Organized sports have been a part of American culture since the New York Knickerbocker’s baseball team was established in the 1840’s. This team of doctors, lawyers, and other professionals marked the beginning of a new era in American culture; the era of competitive athletics.

This era, which is still going on today, holds a dear place in the hearts of the athletes who participate in organized sports. They are a way for people to relive stress, exercise, and just have fun.

But when they begin to hold a valuable place in the lives and routines of students, like they do in modern high schools, parents begin to question the value they bring to the lives of students.

This questioning has a legitimate basis; sports take up valuable time in the busy schedule of a high school student, and can sometimes lead to serious injury. So what is the value of high school athletics?

For one, athletics provide a stress release for busy high school students. Class schedules are becoming more and more rigorous, due to highly selective colleges, and this overload on difficult classes can lead to an extremely stressful life.

According to healthyliving.com, sports can reduce stress and increase mental health by releasing endorphins that promote mental well-being. This is extremely helpful to high school students, who have both stressful lives and the highest suicide rate of any age group.

Another benefit of high school athletics is that they provide a passion for many high school students. While some students are passionate about since, others creative writing, and still others art, many find their passion in playing a sport.

Although most high school athletes will never make a career out of playing a sport, the experience can instill within the athlete key core values that will help them later in life, such as the ability to make and keep commitments, the value of discipline, and that hard work is needed for success.

Perhaps most important out of all of these values is the ability to deal with, learn from, and move on from failure. Many outstanding students live in fear of failure. They often do not challenge themselves because they are afraid of the consequences of out striping their abilities.

In sports, as in life, failure is commonplace. This exposure to failure helps many ‘perfect’ students cope with and learn from their mistakes, which is an invaluable trait in the working world.

More than a “child’s game”, as baseball was described when the Knickerbockers were founded in the 1840’s, sports provides invaluable lessons and exercise for high school students. Competition is ingrained in America’s culture, and sports will be here for years to come. It is time to accept the benefits of organized sports.