Sports and Academics - Essay Sample

Introduction

Sports have been an integral part of all schools. Sports foster success because they support academics. Giving education and sports the required weight in the curriculum is not easy. Many schools deal with balancing sports and school, and many students try to succeed in their academics as well as in sports. Academic learning and sports complement each other; like two sides of the same coin (Khan et al., p.419). They improve the overall personality of the student if they are carried out together. Sports have many advantages in improving the student's skills such as team spirit, leadership, tolerance and sharing. Sports improve cerebral and physical well-being, hence completing the package of life lessons. Academic excellence is a stepping stone to success, but good health is vital in enjoying the fruits. Therefore, both sports and academics are essential, and a proper balance should be maintained to ensure a person enjoys both.

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Advantages

Many advantages accrue for students who participate in sports as well as academics. Sports teach practice and discipline. Sports instill a habit of determination. Participation in sports offer an opportunity for students to develop their social abilities as well as their physical abilities (Khan et al., p.149). To have a proper development in terms of physical, mental and aptitude abilities, a balance ought to be maintained. When a person sets out to do sports, it rewards with a bonus of mental toughness. A healthy body leads to a healthy brain. For a student to be successful in academics, they have to be fit and healthy. Remaining healthy requires constant participation in sports. It is, therefore a helpful amusement as well as physical action.

Sports programs are educational and help in producing productive citizens. Through sports, students develop skills which are helpful in future like time management and interpersonal skills. Although education kindles the light of knowledge, sports are useful in maintaining proper physique. Sports are also an important means of using energy and entertainment after studying for long. Sports help improve the performance of students, as the saying goes, all work with no play makes Jack a dull boy.

Teamwork

When a student plays, they also learn about teamwork, which is a critical interpersonal skill. Through playing, a student not only learns for their good but the good and success of the whole team. Sports teach students how ups and downs are an inevitable part of life and how they should handle the challenges they experience. Sports enable students to face hardships and rigors, which teaches them to process different emotions. Because of how sports engage students to work for the good of others, it instils specific values in them. Such values include leading a mature and corporate life. Sportsmanship is all about fairness; sports is another name for loyalty, integrity and honesty for students.

Also, sports reliefs students from the stress and depression they may experience every day from Academic pressures (Chiesa & Serretti. p. 597). Stress is caused by tension, frustrations or differed hope. Students encounter this all the time in the school environment. When the body reacts to challenging situations, stress manifests as an outcome. Research shows exercise is a natural treatment in fighting stress. Sports is seen as a natural anti-depressant from Harvard medical research. Evidence suggests that physical activity supports the connection and growth of nerve cells in the mood center of the brain to the hippocampus. Ultimately this relieves stress and improves mental health. This is vital for any students, given that academics are all about mental intake of information. Studies show that even low –intensity exercises reduce anxiety and stress. Exercising helps in reducing stress while promoting the capacity to acquire knowledge and understand.

Memory

Exercising boosts memory, which is the core requirement for any student. Exercising helps a person reduce the risk of developing dementia and improve cognitive abilities (Chiesa & Serretti. p. 597). Exercising leads to regeneration of brain cells. If a person engages in physical activities, their brain capabilities are automatically enhanced. The capabilities include improving concentration and focus. All these advantages are crucial for any student; hence sports and academics should be balanced. It has been proven that sports boost esteem and encourages a good mood (Stephens at al., p. 40). Is a person excelling in one walk of life, they are likely to be confident in other areas. If a person excelled in sports, it automatically spills over to other areas like academics.

Exercising makes the body release feel-good chemicals called endorphins. These endorphins reduce the perception of pain while triggering a positive feeling (Chiesa & Serretti. p. 597). Endorphins are responsible for what is called "the runner effect", which is a production of more endorphins due to intense exercises. Therefore, exercising promotes good mood, in turn boosting self-esteem in students.

Research shows that students who juggle between school and sports are better focused on discipline, have the right concentration and better time management (Chiesa & Serretti. P. 590). Research shows that time management in sports is a skill which can be transferred to other areas of life. The study was carried out on Slovak athletes on their perception of perusing dual careers. The results showed that athletes could efficiently juggle with their second careers as long as they were supported and provided with flexible arrangements (Chiesa & Serretti. p. 595).

In addition, students have a lot of energy, which comes with a young age, and it cannot only be used in studying. The energy can lead students to do activities which are unwanted or wrong. The activities can be harmful to their education and their health as well. Sports can help in avoiding such negative engagements; as students will use the surplus energy on sports. Students engaging in sports are less likely to wander and engage in wrongful activities; sports activities keep students engaged in reducing the likelihood of wandering.

Conclusion

Sports and academics are aspects of a student's development. It is hard to decide which element is greater than the other; hence they all should be given equal weight. Both education and sports have a feature of evolution in the life of a student. Each has its benefits and nourish different aspects of a student's well-being. Educators ought to balance the academic and physical needs of any students. Maintaining a balance can be difficult, but it is crucial. The balance puts a student at a greater place of achievement compared to those who do not participate in sports.

Additionally, many skills and advantages follow a student who participates in academics and sports. Sports makes a person have a complete package in life. A person who is successful in sports automatically becomes confident and progresses academically. A person's understanding is increased while they become responsible in many aspects. Therefore, many times, participating in sports translates to academic excellence.

For the modern student, finding a balance between academics and sports is essential. Teachers, coaches and parents can liaise to provide students with the required support. The human body is like a machine which works by putting oil. If a machine is not oiled, it stops working, and it becomes useless. Our body works the same way as a machine, and sports work as oil to keep our bodies rejuvenated and energetic to function correctly. Therefore, sports and academia go hand in hand, and they are equally important.

Works Cited

Chiesa, Alberto, and Alessandro Serretti. "Mindfulness-based stress reduction for stress management in healthy people: a review and meta-analysis." The journal of alternative and complementary medicine 15.5 (2009): 593-600.

Khan, Mohammad Younis, et al. "Association between participation in sports and academic achievement of college students." International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences 2.8 (2012): 419.

Stephens, Larry J., and Laura A. Schaben. "The effect of interscholastic sports participation on academic achievement of middle level school students." Nassp Bulletin 86.630 (2012): 34-41.