By Katherine Han
Schools that are struggling with funding have been thinking about different ways that they can cut their costs to stay in the budget. Some schools have considered cutting sports and physical activity all together in order to save some costs. However, I think some form of physical activity should still be required in school in order to keep students active and healthy. Obesity is gradually becoming a bigger issue in the U.S. With all the junk food and snacks that surround us, it’s easy to gain a lot of unhealthy weight. A way to prevent obesity is physical activity. An article from Spark, an organization working to support education and physical activity, says “…they [sports] prevent obesity and obesity-related issues….” (“How Physical Activity Affects Academic Performance”). By staying active, students are less likely to want to indulge in excess amounts of junk food.
I used to be very inactive. Eventually, I found myself becoming very lazy and sluggish. I suddenly got more cravings for junk food. Then, I joined my school’s volleyball team. I had volleyball practice every single day. I started to feel more awake every day and started eating more fruits instead of chips. Being active really helped me to become more awake and healthy.
This also benefits students in class. If students are always sluggish and tired in class from lack of exercise, then it makes it harder for them to pay attention during class. Also, many students are very busy outside of school. Most students have more activities outside of school then in school. With everything happening in their lives, it’s very hard to find time outside of school to exercise or play sports. Having sports or some sort of required physical activity in school will allow students to get a fair amount of exercise in.
Additionally, sports can be a lot of fun and this is coming from someone who used to hate sports. But once you participate in a sport, you get to experience being a part of a team, and you are able to improve on your skills. When I got my first kill in volleyball, I was so excited! I went from someone who didn’t know anything about volleyball, to someone who was able to score points for my team. I can’t imagine how devastated I would be if my school decided to cut sports. Sports can be a lot of fun, and they keep students on their feet. Cutting physical activity out completely will prove to be a very detrimental move.
