Sports are an essential part of the high school experience. Whether participating in athletics or cheering on your school’s team, sports foster involvement and investment in education.
For many, school sports is what gives them a reason to actually do well in school and not flunk out. Most if not all schools implement rules that if students do not have a certain GPA or if they are failing any classes that they will be benched or held out from games until they are able to get their grades up. These eligibility standards are set by the MHSA. Without this in place, who’s to say that students who didn’t care about school would just drop out or flunk out. Sports are acting as a sort of reward for students who struggle; if they get good grades then they get to play, if their grades slip then there will be no playing. These eligibility standards encourage students to do well in school. First quarter grades in 2024 show an average GPA of 3.27 for Park High athletes, according to data provided by Athletic Director Nate Parseghian. They also are on better behavior because there are more than likely consequences for bad behavior while in the sports season.
Along with the aspect of encouraging students to do well in school, sports also create well-rounded individuals. Students learn how to work with others, have a set schedule that they must adjust to and learn how to show up and be accountable. It also teaches them how to manage their time and make sure they get everything done outside of sports that still must get done.
Park High senior Emily Jesson has played sports all four years of high school. She competes in both basketball in the winter and softball in the spring. Jesson said “High School sports really just made me plan out everything that needed to get done. It made me take responsibility and make sure that I got the things done outside of sports that still needed to get done. I really had to make sure that I stayed on top of my school work and when I needed help I wasn’t afraid to ask teachers for help. I had to be able to reach out to others when I needed help. Another thing that I think sports does for people is makes them learn how to handle tough times. When you have a job things are not always gonna be easy, there are gonna be struggles that you have to work through, sports will help prepare a person for that.”
The fact of the matter is that high school sports are more important than some people think. High school sporting events have the ability to bring communities together and make people put aside their differences just to watch their local high school students do what they love to do and what they are good at. School-affiliated sports have the ability to take kids who never cared about doing well in school or who had no plan, and give them a reason to succeed. Some say that funds are wasted on school sports, while in reality, that funding is worth every single penny.