High School Sport

Sport in high school has grown rapidly over the years, and is now a fundamental aspect of the high school experience for many students. It began in the early 1900s, but has progressed to become a fundamental part of local culture. On the surface level its purpose seems simple enough: to allow kids the opportunity to play competitive sports as a balance to the normal lifestyle of a high school student. The physical nature of sports leads to a healthy sense of well being and the opportunity to learn fundamental values such as teamwork and sacrifice while playing among and against fellow students. Additionally, events such as high school football and basketball games are social events that even non-athletes can have fun at as they cheer on their team. Despite these positives however, there is reason to believe that high school sport is beginning to be taken too seriously. As seen in the article, some athletes are targeted at an early age as "phenoms", and have an extraordinary amount of pressure put on them at a young age. Additionally, by placing such a serious emphasis on athletics in schools, there is a possibility that some student-athletes will disregard their academics, which is obviously the main reason they are in school. Because of this, I think it is up to the coaches to teach the players how to balance their lives with school and sports, and learn to be successful both on and off the field/court.