Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Danny Jang
English 2016-17
Mrs.Elshoff
One of the greatest basketball players in the NBA, Kobe Bryant, once said Sports are
such a great teacher. I think of everything they've taught me: camaraderie, humility, how to
resolve differences. With this in mind, sports are also a great teacher in academics. There are
some parents who stop their children from engaging in the sports due to the assumption that
academic achievement and grades are negatively affected by sports. I joined my school
basketball team in the year of 2014, 2016, and 2017 and my father assumed the same; my grades
worse grades and participating in sports, so I strongly believe that parents should let their
children engage in sports. In fact, sports can increase the time of focus in daily life, improve
There are some specific sports that can increase the time of focus. For example,
badminton, tennis, and basketball; sports that have fast-paced and short downtime have proven to
increase the participants focus. According to Centre for Economic Policy Research, as reported
in the Wall Street Journal, people who participated in sports earned higher pay. Students who
participate in sports also tend to have higher grade point averages, better attendance and a higher
mental game which requires focus and concentration due to its fast pace and quick change
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between offense and defense. Since basketball is a sensuous sports, the players have to react
quickly and be decisive, which means players have to stay focused to make the proper play.
Obviously, focus is a necessary factor in every sport which can carry over to how you stay
Since sports increase focus, it can consequently help the student behave better in the
class. According to Lucy Rector Filppu, from education.com, she mentioned the three Ps:
persistence, patience, and practice. According to Sarah Griffith, from believeperform.com, based
on Hazelwood and Burke research (2011), Athletes with a higher self-efficacy performed better
than those with lower self-efficacy. This portrays how self-efficacy determines effort,
persistence, and performance in sports. Persistence is a key point to overcome failure and keep
students striving towards their goal. Patience can be proven by scoring in sports; the player has
to be patient and calm to make the smart decision to score. By constantly playing sport, the
students will learn how to be patient in an urgent situation which can be used in your academic
life during testing. Lastly, there is practice. Everything needs practice in order to improve. Since
the only way to improve your skills in sports is practice, and this equates to how students study
for exams so they can improve their knowledge in given subjects. In addition to academic
performance, student behavior can be positively impacted. Many schools like Korea
International School have DRAGON, which is 10% of a students grade and is based on their
behavior in school. All in all, sports will increase students academic performance in many
different aspects.
In fact, sports can reduce stress. Everybody knows sports reduce stress and it has been
scientifically proven, however, most of people do not know how and why sports. The key factor
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that helps reduce stress is endorphins. According to US National Library of Medicine National
Institutes of Health, endorphin is a chemical that reduces the perception of pain and making
positive mood to the person. Endorphin often releases from our body through exercising. Sports,
such as basketball, is not an exception. Personally, endorphin reduces my stress when playing
basketball. According to stress.org, stress can cause: frequent headache, difficulty to concentrate,
trouble learning new information, forgetfulness, disorganization, confusion, and more. Not only
is reducing stress important for your overall health, but these are the factors that can negatively
Despite the many benefits of exercise and sports, some are concerned about how sports
make our body tired. Instead of giving up sports all together, taking a 30 to 45 minute nap will
help the body recover and boost our memory. According to Scientists at the Saarland University
in Germanys experiment, they have found that taking 40 to 60 minutes of nap can boost our
memory. They divided the participants into two groups: one who took a nap and one who did
not. The scientists let both group to memorize words and the group who took a nap performed
better results, proving that short naps can improve cognitive function. Another alternative can be
studying first, resting, then participating in sports. According to researchers at the Donders
Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior at Radboud University in the Netherlands and the
University of Edinburgh, exercising after study can boost your memory. They made 72 healthy
adults have 40 minutes of standard testing of visual and spatial learning. After 40 minutes, they
let the same participants have 35 minutes of exercise. After two days, they took M.R.I and the
result showed that they memorized the pictures and locations accurately. When used correctly,
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sports and exercise can improve cognitive function, thus improving students academic
The key is balance. Keep in mind: do not think of sports as work, do not over do whether
to exercise or study, manage your time, and lastly, stay motivated. The right amount of
participating in sports can benefit people in several different ways: academically, physically,
emotionally, and socially. I am writing this editorial for everybody who cannot engage and play
the sports because of the misconception that comes with sports and academics. Once again, one
of the greatest NBA player, Kobe Bryant, said, Life is too short to sit around and hold grudges;
it doesn't make any sense to do it. with the quote in mind, life is also too short to sit behind a
desk and study all the time. Get yourself to become active and reap the benefits of participating
in sports.
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Work Cited
Hernandez, Caridad M. "The Link Between Sports and Academic Performance." Florida
Members of AIS. "Stress Effects." The American Institute of Stress. Dr. Paul J. Rosch, 04
Watson, Kathryn. "The Top 7 Mental Benefits of Sports." Healthline. Healthline Media,