The Case Against High-School Sports

            A big part of America’s modern day society is High-School sports. Teens find themselves waking up in the morning with their only motivation being their passion for the sport they chose to participate in after school. The tradition of participating in High- School sports is what makes America more appealing to the teens that make up today’s society.

            High-School sports have a great impact on how students perform academically, keeping students focused and motivated. High- School sports provide students with an opportunity to both succeed in academics and their athletics. In most High-Schools, in order to participate in athletics, students must have less than two F’s as a total in the year. This standard keeps students motivated to do well in their academics. Athletes fear sitting on the bench or getting kicked off of a team therefore they aim to keep their grades up to prevent that. The standard for participating in High-School sports is low but it still provides a source of motivation for the students.

            High- School sports give students the opportunity to improve their life skills. Contributing ideas and thoughts to a team is a lot like contributing ideas for a job. High- School athletes learn a lot about failure and perseverance. Without failing, how do you know how to improve? Through playing a sport, you learn that when you fail, you must persevere in spite of the difficulty. Being part of a team teaches a High- School students what it is like to work with people. Athletes are forced to learn teamwork under pressure. High- School athletes especially, learn time management skills by necessity. Student athletes manage their time between: sport, study, socialize and sleep. Athletes have been trained to take orders and listen. Those who participate in High- School athletics learn skills that are more indicative of future success in the real world.

            If High-School sports/ athletics were removed, students would lack motivation and life skills. The teens in America who participate in sports are provided with life skills that prepare them for the real world. Sports keep students motivated academically. Therefore, in order to prepare students for success in their future lives and keep them motivated to succeed academically, then the choice of playing a High-School sport should be at hand.

 Citation:

Ripley, Amanda. "The Case Against High- School Sports." The Atlantic Oct. 2013: 72-78. Print.