running laps or push-ups. This teaches the players discipline and to treat others with respect.
If children follow the example set by today's athletes, the definition would equal a sore loser. High school sports should be a fun way to physically express yourself as an athlete, but at the same time learn some of life's lessons, like sportsmanship, discipline, and respect. In today's society, winning comes before everything, but if winning requires neglect of good sportsmanship, then nothing is gained in the long run.
Also containing leadership characteristics helps athletes with their social skills. Worsnop, Richard L. points out “there is a general agreement that the nation’s high schools have performed well as the farm system for college sports programs”. In other words team sports presents valuable life lessons and experiences within a group setting. There are endless situations that could take place between the teammates or with the opponents during the game. The fans or known as the community displays a huge part in the sports world and how they distribute their insight on it. Statistics have shown that “ High school teams command legions of devoted fans locally and nationally” (Worsnop). As shown the community is devoted to all types of sports and they see athletes representation and how they react in certain situations. For example the sports that involve physical contact like football and basketball could get out of