Sports and extracurricular activities have long been promoted by schools, but do they help students academically? Sports can have many benefits to those who participate, like improving their health and/or motivation for other life activities, but can sports help students learn in school? 

Someone may find themselves in a sport for many different reasons; these reasons could be as simple as they like playing the sport or that they want to look good for their potential college career, but one sure thing they are getting from it is the health bonuses that come with physical activity.

“I think it’s always important for the players to have good grades. We are coaching student athletes and hopefully they can figure out that student comes first and that school is a lot more important than their athletic career,” Assistant coach Eric Lenear said.

 There are many benefits to playing sports as a student, including  better time management, and self discipline skills, but sports do not directly impact students’ grades. Instead, it depends on how each individual player takes their experiences in a sport, and even more depends on if they then decide to use that to further their academic achievements.

“Sports don’t necessarily have a positive effect on the player’s grades because it does take time away from homework and studying, not to mention the times you leave class early, but ultimately it depends on the person,” sophomore Evan Rotramel said.

Although sports and clubs in general have benefits to their members, having better grades because of the activity greatly depends on the player. According to a study by the University of Chicago, “school sports participation was significantly associated with academic achievement, positive body-image perceptions, and self-esteem.” 

Some player’s grades can benefit from them having a healthier body and some can benefit from motivation, but it’s not guaranteed a player will do better in school for playing sports.

“I believe that sports help with grades because they help me make sure I get my stuff done on time and they help motivate me to keep my grades up so I don’t get benched,” freshman Kolby Kassinger said.

For many student athletes, sports help them with motivation and positive energy during and about school. It is good to be motivated by a sport, but sports also help players by making them feel better and be in better health, which both are some of the most important effects of being in a sport.  

Physical activity can help players think, learn, problem-solve, and enjoy an emotional balance. It can improve memory and reduce anxiety or depression. Regular physical activity can also reduce the risk of cognitive decline, including dementia, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

It is vital for students to remain physically active for as long as their health allows, not only because being active is healthy for the body, but also because it is healthy for the mind. Taking part in a sport is a fun and social way to be active and stay healthy even if sports are not a student’s “thing,” it is still important to remain physically active throughout one’s life.

“I think that being in a sport definitely helps with your grades, but it helps even more with your overall health and fitness. I personally enjoy a lot of sports and believe that they are good for you but different people have different interests,” Kassinger said.