Should MS sports teams have more practice days?

Siva

Academics are a big part of the ISM community. Parents enrolled their kids in this school so they could learn. However, there also needs to be a balance. A balance that not only overly favours what is happening in the classroom. Though academics encourage critical thinking, time management, and work ethic, sports develop other necessary skills as well. This is why I believe two days of practice and little outside communication between teams is not enough. I believe that MS sports teams should have more practice days.

To start off, it helps students relieve stress. Stress that is caused by external sources, like exams, missing assignments, and grades, can be relieved by taking your mind off them through sports. It is recommended by all teachers and the PE department that sports are a healthy way to take your mind off school.  They should not be prioritized over academics, but there should be a healthy balance. 

If you took a peek at the regular season sports teams of MS, for basketball team for example, you would see the MS teams taking a beating from the local schools who train 3-4 times a week compared to our twice-weekly training sessions. To match their skill our students would have to train more frequently and get fit in the process.  While increasing the amount of practice days would help them better represent the school, they would also increase their physical fitness in the process. As they slowly get better at the sport they are training, they will increase in self-confidence as they realize they are better than they were when they faced off against the school who previously proceeded to blow them out.

The more practice days there are, the better the work ethic. When students realize that they aren’t going to naturally get better at their sport if they don’t give their all, their mindsets will change. Though some won’t want to dedicate themselves to the sport they're playing, they will gradually start to adjust to the increase in effort. While they start to work harder to win, they develop discipline, and dedication to their sport. This does not only affect the sports aspect of their life, but it also includes the academic aspect. Their determination is there, developed through sports. More practice days develops the mindset which is required in order to win.

More practice days for MS sports teams are needed. It helps relieve stress caused by external sources, increases their physical fitness and their self-confidence, and develops a mindset and the determination to win. With these reasons, I believe that extra practice days for MS sports teams should be implemented.

Niyanthri

Sports are an integral part of students’ wellbeing and social experience at ISM. Sports breed a competitive environment that brings the community closer together, and the desire to win not only  motivates  the  athletes, but  raises everyone's morale. However, it stands to reason that there  are aspects of school life that should be prioritized over athletics. Because of this, I believe that MS sports teams should not have more practice days. 

To  begin with, sports can lead to many self-esteem and image issues. It is true that competition often breeds quality, but at the same time, it often also breeds animosity between opposing teams or teammates. This can lead to self-esteem issues, especially when a child is pushed to excel and is not able to cope with the pressure or meet the standards set for them. Is mental health and self-esteem worth sacrificing, just to win local competitions?

Secondly, extra practices would be much more time consuming, and students may not be able to do their homework or fit in tutoring sessions. This will have a negative impact on their academics. Personally, I believe that academics should be prioritized over a few extra practice days, as this could have a lasting impact on future academic pursuits, such as their chances of getting into a top college after graduation.

Extra practice days could also have a negative impact on the motivation of the athletes. People who do not wish to pursue the sport on a higher level may decide to quit due to increasing time commitments. This could lead to worse physical health, as little exercise is better than none at all. It could also lead to worse social health, since their teammates may not agree with their decision. On the other side, those who  practice even more run the risk of contracting injuries due to prolonged muscle activity with little time to take breaks.

In conclusion, MS sports teams should not have extra practice days, as they have the potential to harm almost every point of an individual's wellbeing. Those who quit lose a way to exercise; those who don’t risk contracting injuries. Due to the aforementioned reasons, I believe that the  drawbacks of having extra practices for sports teams outweigh the benefits, and therefore believe that extra practice days should not be implemented.