High School Athlete

How Can Being a High School Athlete Affect You after High School?

In 2014, 7.8 million people played high school sports.The number of participants in high school sports increased for the 25th consecutive year according to the annual High School Athletics Participation Survey conducted by the National Federation of State High School Associations (nfhs news). There are an estimated 41 million American kids playing competitive youth sports. The number of children involved in youth sports has risen significantly over the last 10 to 20 years, according to Dr. Steve Carney, a professor of sport management at Drexel University in Philadelphia (CNN). Many students get involved in athletics for the love of the game. Some do it to pass time during their

high school career, while others do it hoping that one day it will be their career. What most people do not think about is how being a high school athlete can affect students after high school in many ways. Being a high school athlete definitely has its pros and cons.
Multiple studies and surveys have proven that playing sports during a student's high school years can improve a student's life overall (Arley). Believe it or not, playing a sport can be beneficial to the self esteem and social development of adolescent boys and girls. Sports can be a huge confidence builder which is proven to be beneficial once students get into “the real world.” Athletics are linked to increasing one’s development of discipline, confidence, motivation, ability to work in groups, competitive spirit, ability to accept constructive criticism, and social networking (Raun). They provide students with the skills that are most useful in an adult life. Leadership and discipline (mental and physical discipline) are often taught through your school athletics. Many sports teach people that life has hard obstacles in it, which can tie into teaching you how to be a role model as a star athlete or captain of a popular sport (Thomas N). Surveys done by the University of South Carolina and Pennsylvania State showed that teenagers who participated in athletics did better than those students who were apart of debate or drama. The reason for this was because as soon as those former athletes got into college, they had the self esteem and the social confidence, needed to succeed.
There is no doubt about the several benefits of playing sports during high school. Besides, of course, the physical and social benefits, such as encouraging a healthy way of life and an expanding social network, sports contribute to building character and keeping students away from drugs and drinking (Winkel). By laying down certain rules, it causes student athletes to stay away from the things that would jeopardize their playing time or even their career. Not only does it “keep them in line,” but it is beneficial for their health. The childhood obesity rate in the United States is at an all-time high and continues to rise with alarming speed. Preventing the negative effects of excess weight is one of the primary benefits of participation in high school athletics. A 2009 study published in the "International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity" also concluded that teens who participated in sports in early adolescence maintained higher levels of physical activity in later years. (Maddox). Playing sports helps teenagers develop a healthy sense of competition within a friendly, team-oriented environment. According to the University of Florida, students of all ages who regularly participate in sports are able to cope better with competition in other areas of their lives. Competition is often an inevitable part of college and adult life. Additionally, the social interaction gained through sports teaches teenagers to work with a team, solve interpersonal conflicts, and communicate in an effective manner with others. Today’s teens are exposed to an array of entertainment avenues that may foster laziness, such as television, video games, and other media devices, but the traditional experience of sports, exercise, and kinesthetic activities help boost teens’ minds and bodies (Chen). Although the health benefit of this is a huge factor, by staying away from the things students are supposed to, and being a hard working athlete, students can gain a scholarship for either academics, or sports. Students who play sports usually maintain an above average GPA. High schools from all over have a rule that says if you do not have a certain GPA, or a certain grade average, you will not be able to play until your grade raises. Depending on how much work gets put into a student's academics, or sports, can determine the scholarship, and how much money they get out of it.
The most common asked question about sports and the risks, is it worth it?

Playing sports can become psychologically and physically damaging when they are taken way too seriously and people start to ignore their limits. Some athletes feel so much pressure, sometimes from their parents or from their coaches or even from themselves, that they appeal to highly questionable methods to improve themselves. Examples of this include having excessive protein and even doing steroids that can cause hormonal and sexual disorders, temporary infertility, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and several other physical changes. It is estimated that about 3.5 million Americans do steroids and about 3% of American teenagers have tried it at some point in their lives (Winkel). While playing high school sports, an athlete is vulnerable to a variety of physical injuries that range from minor fractures or pulled muscles, to major fractures and breaks. It could even lead to career ending injuries. Not only are there physical dangers, but there are also psychological dangers such as anxiety, the weight of peer pressure, and the depression of losing and letting your team down. Studies have shown that athletes with high anxiety usually suffer the most after a game. Whether the team wins by 20 or loses by 10, they will never be 100% fulfilled with the way they played. They will constantly run things through their head of what they could've done better, or what they should’ve done different. As much as athletes would rather think about the pros of their career, a huge con they need to consider is the injuries. Whether it's being hit with a “helmet to helmet” tackle in football and getting a concussion or injuring your neck, or being hit by a fastball in the back or ribcage and having a broken or fractured rib, or even rolling your ankle coming down from jumping up for a rebound in basketball. Between 2005 and 2014, 92 high school football players died making football the most dangerous

sport. No matter what sport you play, the question isn't if you're going to sustain an injury, the question is when (Winkel). Each year more and more athletes are getting injured, because kids are getting bigger and stronger. The safety for sports is increasing and technology is getting better to help with some of these injuries, but if you're playing football and get hit head on, it doesn’t matter what protection you have, a hard hit is a hard hit.
All in all, according to multiple studies and surveys, those who spent their high school years playing some kind of sport are the ones who do better in life after high school. Whether it be in college or certain jobs, the majority of the things taught to you during your athletic days are a lot of the same principles that will help you once you get to the real world. It is more beneficial for the social side of things rather than the popularity of being a high school sports star.