Required PE has advantages, even for student athletes

Even though many students also participate in physically demanding sports, they also have an obligation to participate in physical education classes during the school year, and some see clear advantages for each involvement. 

The NCSA is a recruiting agency that helps high school students find colleges for sports. They also help high school athletes get more recognized. According to their article written in 2019, they found that almost 8 million students are involved in HS sports all across the country. That total has been steadily increasing since 1970, studies have shown. 

NCSA’s research has found these statistics. In boys high school sports, the most popular ones by participation are:

  • Football – 1,037,234
  • Outdoor Track and Field – 605,354
  • Basketball – 540,769
  • Baseball – 482,740
  • Soccer – 459,077

Meanwhile, the most popular girls high school sports by participation are:

  • Outdoor Track and Field – 488,267
  • Volleyball – 452,808
  • Basketball – 399,067
  • Soccer – 394,105
  • Softball – 368,640

This study has shown that there is a great amount of participation in sports, so should these athletes have to do a physical education class in high school?

“I think P.E. classes are helpful to everyone,” PE teacher Ethan Jennings said. “It shows a good demonstration of physical fitness and abilities. It also helps with hand eye coordination. Even if it is just a P.E. class, students learn new sports, and they also attain valuable skills, like teamwork and trying new things. P.E. classes help everyone, and I think it is good for everyone to have.”

P.E. class teaches sports such as football (which works on catching and throwing), pickleball (which works on hand-eye coordination), tennis, volleyball (which works on foot work and being able to jump.) Other activities work on foot skills, along with being able to move.  

“P.E. class has always been fun for me,” freshman Charlie Wiering said. “Even though I do sports, it is nice to have time to be able to talk and play games with my friends. It is also a nice break during the school day, to  be able to get exercise in, and also take a break from school work.”

So while P.E. class can seem boring and dreadful for some, it does have its benefits. Even though athletes are already in sports, participating in physical education classes can help them develop their skills.

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