Importance of Football

Many people argue that athletics in are too much of a priority in school systems, but they do not look at how these sports affect the students' lives and their future. More specifically, people argue that schools focus way too much on football and they question if parents should even let their children play football due to the great risk of injury. A lot of people don't know that athletics in school play a crucial role in student's life and in the community. Football is a team sport that helps build the character of students and teach them discipline, accountability, commitment, team work, mental toughness, and a good work ethic. Football also provides a lot of opportunities and is often a motivation for students to work hard and a way to stay active and in shape. Football games can also bring together the community and encourage community events.

Football help build the character of athletes. Football is one of the most character building sports there is today because there is so much hard work, preparation, strategy, and teamwork that changes student athlete's life. Football does not just teach players to tackle other players, it also teaches them how to tackle life. Students who play football learn many valuable life lessons that will help them develop good habits in school and more importantly, later in life. Athletes are challenged to work hard and are exposed to adversity on a daily basis. They are exposed to different types of people with different types of attitudes. Participating in sports teaches them how to overcome adversity. They are constantly pushed to work hard and to give their all, which helps them grow both physically and mentally. All the time, blood, sweat, and tears put into the commitment to sports help teach athletes how to work hard and how to be successful. Athletes learn the importance of hard work and commitment. They learn that the path to success requires a lot of hard work and discipline. On the other hand, sports expose athletes to failure. Athletes learn not just to overcome these failures, but also how to learn from them which also teaches them humility. Athletes also learn the importance of commitment and how to manage their time from the countless hours they put into practice. Athletes learn what it's like to work as a team and they learn the importance of accountability and teamwork. A former high school athlete, who is now a collegiate athlete, said to writers from Odysseyonline.com People had always told me that sports in high school will shape you to be more disciplined with whatever I decided to do later on in my life, Hill said. I think sports in high school made me a better person as time went on. Hill also said I still remember the long and late night practices that I had spent with my teams and coaches, Hill continued. I had learned so many life lessons from those practices alone. High school athletics teach crucial life lessons that help athletes succeed not just in high school but also in the long run.

As a football player, you learn that you have to work really hard for what you want, just like you work hard in practices to win games and build as a team. You also learn how crucial it is to be a leader on the field which can result in being a leader in your family, community, peer groups, and other atmospheres. Not only do you just learn how to lead, you also learn how to follow. Before you can be a leader, you have to know how to be a follower first. If you want to lead, you have to watch good impactful leaders and strive to be obtain leadership qualities like them. Football players learn how to compete. They learn both how to compete against others and to compete against themselves. Learning to compete against yourself is just as important, and maybe even more important than knowing how to compete against others. If you only know how to compete against others, you might never tap your full potential because there is always room for improvement. Athletes learn the importance of striving to be better every rep instead of just trying to beat the ones around them. Your biggest competition is who you see in the mirror is a famous quote that is very true. As a football player, you spend a lot of time watching film which develops strategy and allows you to examine how you can better your play and learn to learn from your mistakes. Football players can apply that to life because there are always ways to improve our lives and ways to strategize to better ourselves and work towards goals. Football players learn that there are no shortcuts to victory, just like there are no shortcuts to life.

Football help students perform both on the field or in the gym and in the classroom. Athletes can use aspects developed through sports such as time management, hard work, application, and commitment in the classroom. They know that their success will reflect their application to learning and their hard work of homework and studying, just like their performance in sports reflects their preparation through practice. According to research from Odysseyonline.com at Arizona State University, Statistically, high school athletes do better in school and are more prone to stay out of trouble. Usually, there is an academic and conduct rule that prevents students from failing classes or getting in trouble too many times and still being allowed to play or compete. According to NewYorkTimes.com, their researchers have found that schools that offer more sports and field more successful teams produce higher test scores and graduation rates. Playing football is also a great way to stay in shape and exercise consistently. Football consists of long practice hours, heavy lifting, and a lot of conditioning. It has been proven that exercising improves both physical and mental health.

Football brings a lot of opportunities to athletes. High school sports can be a stepping stone to some students' goals and dreams. Football players can work hard to play collegiate and/or professional sports. For example, not every student will get an academic scholarship, athletes have the opportunity to receive an athletic scholarship, which would be a way for athletes to continue pursuing their dream and would also aid in paying for college. Football can also be an outlet for students. Many students have set backs in their education or have a difficult home life. Participating in athletics can give students a break from the overload of school work and even a break for students with a less fortunate home life. Athletes also get to meet new people and develop family-like relationships with their teammates. They learn the importance of team work and develop leadership skills. According to research through the Odyssey, James said Students are more accountable for their actions while being part of a team, James said. Being part of a team helps students understand the importance of being responsible and helping others.

Playing football allows students to have a coach who will act as a mentor throughout high school. Most coaches push their players to be the best they can be both in the sport and in life. Coaches help shape the players' life and are good examples for them to follow. There is something different about a coach and player's relationship. Student athlete, Marissa Hill stated that My varsity lacrosse coach was the best coach I ever had in my whole career of any sport I was involved with, Hill continued, For the time I had with her, she challenged me to be a better person, student, athlete, teammate and daughter. She had given us tasks that were very tough, but still were capable of reaching if we were willing to work hard for it. Football coaches know how to stress character building, hard work, teamwork and many other qualities. Football coaches can also aid athletes pursuing a college career. Most coaches typically know their athletes better than most teachers know their students so a coach can act as a mentor and a strong influential figure in their player's lives.

Last but not least, football can bring together the community. Football is very popular and is often looked forward to during the week. The games can be a way for a school to grow closer and enjoy time together within the community. Many athletes also get recognized, whereas they might not be recognized in any other way. High school games also bring excitement, unity, and competition to a community. Games can also be a way to help fund the school.

After evaluating all the benefits that come with playing football, it is safe to say that parents should allow their children to play football. Football teaches so many valuable life lessons to athletes and helps shape them to be successful in school and in their future. Football provides opportunities and relationships they can't get anywhere else. Many important relationships are developed within football teams. Communities even grow together with football. Without football, many student athletes would not have all of the critical character qualities that they learn about life through football that ultimately leads them to success.

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