Should schools make it mandatory to be in a sport/programs for two years.

As technology has progressed kids and teens have stopped doing as much sports and extracurricular activities

Would mandating sports/programs for two year decrease the violence, drinking, and smoking of teens.

Describe the main issues you are going to cover.

  • Should we mandate sports/extracurricular activities

  • would mandating activities lead to a decrease in teen violence, drinking, and smoking

  • Would it promote a healthier lifestyle

  • Would it help install key principles into new generations


What were the results of your survey? Describe your findings here.

64% of my peers said yes and 36% said no. The 64% said yes to mandating a sport/ extracurricular activity because of the benefits to your health, socialization, school, work, and productivity. The 36% that said no was because of responsibilities like having to work afterschool, taking care of siblings, social problems, and health issues.

Interview Summary

The purpose of my interview was to see how my interviewee felt about, if schools made it a requirement to be in a sport for at least 2 year. My interviewee is my friend Damian. He is 16, male, Latin American, & low-middle class income family. My interviewee attitude towards the subject was overall positive, he believed that it should be a requirement to be in a sport for at least 2 year because it will give you a lot of benefits and you can split the time between all four years. The questions I believe were the most important towards my research was when you were in a sport how was your social/school life. He said that when he was in baseball freshmen year his confidence went up when it came to interacting with other people and he was doing better in his classes, he was better able to manage his time. Another question I believe was important is did you feel better mentally and physically while being in the sport? He stated that he had lost weight and gained muscle. He was also not as worried about things like school, household problems, or work. He was able to clear his mind and not be depressed or sad. I learned that their are more positives than negatives to school mandating a year of sports, the benefits outweigh the negatives. Some positives are physical/mental health, school productivity, social interaction, college transcript looks better, and experimenting to see what you like. On the other hand, some negatives are it is time consuming, some people might have to work, take care of their siblings, or have other commitments.

Your Personal Opinion

I believe sports/extracurricular activities should be a graduation requirement because it can improve your health. A lot of people aren't as physically active as they should be or are not mental fit especially when it comes to teens that are barley beginning to figure out how the real world works. Another reason is because for many people afterschool activities improves their focus and work productivity in school and the workplace. Especially because you have to have a certain grade in order to participate in the sport or afterschool program and if you are really into it then you will make sure to work hard and get good grades in order to be able to participate. It also improves your communication skills greatly, I don't like talking to people I don't know, but when I was in sports after a while I felt comfortable talking to people that were different than me. When you apply to a job they usually ask if you are in a sport or after schools program because they want to see the kind of person you are and if you participate in something and have been in it and done good in it then they see that you are committed and reliable so they are more likely to hire you

Write your paper here.


Have you ever wanted to live an active and healthy life? I believe youth sports should be a graduation requirement because it can help improve your health, performance, and aid in scholarships and career paths. When conducting my survey, 2/3 students agreed that sports should be part of the high school curriculum. Although sports provide many benefits, there are some students that would be negatively affected by making this a graduation requirement because we are in a minority based school where students have unusual responsibilities like taking care of their own children or siblings and working. Nevertheless, the benefits of including a two year sports graduation requirement would outweigh the drawbacks because it would create a healthier generation of high school students.

One of the main reasons why sports should be a requirement is because it positively affects all aspects of health. Our ancestors were hunters and gatherers which meant that they spent most of their time being active and that has dramatically changed over the years and this has led to obesity and a technology driven generation. The article in “Exerciseright” states “80% percent of teens are not meeting the physical activities recommended. US is ranked 140 out of 146 for teens exercise level. 85% percent of girls are physically inactive and 75% of boys as well. And 29.8% of teens are classified as overweight”(Emery). This emphasizes the need to include sports in the daily life of students, which would be achieved by making sports a graduation requirement. Not only are sports good for our physical health, but they also help improve our mental health. The article in “adolescentwellnessacademy” expresses the following “Recent studies indicate that approximately one in five teens between ages twelve and eighteen suffer from at least one diagnosable mental health disorder.” This suggest the desperate need for sports as part of the high school curriculum. This is because physical activity helps release serotonin and dopamine(also known as the feel good neurohormones)(Daive).

Sports help improve our performance in school and our social life by helping us create good habits. The “Publicschoolreview” talks about the social benefits of being actively involved in physical activity through sports. They mention that sports help develop social skills as well as communication skills. This is because being in a sport requires you to effectively communicate with your teammates in order to meet your goals, as wells as learning how to engage with others. In addition the publicschoolreview mentions the following “The University of Kansas looked at the performance of students compared to their participation in athletics – the results of the study showed that student-athletes had higher GPAs and a 10% higher rate for graduating high school.” (Barrington) The increased performance is driven by the focus, determination, and confidence that sports teaches you.

Lastly, participating in sport has a long term positive effect on post secondary education and your career. Most students in CPS require the need of financial aid to go to college which can be obtained through sports scholarships. Collegevine states “Sometimes, standout athletes can even be given preferential treatment in the college application process. They may be recruited, given athletic scholarships, or even admitted in large part due to their athletic accomplishments.”(Sundquist) These scholarships can be life changing for many students as they can potentially lead them to playing professional sports or even obtaining the career of their dreams. The skills learned in sports affect your career to a great extent. The article in theladders explains “ A survey of individuals at the level of executive Vice President of 75 Fortune 500 companies showed that 95% of them played sports in high school.”(How playing sports can help you get ahead in your career) This shows the degree in which sports can help you thrive in your career. Not only will it help you achieve success in your youth years but it will also carry forward to your adulthood.

In conclusion, the benefits of being in a sport ultimately outweighs the drawbacks some students might face when it interferes with their responsibilities outside of school. As you continue to practice physical activity you improve your mental and physical health which increases your performance in school and your social life and that allows you to gain scholarships and obtain the career you wish for. The U.S. can mandate that students must attend 2 years of sports in order to graduate, as well as, divert some of its other spendings to fund sports nationwide.





Write your bibliography here. MLA style

https://www.publicschoolreview.com/blog/the-pros-and-cons-of-sports-for-middle-school-students

https://campteam.com/year-round-sports-for-students/

https://campteam.com/year-round-sports-for-students/

https://adolescentwellnessacademy.com/teen-mental-health-facts-statistics/


https://exerciseright.com.au/why-teenagers-are-dropping-the-ball-when-it-comes-to-exercise/


https://www.i9sports.com/blog/how-sports-help-kids-with-their-academics

https://blog.collegevine.com/can-playing-sports-get-me-into-college/#:~:text=Sports%20can%20be%20a%20valuable,important%20role%20on%20your%20team

https://www.theladders.com/career-advice/how-playing-sports-can-help-you-get-ahead-in-your-career#:~:text=If%20your%20interviewer%20asks%20you,more%20and%20be%20more%20successful