“Dumb jocks” are learning more from the game than just lifting weights or concocting protein shakes. Sports are more than an opportunity to go outside and burn off some energy. Recreation activities are more than a way to get in shape and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Athletics are a metaphor for life that not only teaches players about the game, but also helps them discover important aspects about themselves. At a young age, I did not realize all the beneficial life lessons that the world of sports has taught me, but as I experience high school athletics, I cherish the advice the game shares with me. Since freshman year, my soccer and basketball coaches have emphasized that I need to focus on only the things I can control. When a ref …show more content…
In life, I cannot count on things to be handed to me. No one will succeed for me or do the work for me. Anything I achieve in life will be due to my own hard work, my own effort, and my own dedication. However, I cannot expect recognition for my successful acts. During the game, I am usually only addressed when I do something wrong and almost never rewarded for the things I do correctly. Sometimes I will receive a pat on the back, but I cannot expect that every time. For example, a goalkeeper is one of the most underappreciated players in soccer. Experiencing the game of soccer through a goalie’s eyes has shown me that people only blame me for not saving the goals that led to a loss. They never think to thank me for helping win the game or for generating a shutout. All of that recognition goes to the offense and defense. Similarly, there will be moments in life when no one grants me the recognition I think I deserve for my actions. I need to be confident and turn to the family and friends I know I can rely on to be proud of my success. That confidence will be essential to my survival in the real world because there will be people out there who only focus on my negatives and disregard my positives. Experiencing the hardships of athletics taught me that I need to maintain a positive attitude throughout the rough times. This is essential to helping
In conclusion, the benefits of sports cannot be denied. There is no doubt that interscholastic athletics in high schools are generally good for student’s mind and health. It is the mental and conceptual area that many use to support the importance of participation in competitive sports, something many can wholeheartedly agree with. It is also the same area that some point to when behavior exhibited by some athletes does not seem to support what is believed they should be learning. As with anything, however, one can only get out of something what one puts in. Athletics also provides social benefits and center on concepts such as cooperation, teamwork, and friendships. All of which can also benefit them in school and the workplace. Physical benefits
Almost all student athletes get butterflies before that Friday night football game, before the fans get to watch them compete, or even the to get the ability to practice. Many argue that high school sports are a distraction in the classroom or even cause career ending injuries. There are many different scenarios that prove that high school sports do the exact opposite of those. When it comes to high school sports, it keeps students fit, boosts a student’s academic performance, and enhances a student’s self-esteem. High school sports are very beneficial and for anyone who is looking to take on a new challenge to take on.
Sports are a popular pastime among all ages and types of people. People not only participate in them for fun, but also for money, physical fitness, rush of competition, and for many other personal reasons. Playing sports is especially common among young people in schools. Athletics are great and enjoyable for many reasons, but there can be a point where sports participation can go too far and become negative for children and adults. Sports specialization for young people is an increasing trend that results in sports having a negative impact on individuals and society.
Across the nation, these sponsors uniformly regarded sport as an educational and developmental undertaking (Hearn, Thomas K.). The main premier sports for men are football, basketball, and baseball. These sports help teach teamwork and let people interact with others. This change in the culture of sport is destructive of the aims of athletics as part of the mission of the university (Hearn, Thomas K.). Sports weren’t this advanced when they first started the game.
The main idea of this paper is to introduce you to what really happens as a high school athlete and the things you learn along the way. High school sports is way more than just playing the sport, it shows you what you are really made of and how to handle problems life is going to throw at you. The adversity you face as an athlete carries over to real world problems and you have been there and done that, so handling adversity is second nature. This information comes from all my coaches, myself and Friday Night Lights. I feel I have already grown as a person by competing in athletics and calling other people my brothers. Not only does high school athletics help you in the long run, but it helps you with problems you have now.
