Current Connection 3.1

           Inside a recent article titled, "How Do Sports Affect High School Athletes In A Positive Way?" it tells about the positive affects that athletics has on High School athletes in their social, health, and educational lives.Some parents are afraid to stick their child in athletics because they think that maybe their grades won't be up to par, or something else could go wrong. When in all reality, being in athletics sounds really great when talking about the benefits that could come from it.
          In the third paragraph, the article states, " Additionally, the social interaction gained through sports teaches teens work with a team, solve interpersonal conflicts and communicate in an effective manner with others." By being an athlete you learn many different skills and get better at your sport, but not only that, you are able to learn other skills that don't have to do with your sport as well. Learning to work together with a team, and being able to talk out disagreements with other people is a skill that you will need for the rest of your life. The article also says in paragraph 3, "Playing sports helps teenagers develop a healthy sense of competition within a friendly, team-oriented environment." A little competition in any type of situation is always good. By playing sports, teenagers learn how to be competitive without being overly competitive. Learning how to cope with competition and not always coming out on top is good for someone, and will teach them lessons that they'll have to deal with in any career they pick out for themselves.
          During paragraph 4, the article talks about the development of a mental well-being when saying, "Sports participation also encourages teens to handle difficult situations and disappointments with maturity and professionalism." Being able to handle hard situations is a part of life that everyone needs to learn. Life is full of let-downs and disappointments, you just have to know how to handle the situation when it gets put in front of you, and I think being involved in sports and athletics where you are going to fail takes a huge part in learning how to cope with those situations. This same paragraph talks about how, "Improved self-confidence and confidence in the team often results, which can positively affect a wide array of other aspects in a young person’s life." Self-confidence is one of the greatest things anyone can have. It shows up not only when you're performing a task or talking to someone, but also on the outside when just walking around or the way you present yourself. Being self-confident can you help you in so many ways throughout life, and it all could be learned by just being involved in a sport.
          Not only do athletics help out a teenager tremendously in the mental and social areas, but health wise as well. As stated in paragraph 2 of the article, "Preventing the negative effects of excess weight is one of the primary benefits of participation in high school athletics." In order to live a healthy life, exercising is a must. By starting out young and being involved in athletics, you can get in the habit of exercising on a daily basis which will more than likely lead on into your adult life where you can continue living healthy. This paragraph also states, "This leads to healthier adult lifestyle habits that reduce the risk for diabetes and heart disease, obesity and other chronic ailments." With this healthy lifestyle leading on into your adult life, it can really help a person out in the long run. By being healthy and exercising every day like they should be, someone can avoid getting a disease or chronic illness.
          I know that athletes are the ones who usually do better in school. Stated in paragraph 5, "Aside from the substantial health benefits, girls who participate in sports do better academically, with fewer disciplinary issues and lower drop-out rates than sedentary girls, according to "Healthy You Magazine" online." Us, as girls, know that to be able to play the sport we love, we must keep our grades up and high enough to be eligible to play. This simply means that athletics have a huge impact on our studies and the way we perform in school. If it wasn't for basketball and softball, I probably would not work nearly as hard in my classes as I have. In this same paragraph, the article says, "Regular physical activity through competitive sports can also help boost a girl’s self-image." This is completely true, especially in our school. Girls who play sports and are involved in athletics are more likely to be known around school and on campus. It kind of gets your name out there and makes your name look good to people who may not really know you.
          High school sports can be viewed in two different ways, either you like them or you don't. Many parents make the decision to keep their child out of these activities, mainly because they feel like it's the right thing to do and it will help them out in the long run in their academics. I'm not taking anything away from this group of parents, but before they decide to do that to their child, I think they need to take a look at all of the benefits that could come from their child being involved in a sport and being part of a team. There are so many different lessons and skills to be learned for later on in life, and being involved in a sport and working with a team is one of the easiest ways to learn a lot of these lessons and acquire a lot of these skills needed.