Sports participation in the United States has gone over the rooftop and the participation by high schools continues to rise. According to the statistics of the National Federation of State High School Associations, in a particular academic year there is a participation of more than 55% high school students in sports. Other than health, there are many other benefits of playing a sport that are often undermined. Experts believe that sports can become a cure for psychological ailments as well, therefore we can conclude that there are many benefits of playing that are yet to be acknowledged.
Playing sports increases stamina and endurance in the body. It build immunity and keeps the body away from many illnesses, but this side of the benefits, has been discussed time and time again. In this following we are giving a closer look to some studies made by reputed institutions that points at the social, academic and career benefits that we can drive by playing a sport.
Increases Sociability
Sports indulgence reduces the chances of a person falling into the addiction of drugs and other sorts of intoxication. A scientific study conducted among the high school athletes found that more than 14,000 athletes were less likely to smoke or use illicit drugs. The National Household Survey of Drug Abuse, performed a survey which demonstrated that teenagers and students who were playing a sport on a regular basis disapproved the use of these harmful intoxication. Another interesting statement came from the Women’s sports Foundation, in which they stated that the chances of an early pregnancy reduces by 80% for the female high school athletes. This helps us in understanding the social benefits of playing a sport for all the age group.
Academic Progress
Studies performed in states like Iowa, Wyoming and Colorado have confirmed that the success of a student in classroom gets highly influenced by playing a sport. The accumulated data shows that most athletes have higher standardized test scores than the non-athletes. Playing sports keeps them fit and healthy, hence they have better attendance and lower dropout rates which implicates that they have brighter chances of attending a college. People playing sports have a higher grade point average and perform better with enhanced focus.
Mounting on the Peak of Career
We were not surprised when we found out that the executive Vice President of 75 of the Fortune 500 companies played one or more sports in their high school. However, playing sports does not necessarily mean that you will turn out to be a CEO at a multinational with a fat pay package and a luxury car for every transit. Sports teaches qualities like determination, hard work, teamwork and leadership, which are instrumental in achieving success. While working in a team, a student learns to handle the pressure and face competition from outside and also within the team. The sense of unity plays a big role when running big organizations, that do business in billions.
Conclusion
There are many more benefits of keeping the physical activity alive in the growing years of a child. With technology, kids are more involved in the virtual world more real. It is important that adults understand the role of sports in the life of a growing individual, as it shapes the personality of the future adult. Some really crucial lesson of life, like failure, learning from mistakes and improving, developing skills, all of these can be learned on the field.