As a student, I have intimate knowledge of the subject as I engage with education frequently. I experience how athletics affect students’ lives and what the alternative to athletic participation results
Being able to deal with adversity, coach constantly reminds us, is what allows a soccer team to succeed. Not only have these words shown to be true on the soccer field, but the ability to overcome adversity may be one of the most important qualities one can have in life. This made me realize that not everything is going to come easy, and being able to recover from any sort of failure and reach my goals
Dr. Seuss once quoted, “sometimes you will never know the value of something until it becomes a memory.” Reflecting back, having played multiple sports since the age of five, this quote from Dr. Seuss serves especially true for my days as a young athlete. Sports were really my main source of education, but I did not recognize this at the time. Whether football or baseball, the competitive and social aspects of these games were heavily shaping me each and every step of the way; in ways school simply could not.
Yet my apprehension prevailed as I continued to fear getting put in the game in case another player was injured. I was still afraid of making mistakes and getting blamed by screaming coaches and angry teammates. Sometimes these fears came true. During my sophomore season, my position led me to play in the varsity games on many occasions. On such occasions, I often made mistakes. Most of the time the mistakes were not significant; they rarely changed the outcome of a play. Yet I received a thorough verbal lashing at practice for the mistakes I had made. These occurrences only compounded my fears of playing. However, I did not always make mistakes. Sometimes I made great plays, for which I was congratulated. Now, as I dawn on my senior year of soccer, I feel like a changed person.
Each and every year, millions of students will participate in high school sports. In the same year, there will be millions of people questioning whether or not sports will benefit the students education. “The number of participants in high school sports increased for the 25th consecutive year in 2013-2014 with a record total of almost 7.8 million, according to the annual High School Athletics Participation Survey conducted by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)”. High school sports are a huge part of a student’s education, but many believe that they will take away from the student’s academic education. We all have to take in and understand the full affect of
Participation in sports has steadily increased throughout the decades. As more and more major professional sports franchises continue to eclipse the one billion mark in value, the fame and wealth that can be obtained by reaching the profession ranks becomes irresistible to many students who have a passion for athletics. For some of these students, reaching the professional ranks is way to pull their family out of the lower class, and into the higher echelon of the upper class. For others, simply competing against the best in the world is a dream come true. The National Federation of State High School Association (NFHS), as reported a twenty-six year increase in the participation of high school athletics (NFHA, 2015). As the general popularity of athletics increases, so does the level of participation in high school athletics. The odds of making the professional ranks, however, are slim to none, as only 6% of high school student-athletes go on to play at the collegiate level (NCAA, 2015). Therefore, states, communities, educators, and parents continue to stress academics before athletics. In fact, when we address athletes in school, we address them as student-athletes.
I have been playing soccer for seven years and every game is different. Being a goalie the team depends on me to keep the goal safe. I am one of the most important players on the field, but I am also one of the most ridiculed and sometimes most hated player on the field. The whole team counts on me to save every goal, when I can not I know they are disappointed in me as I am disappointed in myself. The ball hitting the back of the net behind me has always been my biggest downfall because I blame myself not my team, and I feel they blame me too.
Being a student-athlete is a memorable and positive experience derived from feelings of accomplishment. Watt & Moore III (2001) argue that “participation in an athletic activity can lead to experiences that go beyond the boundaries of the game” (12). Though it depends on the sport, student-athletes spend a majority of their time with their team-mates, people who are equally dedicated to their sport. The student-athletes will have a common interest within the sport which can help create a strong core within their friendships. This makes traveling for games and practices a fun experience and a
What I learned from soccer, as well as during group assignments at school, is the importance of leading by example, to communicate and motivate others through positive reinforcement, and to guide others who are struggling. Feeling sorry or blaming others is not the answer. I also learned that we can accomplish much more if we turn frustration to encouragement, negativity to positivity, and individual actions to group efforts. I recognize that these elements are essential to succeed in life as well. Going into my 9th year of competitive soccer, I understand that accountability, communication, and trust are invaluable traits that lead to success, and I will continue to rely on them to lead my team. I also plan to apply the same guiding principles in college and eventually in the workplace, and hope to positively influence and lead others along my
Playing soccer shows that I am very responsible. I never forget to bring my cleats, shin guards, balls, etc. On and off the field, I’m very respectful. When I trip someone I always help them up. I am very respectful to