Andrew Hwang The effects of participating in high school sports The level of commitment it takes to participate in a high school

sport is higher than one would think. On average, a team practices two to three hours everyday, sometimes including weekends. On top of that, when games are scheduled, students will most likely arrive home later that night and start their schoolwork, exhausted. As a result, high school athletes sleep less and have less energy than when there sports are not in season. All in all, does participation in high school sports have a bad effect their student athletes grades? It would seem reasonable to assume that these athletes would not be able to maintain the grades that they produce during the offseason. However, in contrast, studies show that such athletes show improvements in their grades, and also improve on attendance throughout the year. According to a study, student athletes of LAUSD High School attended twenty-one more days of school and had a grade point average of 0.55 to 0.74 higher than non-athletes (Smith). One reason students may not be indifferent to academics during season is that most high schools across the country require students to maintain their grades at a certain level to be eligible to participate in sports. Justin Fenn, a college freshman at Shippensburg University says, During middle school, I used to get Cs and Bs, but once I joined the basketball team, I started to work to get As and Bs to show the coaches I am reliable on and off the court. Another reasonable explanation to the student athletes academic performance during season is the effects of winning. It is found that higher rates of athletic success were followed by an increase in test scores (Greene). This may be a result of athletes learning how to

Andrew Hwang improve concentration for their sport and using these techniques when they study. The time and energy demanded by athletics provided the incentive to become more focused and efficient (Sitzkowski). Nonetheless, it is surprising considering the amount of time and energy demanded by participation in high school sports. While schools have been decreasing funding for sports and parents have been discouraging participation because of academic priorities, there is convincing evidence that shows there is no negative impact on students academics by participating in sports. Instead, high school sports are among one of the highest aids to academic success (Greene). David Clowney, a Coastal Carolina University freshman and track team member states, Since I played at a high level of basketball and track, colleges scouted me. My grades were important for me to receive scholarships from those schools. Thats why I focused on my grades rather than parties or video games. Involvement in sports attribute to being a well-rounded student, which many colleges prioritize in their application reviews. Overall, the benefits of partaking in high school sports out-weight the cons, and academic success if most definitely not affected negatively during season.