High school sports aren’t just about wins and losses. Playing sports in high school can have an extremely positive impact on a student’s mental and emotional health, social life and academic performance. At the high school level, playing sports can often help develop higher self-esteem, competence, character, and a stronger sense of belonging in student-athletes.
“The first thing I usually do is encourage students to learn how to structure their lives and to provide their passion,” said Marly Jerome-Featherson, a licensed clinical therapist and McLean’s social worker. “I always push sports, and I always push other creative activities like karate, swimming, whatever it may be.”
Playing sports teaches a variety of skills to student-athletes, including teamwork, communication and how to deal with adversity. Many athletes, no matter their skill, have to deal with bad days, arguments with a coach or struggling and working through time management. Learning how to get past that is so important for the future.
“One of the biggest things an athlete can gain from playing sports is just learning to deal with rough times and coming through on the other side better for it,” Director of Student Activities Greg Miller said. “I think that’s such a good life lesson, because for the rest of your life you’re going to have to deal with tough times. But knowing that you’ve come through on the other end is going to really help prepare you for the real world one day.”
This can also help students throughout high school, as they navigate through academics and other challenges a teenager may face. Being a student-athlete can benefit the brain, because involvement in sports can help to boost confidence in ways that help students with academic challenges in the classroom.
“Playing lacrosse helps me academically by teaching me hard work ethic and how to push through difficult times mentally,” junior lacrosse player Lila Sabio said. “It makes me stronger by telling myself I can do the hard things and balance hard stuff.”
Playing a sport can also help student-athletes perform better in school because it provides them with a set schedule and a limited amount of time to get homework done, so they know they have to get it done at a certain time. During the season, coaches are also often pushing their athletes to be better students, behave and go to school regularly in order to participate in games or practices that day.
“Personally, in high school, and anecdotally talking to our athletes at McLean, I think a lot of kids actually perform better in the classroom in the season that they’re playing a sport,” Miller said. “When outside of the season, you don’t have a coach pushing you, and you go home, take a nap and waste your free time and aren’t able to get your studies done. I think a lot of kids would say that they get better grades during their seasons.”
Because every sport at McLean is a team sport, participating in such activities can give student-athletes a strong support system and community to connect with.
“Almost all of my best friends are people that I played sports with in high school or college,” Miller said. “You guys will meet up 10-15 years from now, and it will seem like you just pick up right where you left off.”
For a lot of athletes at McLean, their teammates are some of their best friends. Especially in season, teams are spending so much time together that a special bond is created from playing sports.
“I look forward to going to practice with my friends, and I think it helps me academically, just because I’m in a better mood,” senior softball player Maddie Shean said. “It makes me excited to be at school because I see my teammates in the hallways, and it’s nice to know that I have supportive friends during school.”
Additionally, for underclassmen, it can be important to have role models to look up to in older teammates. Those bonds can often help younger players get acclimated to the environment of the team as well as the challenging academics of high school.
“I definitely got close with girls on my team during the season, and we keep that friendship throughout,” Sabio said. “The older girls help me out with class selection and college stuff, which is nice.”
Being on a sports team provides a student-athlete with a big group of people who care about them. Coaches can give tough love, but they care about their athletes and are often a good source for students to go to for encouragement and to talk about any issues they may be having.
“If you’ve played sports competitively in high school and beyond you have a coach who’s had a big impact on your life,” Miller said. “You have a coach and even some assistant coaches who, if you’re going through some hard times, are a trusted adult.”
Playing sports is both a fun and important way for students to gain a support system, a community, and valuable life skills in high school. It can help students know that they can overcome something tough, and help with other issues that might pop up along the way.
“When you’re on a team, you’re surrounded by your friends who are there to support you and help you,” Miller said. “You have an outlet, you have people to talk to, and you know ‘I can do this.’ Sports help you get through it.”
