There are many ways sports can have impacts on people’s lives, whether it’s in a positive or negative way. Being a part of a team can help boost your confidence and make you feel like you belong. It also teaches you to stay motivated and push through your toughest, most complicated challenges. At the same time, it could make you feel pressured or add on burdens. It could also cause stress, frustration, anxiety, and even injuries. The experience that people have in sports can influence how they react to certain situations in their lives, shaping their mindset and behavior.
A big thing that comes along with playing sports are injuries. Olivia Veloz, a freshman at Pahrump Valley High School, has been playing sports since “the day I started walking.” Veloz has been injured at least four times since she started taking part in sports. Although sports has injured Veloz many times, it’s a huge part of her life, and she wouldn’t know what to do without them. “If today was my last day ever to play sports, I think I would definitely become a lot lazier and lose personality,” she states. Veloz takes these injuries as a way to learn from her mistakes, helping her gain more belief in herself, and expand her mindset into thinking more positively. It’s teaching her to stay strong and overcome complications that come her own way.
Playing sports can also improve your physical health. It keeps you in shape, strengthens your heart muscles, and builds muscle in other parts of your body. Typically, sports have caused a lot of stress and pressure for most, but it also helps to reduce your stress in ways other activities or jobs can’t. Staying active can release all the tension or adrenaline you may have, which can boost your mood and reduce the stress or anxiety you may or may not have. Veloz states, “You can just go to practice and forget about everything for like two hours.” This is a clear demonstration of how, when she attends practice, she feels less stressed, and a lot of tension leaves her body.
Sports play big roles in many people’s lives, especially for many teens. Sports can affect their health in both positive and negative ways; it could affect the way their future comes, it gives you chances that most jobs or careers don’t allow you to. Sports teach you to become leaders, help grow your personality, and help you become better, Veloz especially. Veloz shared, “Being on a team, there’s usually a spot for everybody, and having your own spot feels like being a part of a family.” This displays how sports positively impact her by making her feel included and like she plays an important role in the team.
Sports have impacts on both your body and your mind, whether it’s positive or negative. Although it can improve your physical health, build confidence, and teach you leadership, it could also lead to pressure, stress, and even injuries. Sports can help you grow into a stronger, better individual, as long as you pay attention and take better care of your health.
