As I've grown up I've gone through many sports and activities and although sometimes they can be frustrating they have always been exciting and a source of freedom for me. Some may disagree that sports aren't for everyone and as true as that is, there's a sport for everyone and sports are healthy for you. Especially at my age, they have a lot of good opportunities. Sports in high school can be rough on your time and schedule but have a lot of advantages to taking on a sport. As long as you can control your confidence and self-esteem, (which I know is not easy in this time and age) you should enjoy yourself and not worry about anyone else says. Sports help to clear my mind, keep me healthy and active physically and mentally, stay away from risky behavior and overall enjoy myself.
Many people think that sports can cause you to think little of yourself and compare all your "flaws" to other players but sports are important. they help you stay healthy, you need to stay active and that's exactly what sports are good for. Just choose a certain sport that works for you and fall into its routine. They force you to clear your mind and focus on the game. They create big opportunities of making friends and becoming comfortable outside of your comfort zone. They also create options for your ongoing school future with scholarships and colleges looking at you. Sports also help to develop new skills such as self-discipline, self-control, social participation, and of course athletics. Your personality may also alter a little as you gain some psychological benefits. Sports allow you to participate in school more, keep your grades up as they will be checked, and you may even encounter drug and alcohol testing and will punished for using them if your test were to be positive. I'm very familiar with being exhausted or worn out from a sport but getting home after a big game is a great feeling and you get an amazing deep sleep. You’ll tend to want to eat healthier so you'll feel better. And last but not least, you'll learn how to have or gain confidence and win or lose.
Along with all those positives, of course there are some negatives. Sports can cause physical injuries and psychological dangers. If you mess up, your confidence level will drop and you'll over think everything. One simple mistake can ruin a game for you because you know you could’ve done better but instead you “failed”. In this situation you just have to remember that everyone makes mistakes and that the best thing to do is shake it off and keep going. It can be a huge strain on your body and injury can and most likely will occur. You may also feel pressured and stressed about not letting down your family, coach, school, and of course your team. This, according to Jen Croneberger, a mental coach for a professional softball team, is believed to be the number one reason for a drop in self-esteem. In her video she talks about how confidence doesn’t stand a chance against “expectation” because we set ourselves up to fail or when you do fail everyone sees it. There is also the idea of drug testing being possible, there's always those not-so-smart kids who do it anyway and there is a chance of having someone try to pressure you into taking enhancing drugs and participating in the bad behavior of your team mates just to "fit in" with your team. It's really up to you to decide whether or not to get caught up in the bad influences around you and if that's what you choose then sports aren't for you anyway. But if you can have your values and self-image of what you want to be clear in your mind, then sports are an amazing way to keep your goals reachable.
Sports have always been a way for me to relax and focus and just have fun and if you get that chance you should definitely take it. Although there have been times when I've gotten down on myself I've always picked myself back up and gotten back into the game. There will always be someone better than you and there’s a chance you won’t be the worst either so as long as you know you're trying your best, that's all that's important. Well, that and enjoying yourself.