Brett Stern

Persuasive Essay

Why Sports Should be in High Schools

            High school sports are a highly debated topic in the US. Arguments for high school sports and against them have their valid points. Many people do not know that high school athletes are held at a higher standard on and off the field, or that they develop the tightest bonds imaginable with their teammates. High school athletes work twice as hard as regular students because they must. A non-athlete’s grades are looked over by their parents and teachers. However, an athlete has their coach also looking at their grades and pushing them to perform better in the classroom. In Ripley’s article “The Case Against High-School Sports” she fails to mention anything about the extra support system sports and coaches give to an athlete. Having an extra set of eyes to oversee a child’s grades can never be considered as a negative thing. Students on sports teams feel obligated to show their coaches good grades.

            There are several standards set in place for athletes to complete before stepping on the field. For instance, if a high school athlete is ever detained by the police for committing a crime that student will be either suspended or even asked to leave there team. In Ripley’s article she does not mention that athletes are held at a higher standard than regular students when it comes to legal actions. A non-athlete will receive whatever consequence the law provides them with and that is all, while an athlete is hit with multiple penalties that can even be considered worse than what the law has to offer. The extra penalty will force athletes to make the right choices, which means that technically, high school sports keep kids out of trouble.

            High school sports are taken very seriously especially in the US. “Sports are a big deal here” is what a foreign exchange student said when she moved here from South Korea. In the United States high school athletes are all working towards the same goal making them teammates and a family. Sports teams are always together for practices, games, charity events, etc. With all the time athletes spend together it is extremely hard to stay angry at one of their teammates. Having friends on a sports team benefits children in school as well because kids can help each other in academic or social situations. It is much easier to learn or get help from somebody you know very well, rather than a random student that knows all the answers. Athletes make friends, and must perform at a higher level than average, non-athlete students making high school sports necessary and encouraged.

           
Works cited

Ripley, Amanda. "The Case Against High-School Sports." The Atlantic October 2013: 72-78.