1.
Mindful, Maddening, Masterful Management
of Time
The
first important, lifelong quality that high school sports develop in their
players is how to effectively manage time. High school athletes have to balance
several things that life puts onto their plates, often including multiple
sports schedules, school, social lives, jobs, and determining plans for beyond
high school. From putting so much time and dedication into their sports, athletes
learn how to effectively manage and balance the remainder of their time. Managing
this time often involves prioritizing, and sometimes realizing they have to
eliminate other activities because they cannot do it all. In learning to manage
their time, athletes learn to restrain from falling into the black hole of
procrastination. This is an important skill that benefits these athletes in
their futures when balancing their careers with other aspects of their lives.
Adults who were athletes in high school, through acquiring the useful time
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| Fig. 1 Woman Racing the Clock. N.d. Central Michigan University. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. |
management
skill, will seldom be racing the clock like the woman depicted in Figure 1. Scott Lancaster, in Shel Franco’s work titled “Time
Management Helps Teen Athletes Make the Grade,” pronounces that a large number
of prosperous athletes develop effective “balance in their lives.” This essential
and lifelong ability gives “student athletes” an edge above those not affiliated
with sports, because “student athletes” have experience in time management (par.
4). Learning to manage time is a great
quality that students in high school can learn from participating in sports.
2.
Confidence is the Key to Success:
Unlocking Dreams
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Fig. 2
Typical confident business man.
23 May 2011. Mark Showalter’s
Blog. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.
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Confidence
is another attribute that high school students learn from involvement in
sports. Sports teach high school athletes that they must believe in themselves
and be confident in their skills in order to succeed. Additionally, high school
sports provide the opportunity be a leader, such as being team captain. This
boosts high school students’ confidences immensely, as other athletes look up
the leader on the team as a role model. In “Playing the Game: Sports as a Force
for Promoting Improved Academic Performance for Urban Youth,” Eric DeMeulenaere
conducts a study which presents positive academic improvements among students involved
in sports, attributed to sports developing confidence (131). Being confident is
a trait that benefits people throughout their entire lives. For example, being
confident is important at job interviews within your career (see Fig. 2). Confidence
show potential employers and even simply your peers that you believe in yourself;
this will make them want to also believe in you. Aiding in future success,
confidence is another trait that high school sports develop in their athletes.
3.
Resisting the Serpent at the Garden of
Eden: Learning Self-Discipline
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Fig. 3.
Dogs avoiding the temptation of
harming a cat. 12 May 2012. REACHIING
FORWARD: Laying Hold of
Significance
in Your Life! Web. 20 Nov. 2013.
|
Lastly,
high school students involved in sports learn self-discipline. Self-discipline
involves controlling feelings, overcoming weaknesses, and maintaining integrity
in spite of temptations (see Fig. 3). Sports teach athletes to control their
emotions when on their court or field, refusing to show the opposing team their
weaknesses. Additionally, sports teach athletes to condemn cheating and
maintain dignity, even when opposing team members tempt them to lash out in
anger. According to Jay Mathews in “Self-Discipline May Beat Smarts as Key to
Success,” self-discipline, a trait athletes possess, “is a better predictor of
academic success than even IQ (par. 3). Having self-discipline isn’t
only influential in school; it also affects every day occurrences such as
choosing healthy foods and setting and meeting deadlines. Self-discipline is
one of the numerous qualities that sports develop in high school students.
In conclusion, students who participate
in sports during high school establish several important qualities. These
qualities, including time management, confidence, pride, and self-discipline,
benefit athletes for the entirety of their lives. This is especially true in higher
education success and careers. Sports isn’t the only type of involvement that positively
affects high school students; theatre, national honor society, world culture
club, and other various extra-curricular activities also establish important qualities
in students. Conducting research on positive effects of activities on students
has prompted me to become concerned for students at impoverished high schools,
where activities are too costly and therefore are scarce. Who, if anyone, will
these students have the potential to become?
Works
Cited
DeMeulenaere,
Eric. “Playing the Game: Sports as a Force for Promoting Improved Academic
Performance for Urban Youth.” Journal of Cultural Diversity 17.4 (2010):
127-135. EBSCO MegaFILE. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.
Franco, Shel. “Time
Management Helps Teen Athletes Make the Grade: How To Help Your Child Maintain
Grades While Participating in Sports.” DisneyFamily.com.
Disney, n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.
Mathews, Jay. “Self-Discipline
May Beat Smarts as Key to Success.” The
Washington Post. The Washington Post Company, 17 Jan. 2006. Web. 20 Nov.
2013.
