Get Your Head In The Game Essay

When in high school, one of the most memorable things to do is go to the games, attend homecoming, or the pep rallies every semester. One thing they all have in common is that they are tied to sports. High school sports are an important part of children’s lives whether they are the ones attending the game or the one playing in it. A few years ago, Solano County tried to cut sports programs because there was no room in the budget for it. The community reacted by spending their whole summer raising money in any way they could by selling things to standing outside of the mall collecting donations with the fire department. High school sports programs are important and should not be on the list of school cuts. One of the first reasons high school sports programs should not be cut is that it keeps kids active and in a safe environment during non-school hours. According to the American Diabetes Association, the national website and organization for diabetes information, one in every four hundred kids under the age of twenty are diagnosed with diabetes (Diabetes Statistics). Type I diabetes is unpreventable but type II diabetes can be prevented with a healthy diet and plenty of exercise, which after school sports programs help with to eliminate. If high school sports were to be cut, more and more children would be home sitting around watching television or eating unhealthy. School sports also ensure that children will eat healthier. When trying to get fit for their sport season, kids will eat better to keep up with everyone else and stay in shape. Being a part of a sports program also keeps kids out of trouble because it gives them a place to go and something to do during non-school hours. Angela Shackleford, a high school booster parent, said that cutting sports would â€Å"eliminate clean criminal records, mentors, and livelihoods†. Without a place to go after school, kids may do other things to entertain themselves, including things that may get them in trouble. Another reason is that school sports can also be a stepping stone for many kids to go to college. As tuition rises over time, the ability to pay for college decreases. Many high school athletes use this as a stepping stone in becoming a college athlete. It may be the only means for some kids to pay for college, and to cut high school sports is like cutting a child’s path to college. Shackleford also mentioned that â€Å"some of these kids won’t be able to go to college if they don’t have these scholarships† (Debolt). Being on a team also gives children a sense of unity. They learn how to be a part of a team and work with and get along with people they may or may not like which is a skill they will carry throughout their life. That is another important skill they will take with them when they do go onto college or their future careers. There are more positive reasons than negative reasons to keeping high school sports programs. Although it does cause injury sometimes, children can get hurt anywhere doing anything. It teaches children how to work as a group and rely on one another, it gives them a place to go after school hours and keeps them in shape, and especially can help them get into a college. The reason why so many people in the community, from the fire department to parents, helped raise money to keep these programs available is because they realize how important it is to keep these programs running for the kids.