Explore the many benefits high school sports offer to students, both during the secondary academic years and beyond.
Athletics have been a mainstay of the high school scene for decades. Today, the field has merely expanded, encompassing an even greater variety of competitive options for male and female students alike. While many students get involved in high school athletics for sheer love of the game, there are significant benefits from these extracurricular activities as well. We have 10 ways high school sports benefit students – some of which students and parents may not even realize.
Community Representation
While club sports have become a popular pastime for both students and college recruiters, there is still a lot to be said for playing for your high school team. According to Unigo, students who participate in high school sports learn the benefit of representing their community on the field or court. These athletes learn the fun of team rivalries and revel in the praise of a job well done for their school. This feeling of community and the honor of representing the home team may run over into college athletics if the student advances in his sport as well.
Fitness
The fitness level of athletes in high school sports programs cannot be underestimated. According to a report from the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), a 2006 study on female athletes found that when female students are given more opportunity to participate in athletics in high school, their weight and body mass improve. A 2001 survey found that students agreed they would not spend as much time in sedentary activities like watching television and playing video games if they had other options after school.
Studies also suggest that student athletes are less likely to participate in unhealthy or risky behavior when they are playing sports in high school. The same report by the NFHS cited a 2002 study by the Department of Education that found students who spent no time in extracurricular activities in high school were 49 percent more likely to use drugs and 37 percent more apt to become teen parents. Just four hours in an extracurricular activity like sports each week dramatically improved those numbers.
