The Major Benefits of High School Sports and Games in Education

High school sports do benefit students on the whole.

Sometimes they get into it for the love of the game, and sometimes they get in just for the sake of fun and enjoyment. No matter what it is, they will always remain at an advantage whether they realize it or not.

In this article, we’ll discuss the different benefits of high school sports and games in meticulous details. We will also talk about the various ways through which sports and games help to influence education on the whole. So let’s begin without further ado.

1. Sports and games help to develop social skills in students

Source- Flickr

Social skills are as important as the curriculum itself. Sports can help to teach the very same thing to students in a whole new and efficient manner.

Participation in high school sports provide students with a sense of belonging. The feeling of being a part of the team helps to improve his/her team-working skills on the whole; something that can go a long way in his/her professional career.

Sports compel individuals to:

• Show leadership skills.

• Work together as a team.

• Respect one another, including peers and the opposition.

• Cooperate with one another to maximize the efficiency of the team as a whole.

• Turn up when the situation calls for the most.

All the life-lessons mentioned above are priceless indeed, and high school sports contribute a lot in that. If this is not a benefit; what is?

2. Sports and games help to improve the level of fitness in students

Source- Lance Cpl. Jericho W. Crutcher

“Health is wealth.”

This proverb is old, but it’s still gold.

Your fitness level can contribute a lot to your education. A health body contributes to a healthy mind, which, in turn, can contribute to a healthy education. So you see it’s all interlinked to one another. Break the chain somewhere, and you will immediately be in a world of hurt.

Pastimes such as video gaming, television, internet chats, social media, etc. can make students sedentary, and may also increase the risk of obesity in them. Students who don’t like to participate in physical activities or high school sports are more likely to grow up to be inactive adults.

High school sports, activities and games can help to improve the conditions of our muscles, bones, lungs, and heart. They can also contribute a lot to bringing the level of stress and anxiety (by the secretion of dopamine; the happy hormone)down, thereby, contributing to a sound night’s sleep.

So you can easily see the different ways through which sports can influence the health of an individual for the good, both from the physical and psychological point of view. Hence, always encourage your kids to participate in high school sports and games. This is going to benefit him/her more in the long run for sure.

3. Sports help to improve the academic performance of students

The Minnesota State High School League conducted a survey in 2007 that was based on this precise matter. It was found that:

• The average student usually had a GPA of 2.68 (measured on a 4.0 scale), whereas the GPA of student athletes was found to be around 2.84 (measured again on a 4.0 scale).

• The average student was found to be absent for around 8.76 days a year, whereas student athletes were found to be absent for around 7.44 days a year [SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER].

So what does this tell you? Participation in high school sports and games can significantly affect the academic performance of a student for good. Is there even a doubt?

4. Last but not the least, there’s the magic of the 3 “P’s”

Source- Flickr

High school sports and games teach the importance of the 3 “P’s” more than anything else, in general.

These 3P's are:

• Patience

• Practice

• Persistence

Students learn things like:

• There are no shortcuts to success. Practice and persistence are the only keys to reach the goal.

• Mistakes are a part of the game. Learning from them is the key to keeping them at bay.

• And lastly; if not today, there’s always a tomorrow. Keep the faith, and persist. Success will surely come.

Things like that can go a long way indeed.

So that’s it then. It’s time we sign off for the time being. Hope you had a good and useful read.