High school was full of a lot of ups and downs and crazy times. But the one thing that helped me stay grounded during high school was playing sports. They may be time consuming and take a lot of my energy but it made the high school experience so much better. If you are thinking of trying out for a sports team while in high school, I say go for it. The friendships you get are unmatched, your teammates turn into family.

In high school, I played volleyball and basketball. Playing these 2 sports keep me busy and active for almost the entire year. While not only helping me maintain physical health it also helped me keep my mental health from declining after all of the school work that kept piling on. Going to games and practices gave me an escape to do something else. Instead of going straight home from school to do my homework, I went to practice or a game and then was ready to do my homework once I returned home. Playing sports surprisingly kept my grades from slipping. I was forced to use my free time wisely and get all of my homework and studying done in a timely manner.

The friendships that I made while playing sports in high school are unmatched. You are spending so much time with the same people you are bound to become best friends with some of them. The friends that I made playing basketball and volleyball have basically  become part of my family and I wouldn’t change choosing to spend my time playing sports for anything. While it may feel like you are missing out on the normal high school experience, like partying and staying out all night, it is all worth the amazing memories you make with your teammates that you will never forget. A lot of people get lost in the competitive nature of high school athletics  however it is one of the most enjoyable things you will experience in high school. Close games with big noisy crowds and winning important games will make up for all of the things you feel that you have missed out on.

Making high school count is important because you can only do it once. You only get 4 years to make all the memories and have all the fun you can. And even though sports might seem like a waste of these 4 years they are what made these past 4 years so memorable for me. I would not change winning games by buzzer beater shots and cheering for my tea during close playoff games. These are all the things that I will remember about my high school experience long after high school is over.