Tyler Otts Mrs. Gazzo English 1123 21 January 2021 The Impact of Sports The game is over and both teams walk to mid-field to shake the other team’s hand. One kid from the losing team makes sure to shake every player and coaches hand from the opposing team. Two years ago, this same player would have walked straight to the locker room in defeat. This kid lives a tough family life and he uses sports as an escape from his life. But, thanks to the coaches he is instructed by everyday, this kid became a role model in his school. He works hard in class and is very polite to everyone. Younger kids in the grades below all want to be just like him. This raises the question, can sports turn a person’s life around? Without sports, what would our lives look like? Sports have been around long before anyone can remember. Most people think sports are for physically fit kids who are not afraid to run into a brick wall. Whenever a person thinks of an athlete, they think of a big strong guy who does not know his left from his right. However, Research proves that these are only stereotypes. Athletes have been seen to perform better in the classroom than students who play no sports at all. “Students who participate in high school sports…have higher grades, better attendance, lower dropout rates, and fewer discipline problems than their peers” (Whitmer 45). Most people will argue that sports take up too much time for students and will cause them to miss assignments or not be prepared for tests. However, that is not the case. Student athletes are encouraged to wake up and go to school every day by their coaches. This motivation pushes them to perform better in school and on the field. Sports are keeping kids in school and increases the chances of a student graduating high school. According to the study, “Comparing the Academic Performance of High School Athletes and Non-Athletes in Kansas in 2008- 2009,” researchers found that, “Ninety-eight percent of athletes graduated, compared to eighty-eight percent of non-athletes” (Whitmer 45). This study proves that sports can help students graduate high school, and give them a chance to go to college. Sports ultimately helps push students to further their academic careers. Athletes always have to make difficult decisions in difficult situations. Athletes today are some of the smartest people in the world. The ability of some players to make split-second decisions to help their team is incredible. Playing sports has been known to improve mental health in athletes. Sports have always been known to be an escape for some athletes struggling with mental health. The short escape from reality while playing can motivate the athlete to continue to play and try to succeed at their sport. “Engagement in sports can improve the social, physical, and mental health of young people until their adult life” (Morrissey). Some people will disagree with this statement and say that coaches who verbally abuse their players damage the mental health of their players. According to Dave Ferguson, “Young athletes who are victims of psychological abuses by amateur coaches are impacted throughout their lives.” While this statement is true to an extent, it does not apply to youth sports. The chances of a child playing under an abusive coach is very unlikely. If they do play under a strict coach, it will only make them mentally tougher. Ultimately, there are more positives than negatives when it comes to a child playing youth sports. It helps kids with their social skills, when it comes to interacting with teammates. It helps children at a young age to make friends. Playing with other kids can build relationships that will last a lifetime. It helps younger kid’s mental health because they learn that they cannot play team sports by themselves and that teaches them to work with a team. There are very few, if any, negative effects when it comes to children playing sports. Sports have a positive impact on youth and teens because it helps with the athlete’s education, mental health, and their future. Sports impact the lives and future of almost everyone. It creates job opportunities and helps build certain character traits in young adults. While sports has a few negatives, like injuries, the impact it leaves on young children far outweighs all the negatives. Sports teaches young adults to work hard in whatever they do and to never give up. It teaches them to use their gifts and talents to help themselves become better and to make the people around them better. Chris Bigelow says “Athletics creates an atmosphere of pride and teaches each participant the importance of attitude, confidence, character, knowledge, and goal setting,” (Whitmer 45). Athletes tend to build confidence while playing sports and also learn what to do when they are struggling. Most athletes can agree that one will learn their best life lessons while playing the game they love. The relationships you build while playing sports can lead to future job offers or a coaching career. Earning a scholarship gives athletes the ability to go to school to get an education for a future job they may desire. The relationships one may build while playing, can impact their daily life. Playing sports teaches athletes to respect authority and to be able to accept criticism and learn from it. The majority of people will say that sports impacted their lives in a positive way. Like anything in life, sports and athletes have their faults. But, one cannot take away all the good that comes from them. Sports teams can help build and inspire the lives and communities around them. Sports can help reshape the lives of people and lead them in the right direction. The life lessons that athletes learn at a young age will benefit them in the future. Without sports today, our lives would be totally different. Sports helps strengthen the lives of the people around us and without it, our world would be a little unstable. Sports teams are here for the better and will never go away.
