Many students enjoy cheering from the bleachers at football games, tackling opponents on the field on a Friday night, or blaring the ENHS fight song from their instruments. Overall, sports have been an essential part of high school for years. They’re fun for everyone involved, and it’s a great opportunity for the athletes to get scholarships, learn valuable lessons, etc.

I asked Mr. Abbott, the baseball coach at North, a few questions about sports and the importance of the activity.

“High School athletics help teach athletes many important life lessons. Athletes learn how to deal with and overcome adversity, communicate with others, and become leaders on and off the field. Athletics teach athletes that they must hold themselves and others accountable if they want to be successful,” Abbott said.

Many people say that athletics is an amazing opportunity for students to help build character.

“Sports games are important for students to attend along with all other extracurricular activities. By attending these events, they can promote unity and school spirit amongst the students,” said Abbott.

Sports games not only promote unity and school spirit, but they can also create a fun opportunity for students to get to know each other better.

When asked, “Should one sport have more focus than others?” Abbott disagreed.

“No, all of our sports programs work hard on a daily basis in order to succeed. The hard work that all of these athletes put in should be acknowledged. There has been a lot of success within our sports programs at North over the years and a lot more to come.”

Not only does everyone involved in games and activities work hard to organize them, they also use them as opportunities to promote fun and unity, and it is seemingly a recurring theme in athletics.

Although sports are important to schools and school spirit, some students think they’re overhyped and put too much focus on one group of students. They can cause cliques and “unathletic” or “unpopular” students to feel left out.

When asked about sports and their importance, Owen Hodge, a senior at North, had this to say. 

“I think high school sports are a waste of time and money. Our society puts too much emphasis and money into sports when they could be using it to better the school in other, more important ways,” Hodge said. 

While there are some negatives about sports, the general consensus is that they’re good for a school and the students. They instill school spirit and encourage students to put their best face forward.

AtYourOwnRisk.org is a website meant to teach the importance and value of athletic programs on a school system.

“Organized sports participation may aid in the development of physical skills, such as hand-eye coordination; functional movement skills and strength; and academic, self-regulatory, and general life skills. It also may have positive social benefits, leading to both improved social identity and social adjustment.”

If you have comments or questions about this article, please contact Evan Hodge at [email protected]