High School Sports Essay

Every year in America, about five million high school students participate in sports. In California alone, around 780,000 students take part in these athletic activities, and a large number of them play for their school teams. San Diego County makes up a large portion of this number, but this may not soon be the case. The county is rethinking keeping sports in high schools. This would not be an intelligent choice on their part. Because of the positive influence that high school sports has on student’s social relationships, education, and character, San Diego should reconsider their stance on eliminating high school sports. One way that high school sports benefit students are through their social benefits. For instance, according to a study

For instance, student-athletes could be overly pressured by parents, coaches, or even peers to perform well during games and practices. For some teenagers, sports are the only way to afford tuition for the college they wish to attend after graduation. They are constantly being pressed on to win. However, this issue can be avoided. With the right coach, athletes can focus on building character and setting goals, such as winning, while still being able to enjoy playing sports without consistent pressure. During an Institute for the Study of Youth Sports analysis, studies showed that, “outstanding high school coaches who were recognized for the character and citizenship building contributions to players we found that these individuals were highly successful (winning over 70% of their games)” (Gould). While students centered on playing hard and showing sportsmanship, they were able to win a majority of their games, instead of just focusing on winning. Thus, students can grow in character when playing high school sports. To emphasize this, youth athletes develop goal-oriented mindsets during the season. These goals do not have to include winning or outperforming everyone else on the team, but can be set for an athlete to simply improve their performance in one specific area. John O'Sullivan, who received a Bachelor of Arts from Fordham University and