Like most students, the start of high school was a very interesting period, with uncertainty, weirdness, and loads of new concepts, which, even now, 8 months after the start of my high school experience, I still don’t understand. From finding your way through the maze of classes to learning how to decode the combination of numbers and letters that for some reason represents the increasingly difficult classes, high school is its own kind of labyrinth. While at times, and I doubt this feeling stops, saying I was overwhelmed was a huge understatement, I was able to grab onto one solid thing, basketball. While the sport itself has helped relieve academic stress and the fright of the impending doom of the unknown of college, my team has made it so much more than just a pause in a stressful day, with freshmen building relationships with older teammates and learning how to navigate the maze that others call high school. As these connections develop, the sport in itself changes to be more than just a game, with an environment in which you can rely on each other both on and off the court. And so, through a system of trust, support, and a bit of teasing, the sport evolves to creating an environment you can rely on.

Now, like most kids, having class with your friends, or in this case teammates, creates a web of trust, but even individually, sports have affected your academic performance positively. An article written by PubMed Central found out that students who do sports normally tend to get higher grades and perform better compared to their non-athlete classmates. The study also said that this is likely because of discipline, time management and focus that athletes need to be part of the team. As a result, it helps kids create habits that can help their long-term academics! Also, a research from the University of Chicago supports that these ideas are connected to not only a higher academic achievement but also a increased self-esteem. All these benefits help with both academic and personal growth of students all throughout high school.

On the otherhand, sports have also been shown to help the mental health of students. PubMed organized a large study with over 11,000 kids/teens and they figured out that kids who do team sports show 10% lower rates of anxiety and depression and 17% fewer social problems compared to the kids who dont do sports. Also athletes are found to have 12% fewer attention problems and sometimes less behavioral problems. Along with that, according to Harvard Health Publishing, physical activity triggers the releasing of endorphins and dopamine, the chemicals that improve your mood and avoid stress and anxiety. This explains why students involved in sports are normally better when it comes to handling the mental pressure of high school.

But the truth is that sports have helped me grown in all aspects, whether it is physically, academically, mentally and socially. Although it took some time to adjust to the lightning pace of high school, being part of a team made that jarring transition só much easier. These experiences have not only boosted my self esteem but also improved my overall attitude about high school. This has made my experience more enjoyable, despite the bucketload of work.