Sports are known to have a major effect on people not only physically, but mentally. For many people, playing a sport is a way to get their mind off of things that could cause them to feel stressed.  For others, they enjoy being active and enjoy the way sports make them feel.

Sports also play an important role in student lives. Some students say that sports motivate them to do better in school so they can further their career. They also get the chance to socialize with their peers and get their mind off of school. 

As someone who is a student and an athlete, I agree that sports are a way to escape stress and boost confidence. 

Many people view sports differently and do not participate in any. There are many possible reasons why they don’t play any sports. They may not be able to, they may not have the time to, or maybe sports are just not for them. This is a good way to observe and see if active or inactive people feel or behave differently from each other. There may not be a difference or an effect from sports. 

To see if there is an effect that sports have on students, I interviewed a few student athletes, non-athletes and teachers to see their point of view.

A large portion of the students interviewed engage in some sort of sport or physical activity. Most of the responses I got throughout the interviews were similar to one another. Students were asked if they played sports and how playing sports made them feel. Some of the sources explained how sports made them feel relaxed and less stressed. 

One benefit of sports for students is keeping them occupied. It gives students a break from devices, problems and anything that causes distress. 

There were some students who gave good reasoning to why sports make them feel this way. Student athlete and 8th grader, Dylan Mastrola, said, “Sports give me something to do and helps me compete since I am competitive.”

Another student, Emily Montesdeoca said, “Being active gives me something to do and something to look forward to during school.” She also said that, “I am motivated to get good grades or else I won’t be able to participate in the activity.” 

When playing sports, you feel different when you lose and when you win. 

8th grader, Joan Camacena said, “When I lose, I feel a little disappointed, but it is not the end of the world. I will just try harder next time.” 

Another 8th grader, Michael Gurovich, said something similar. He said, “When I lose, I will try harder at my next game.”  

It doesn’t feel good to lose, but losing can motivate you to work harder, which is a good skill to have in the future. This is another benefit of sports. It gives you life lessons and skills that can help you get further and become better at what you do. 

Some students interviewed did not participate in any sports. For example, 8th grader, Aaron Crowell, explained how sports made him feel more stressed.  He said, “When I played sports, I felt more anxious.” There could be multiple reasons for the way he felt. Now Aaron has other activities that he does that he actually enjoys like theater.  But even though it is not sports, he is engaged in an activity that he enjoys. 

WMS physical education teacher and parent, Mr. Koby has children who play sports and he said, “Sports get students off their phones and keeps them active.” 

Sports allow students to put down their devices which could eliminate stress caused by social media.   Also, it allows them to interact with people in real life rather than through a screen. 

 Throughout the interviews, I learned about how different people feel about sports. I learned that sports have many good effects, but they are not for everyone. 

If you are someone who plays a sport, or wants to play a sport.  You should know there are many benefits and it could be a way to improve your mental state.  When I participate in sports, I feel proud and it boosts my self-esteem. Whether I win or lose, I still feel like I accomplished something and it motivates me to continue and try harder.