Participating in  sports is a great  way to stay in shape, relieve emotions, and just have fun.  Many students at Jonathan Alder participate in different athletics, but to be a student athlete, some things may change in one’s health or education.  

    To be eligible to play high school sports, students have to maintain good grades.  Senior Madyson Watson states, “I have had to work to keep good grades, so I am able to play the sport that I love.”  Keeping up in school while playing sports can be difficult.  Junior Trey Pugh stated, “Playing sports has forced me to develop good time management, so I can get my assignments done.”

    Participating in athletics also teaches  life skills.  Watson reveals that, “Playing softball has taught me determination, dedication, and leadership skills, all in which will help me later in my life.”  Sadly to say, that’s not the only impact sports have on some students.  Sports tend to be hard on the body.  Pugh, during his sophomore year of football, had a knee injury which kept him from his basketball season.  Pugh states, “My knee is back to normal, but as I get older, I’m eventually going to run into problems with it.”

    Athletics, overall, impact students in positive  ways.  Like all things, sports have their ‘pros and cons’ but are a great way to make memories during high school.