High School Athletics

Sports help youth stay fit, have fun and learn social skills. The value of a school experience is more than marks; it is the range of activities available. As students become active, academic performance goes up and mental stress decreases.

Physical fitness among youth in Canada has been declining in Canada for thirty years. Habits formed at a young age remain with a person throughout their lives so an adolescent who does not exercise much is at risk of poor health later in life. On average, young people spend about six or seven hours in front of a screen (television, computers, SmartPhones) and are only active for barely a half-hour. One of the greatest obstacles to getting active is finding the time; before and after school students have plenty of time.

Kids primarily play sports for fun. If the sport is not fun, youth will quit and lose the benefits of athletic participation. Extra-curricular sport can be a tool for student engagement: encouraging student-athletes to come to school and challenge themselves. Extra-curricular sport integrates movement, fun and enthusiasm into learning.

Not all learning is completed in the classroom and some learning skills – such as critical thinking, collaboration, overcoming adversity and personal management – can be developed most enthusiastically while pursuing a sport or participating in unstructured play. Playing on a team and pursuing mastery-oriented goals provide youth with tools that help them succeed.