As a high school student, there are a plethora of opportunities available, ranging from clubs, to volunteer work, to sports. While all of these are enjoyable opportunities, I would like to bring special notice to the benefits of participating in a high school sport. High school sports are beneficial because they increase one’s fitness, serve as a stress-reliever, and help those who participate gain time-management skills.
Many high school students are under large amounts of stress, though taking on a new sport may seem counterintuitive to combat that stress, it is not. Participating in a sport can be an effective way to relieve stress and help one’s mental well-being. When an individual exercises, they release chemicals known as endorphins. The production of these endorphins produce a “feel good” response, reducing stress and tension.
Not only can sports help your mental well-being, they also help your physical well-being. Sports are a key way to increase your overall fitness. Oftentimes, when playing a sport one is so captivated by the excitement of the game at hand, that they do not even realize that they are working out. In other words, many times sports are exercise without feeling like you are actually exercising.
Lastly, student athletes need to balance the sizable time commitment that comes along with playing a sport, with their academics and extracurricular activities. In order to keep up with these commitments, one needs to learn and maintain time management skills. These are life skills that stick with an athlete throughout their life. While in high school, take advantage of the opportunities you have and participate in a sport because it can relieve stress, increase fitness, and help an individual gain time management skills.