I think that school sports are essential to the high school experience as it can make students feel comfortable in their new environment of high school. Many new students see high school as a major step, a scary step. They feel blind when they come into a new school for many reasons. Usually that reason is that you don’t know people. Sports can help with this issue, I should know, it is exactly what happened to me.

In the summertime entering my freshman year I decided I wanted to join football. Not knowing it had already started, I got to my first practice at the start of August. I felt embarrassed and nervous as not many of my friends were even going to Manogue. I had showed up so late when my teammates had been there for a couple months. At first, I felt shy, but I decided to suck it up and persevere through this nervous start. Turns out, I ended up loving it as throughout the week I met my teammates, one of them becoming one of my closest friends, and started understanding the sport I watched all my life more. In the end, football introduced me to new people, and it helped me get stronger both physically and mentally.

Though I have quit football since, it still is the reason why I felt comfortable when the school year started. I knew people. Any sport can help with this. It also can make you more involved in the school and feel more like a family with your fellow classmates. Students learn dedication and learn to respect their teachers and coaches through sports, and I feel strong about that. Sports allow for a shared experience with others, which can spark a friendship with that person. Sports are essential to the high school experience and I recommend everyone to do one, especially new students.