Benefits of playing high school sports

By BRIELLE GARNER
Sheridan High School Student

Editor’s note: The Sheridan Student Column is brought to readers by Sheridan High School’s 10th grade honors English class, taught by Tanya Busailah.

I play basketball and soccer and run track. Since I play all three seasons my schedule is extremely packed. I wake up and go to school every morning until 3 p.m., typically practice until 5 p.m., then go home, eat dinner, and do my school work.

Sometimes, balancing sports and school can be difficult, but there can be many benefits. Playing sports has helped me improve my teamwork, leadership skills, time management, and social skills.

Playing sports has taught me how teamwork is important. In each sport I play, teamwork is shown whether it’s passing a ball, communicating, or just supporting each other. I’ve learned that it doesn’t matter if you don’t always get along with your teammates because you’ll still have to work with them and try to achieve the same goals together. This will help me in the future for when I have to work with people I may not want to. I’ve also learned that as a team you support each other throughout the wins and losses.

Sports have also helped me become a better leader. I’ve learned that stepping up is a big part of playing a sport and getting better. Leadership doesn’t always mean that you’re the loudest or best player on the team; it can mean that you work hard, encourage others, or communicate clearly. It’s not just about giving orders but can be shown by example. This will help me by making sure that everyone is working together to achieve the same goals in my future career.

Managing time as a student-athlete can be one of the hardest challenges I face, but it has also taught me many valuable lessons. Since my schedules are packed, I have to stay organized making sure I get all my work done. I do most of my work when I have free time throughout the school day since I have limited time afterward. Balancing school and sports will help me not procrastinate on my work in college and beyond.

Another helpful thing from playing sports is staying healthy. Sports keep me active helping to build my strength, endurance, and flexibility. I stay in shape playing sports year-round and have learned the importance of exercise. I have also learned how to take care of my body better and eat proper foods, helping to improve my performance. This will help me throughout life since knowing about exercise, how to take care of my body, and what foods are good for you can help prevent health problems.

Overall, playing sports in high school can have many benefits. It helps me stay healthy, manage my time better, and work with other people. Sports have taught valuable lessons helping me in my daily life with my friends, teammates, group projects, and will possibly help in my future career.