Schools should support interscholastic sports because of the leadership, teamwork, and other social benefits offered that might not be gained in the classroom. It could take time away from schoolwork, but statistics have repeatedly proven that participating in interscholastic sports actually increases grade point averages and can open more doors for the future. Furthermore, it will provide an incentive for staying fit. Others might say that joining these activities will also be increasing chances of getting injuries, but injuries are inevitable and are a part of daily life.
Interscholastic sports give students an opportunity to meet and interact with students from other schools, as well as connect with peers from their own schools. This will expose the students to more diversity and allow them to tolerate it and make new friends from new places. An example of this is through the Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools (IASAS). It consists of six member schools from different Southeast Asian countries with a purpose for students to mix, socialize, and to learn from each other through sports, arts, and debate/forensics. Students will also learn the importance of good sportsmanship and teamwork, as they will have to work with others. These skills are important in many areas in life, they are not necessarily for sports only. It also contributes to school projects, because teamwork teaches that everybody needs to contribute something and put in efforts to get what they want. According to USA Today nearly seven out of ten Americans say high school sports teach students lessons about life they can’t learn in a classroom. Another one of these lessons might include leadership skills. 95% of the Fortune 500 executives participated in high school athletics, according to an issue of the Fortune Magazine. These tell us that sports will also strengthen leadership skills, as students will have to learn how to...