Interscholastic_Sports

English Persuasive Essay Draft Schools should support interscholastic sports because of the leadership, teamwork, and other social benefits offered that might not be gained in the classroom. It could take time away from schoolwork, but statistics have repeatedly proven that participating in interscholastic sports actually increases grade point averages and can open more doors for the future. Furthermore, it will provide an incentive for staying fit. Others might say that joining these activities will also be increasing chances of getting injuries, but injuries are inevitable and are a part of daily life. Interscholastic sports give students an opportunity to meet and interact with students from other schools, as well as connect with peers from their own schools. This will expose the students to more diversity and allow them to tolerate it and make new friends from new places. An example of this is through the Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools (IASAS). It consists of six member schools from different Southeast Asian countries with a purpose for students to mix, socialize, and to learn from each other through sports, arts, and debate/forensics. Students will also learn the importance of good sportsmanship and teamwork, as they will have to work with others. These skills are important in many areas in life, they are not necessarily for sports only. It also contributes to school projects, because teamwork teaches that everybody needs to contribute something and put in efforts to get what they want. According to USA Today nearly seven out of ten Americans say high school sports teach students lessons about life they can’t learn in a classroom. Another one of these lessons might include leadership skills. 95% of the Fortune 500 executives participated in high school athletics, according to an issue of the Fortune Magazine. These tell us that sports will also strengthen leadership skills, as students will have to learn how to communicate effectively with others. Leadership positions can also help with college applications and will open more doors for the future. Many schools, when looking at college applications do not focus solely on grades. They also look at extra-curricular activities as well as leadership characteristics. Sports programs can supply students with both of these, and can help some qualify for college scholarships, which is especially helpful for those who would not be able to afford the tuition. People have said that participating in interscholastic sports will take time away from schoolwork, and while that may be true, one cannot ignore the fact that statistics have shown that participating in these sports actually increases their grade point averages. According to the Iowa High School Athletic Association, over a five-year period students who did not participate in sports accumulated a collective 2.39 GPA, while those who participated in one sport averaged a 2.61 GPA, and those who participated in two sports averaged a 2.82. Research from the University of Chicago suggests that student-athletes do better in school and do not drop out as much as non-athletes. Moreover, student-athletes’ parents are more involved with their educational process and these students have a better chance of getting into and graduating from college. Lastly, sports programs promote fitness and health. Participating in sports will allow the body to be used and be exercised often, and with teenagers currently three times more likely to be overweight than they were 20 years ago, it is important to encourage the younger generations to be physically fit. Students will be able to establish lifelong habits for good health as well, and this is particularly important at a time when obesity is growing. According to Jordan D. Matzl, M.D. (co-founder and medical director of the Sports Medicine Institute for Young Athletes and one of America’s premier pediatric sports physicians) and Carol Shookhoff, Ph.D. from the book “The Young Athlete: A Sports Doctor’s Complete Guide for Parents”, the occurrence of obesity among America’s children and teens have soared to more than 50 percent since 1976 and that number is continually rising. It is also proven that athletes are less likely to take drugs because these athletes will want to stay in good shape for the sport that they are playing, and they can use it as a reason if their peers pressure them to take these narcotics. According to the University of Chicago, 92% of student-athletes do not use drugs. Like many activities, interscholastic sports do have a negative side. People against interscholastic sports argue that participating in these programs will cause low self-esteem from losing or from not making it into a team. They could be discouraged through put-downs from opponents as well, but that is why there are coaches, advisors, and even guidance counselors. They are there to be mentors and to teach their students the right way to respond to winning or losing. Coaches should be able to motivate their students properly so that they can learn from their mistakes or losses and improve. These feelings are also only temporary, and with supportive coaches, athletes should be able to change their negative attitudes into a strong, determined one. Guidance counselors should be around to give encouragement and to listen and give solutions to problems that athletes might have. If eager participants do not make a team, there are sports clubs they can join to enhance and improve their skills. Additionally, there are usually two teams for sports and chances of being chosen are widened. It is true that confidence could be stripped down from losing, but losing is unavoidable. Winning all the time is not realistic, and athletes need to accept that and be able to deal with it positively. At one point, everyone has lost at least once. Do not forget that there is also another side—a winning side. If students win instead of lose, their self-esteem will be raised instead, their peers and parents will be proud of them, and they themselves will be satisfied with what they have accomplished. The University of Chicago states that student-athletes demonstrate a higher level of self-confidence than non-athletes. Another issue with sports programs that people will bring up is that taking part in sports will increase your chances of getting injuries. First of all, the students who want to join interscholastic sports know what they are getting into and know about the possible harms that could be involved. They should be well prepared to face it, and athletes can also stretch and apply proper training before their matches to try to prevent these injuries. As mentioned before, injury is inevitable. It occurs in daily life, and it can happen anywhere. For example, someone could trip while taking a shower, fall from riding a bike, or stumble when running. Avoiding everything that could cause injury would be avoiding everything, and this is why it cannot be said that interscholastic sports are the main cause of injury. Today, more than 30 million kids play a wide range of recreational and competitive sports and on sport teams. According to the National Middle School Association, the percentage of middle schools offering interscholastic sports programs has increased form 50% in 1968, to 77% in 1993, and to 96% in 2003, and according to www.middleschooldebate.com, virtually all high schools and colleges have these programs. It is believed by most that interscholastic sports should, in fact, not be banned and that the benefits of being involved in sports outweigh the possible negative outcomes.