This is probably one of the most difficult years for students because of the pandemic and students not being able to be in person for school. Luckily, most sports were able to continue on throughout the pandemic starting with fall sports. Sports continuing is good for students in so many ways such as their ability to socialize, their mental health, and their grades.

A student from Lafayette High School named Destiny Davidson agrees with these points and says that being a part of the Lafayette cheer team has helped her throughout these hard times this year. One of the main points she emphasized is that students need to be able to socialize with other people because when they are online for school they don’t get to see one another.

Destiny goes on to say, “I’ve been cheering for Lafayette’s team since last year and I can say that being on the team has really helped me more this year because when I’m doing online school, I can only see my family throughout the day, but in person I got to see my friends everyday. But being on the team has let me see my friends a few days a week because of practices.”

This confirms that students really like to see each other and this year is definitely not like the past. Another reason sports are good for students is that it can help with their mental health.

Being a part of a sports team during online learning can help with students’ mental health because when they are at practice or at a game it gives them time to not stress about school or if something is going on at home. Destiny states,”This has been a pretty rough year with school because there are a lot more obstacles because I can’t see my teachers [in person] and it’s easier to [ignore] the work I’m supposed to do, but when I’m at cheer I kinda just forget about the work and I can just have fun.”

When students are doing something they enjoy and are surrounded by a fun environment, it helps them feel at ease and they can just relax, not worrying about upcoming tests or late homework. When students are in better moods they are more likely to do what they are supposed to do and they will be more motivated to do their work. The final reason sports are good for students is that being on a team will force students to keep their grades up and do better in school.

Students will do better with school when they are on a sports team because the team will suspend you from practicing if your grades aren’t good. This means students will continue to work hard despite the difficulties of online learning.. Destiny says, “I’m not going to lie, this year I haven’t had the good grades that I usually do, but our coaches keep reminding us that if we want to stay on the team then we need to keep our grades up because school comes before anything else.”

Students are more willing to do school work even when they don’t want to because they know it is the only way to stay on the team that they worked so hard to be a part of. When it comes to grades, mostly everyone that is on the team will be passing their classes because they know that they have to.

Being a part of a team can benefit students in many ways, such as keeping good grades, maintaining a social life, and having better overall mental health. Kids really need to be able to have these three things in check all the time, especially during online learning times. The pandemic has knocked every one out of place, but sports are a good way to keep them in a good place.