By Sarah Wetzel

Most everyone can say they know someone who played a sport in high school. Most athletes will say it was the best thing they did in school for different reasons. Sometimes it’s because of the workout they got, and other times, it’s the scholarships they gained from sports. However, people often forget about a major factor of playing sports – injuries. The injuries athletes get can last a lifetime. So that raises the question – are high school sports worth it?

Injuries from athletics range from a jammed finger to a torn ACL. “I broke my finger playing football my freshman year. It hurt, but once it was healed I was back to playing football again,” said Kip Broussard (10). “I still really like sports and I still play football. I wouldn’t let something that simple keep me from playing.”

Sometimes the injuries athletes get are serious enough to cause them to have to quit the sport. Sophomore Matt Baier had to quit football because of the concussions he obtained from it. “I’ve actually had a lot of concussions. I got two of them from football. I got one from tackling someone, but it was mild. I got the other one I got from football camp over the summer. That was the one that caused me to have to quit,” said Baier. “I really like sports, which is why I still wrestle and play baseball.”

Athletics cause a lot of injuries. Even though a lot of athletes love what they do, they sometimes can’t continue because of injuries they’ve sustained. However, many people will still argue sports have benefits that are worth the problems they might face.

“The biggest benefit for me would definitely be the workout I get from it,” said Caleb Calafiore (9). “I just like to stay in shape I guess, which is why I like sports.”

But sometimes if the athlete is good enough, they can actually gain scholarships to college. Many athletes aspire to obtain these scholarships, and Broussard and Baier agree getting one would be amazing, it’s just a little hard to get them. It may look easy, but you have to work really hard to get one.

Corbin Winkler (10) thinks about the benefits a little bit differently. “The benefits for me are being able to be around people that enjoy the same things as I do. I also like the team aspect of it. Being able to play as a team makes the losing part a little bit easier.”

The benefits for playing sports are different for everyone. Some like what they can possibly get from it in the long run and others like what they gain from it in the moment.

In high school there are a lot of different sports to get involved in. But many would argue that high school sports just aren’t worth the risk. Every athlete will say they achieve something from participating in a sport. However, parents and sports fans alike will still end up questioning whether or not the risks of being injured outweigh the benefits.

Overall, everyone will think of this issue a little bit differently, and with extremely different reasoning behind their opinions.