What do High School Sports Teach?

Argumentative essay. This was the third essay I wrote this semester. I ended up getting a B on this one. I am going to revise it here soon to try for a better grade.

 

What Does High School Sports Teach?

 

            Sports tend to play a large role in many high school students’ careers. Many schools offer not only extensive amounts of sports but also sports multiple times throughout the school year. Many parents, teachers, and community citizens are concerned with the amount of time students spend playing sports. With that said, being on a sports team teaches students valuable lessons they will use the rest of their lives.

            Playing on a high school sports team makes each student who participates learn time management. I do understand that sometimes sports will cut down the amount of time spent on academics, but by doing this, students learn to budget their time accordingly. When participating on a team, the student not only has to worry about study time but also practice and game times. When I was in high school, I was on the track and field team. I had school until 3 p.m., practice from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. everyday, and meets on Thursdays. Now, all in all, that may seem like a whole chunk of time not spent on academics, but I still had four and a half hours every night to study, do homework, and do projects. That was actually plenty of time to get all of my academic work finished. When I made the decision to join the track team, I sat down and budgeted my time accordingly. If I had not done that, I probably would not have been able to succeed in both areas. Therefore, being on a sports team teaches students to budget their time and gives them a skill they will use the rest of their lives.

            When it comes to academics, parents and teachers are concerned with students participating on sports team because it will harm their grades. While I believe this is a legitimate concern, I feel it is not necessary because students are required to maintain a certain grade point average in order to participate on a sports team. In my high school, we were required to maintain a 2.0 (or C) grade point average in order to participate in sports. Most students are in sports because they want to participate, not because they were forced to participate. Because of this, students will be more motivated to earn higher grades.

            Peer pressure also plays a major role in students keeping their grades high. Just think, this week is the biggest game of the year. The starting quarterback is the only hope of winning against the rival team. The day before the game the rest of the team catches wind that the quarterback will not be able to play because his grades are too low. Now, I don’t know about you, but I think the rest of the team will be extremely furious with the quarterback. High school is already a hard enough adjustment when it comes to issues like self-esteem and peer acceptance. If a student keeps his grades up, then he will have no worries about other students being furious or upset with him. He will “fit-in” with virtually no problems.

            There are also many other reasons why students choose to participate in sports. One example is the possibility of gaining a scholarship that would otherwise not be available based on academics alone. By having programs like this, it gives many lower SES students a chance to further their education and make a better life for themselves.

            Being on a team helps promote teamwork. While you can learn this through many other activities and tasks, it is probably learned the fastest and easiest by participating on a sports team. Since there is no “I” in team, everyone participating must learn to effectively communicate, cooperate, and work together. They share responsibilities and when someone does not perform adequately, the rest of the team suffers. This skill helps students with projects and ultimately with their future careers.

            As you can see, there are many reasons and debates where high school sports are concerned. While there are many parents, teachers, and community members concerned about the amount of time students spend playing and practicing sports, there are plenty of beneficial skills learned through participating. Even though these skills can be learned outside the sports arena, they are learned faster and more efficient when participating on a school sports team.

Reviews

[Becca*Type2012]

Everything you have said about hich school athletics has been true. I am a three season a year high school athleethe playing volleyball, basketball, and softball. In my county you can't fail more than two classes to be able to participate in the next sports season. This forces students to keep their grades up. I am a straight "A" student and have plenty of time to do my homework and have fun on weeknights on top of practice from 2:30 to 4:00 everyday, not to mention games or away games. Very good points. Nice essay!

[Kat24]

Hi,
This is really good write. Kat24

[youngwriter222]

Thsi is very good and all true. Sports do help you concentrate more and help you with teamwork. I am in Cross country and Tennis and you learn that you are a team and you have to be supportive. It helps your grades also, you want to be on the team so you do all your homework and study.

This is a great story.

[Michael]

Oh my, memories being brought back to haunt me. I never cared for school, and I tried to surpress all memories that I could. LOL good write though