There are many clubs and activities in which students choose to participate through their high school careers.

According to NFHS (National Federation of State High School Associations), a majority of high school students’ end up choosing athletics, but with sports there are pros and cons.

Sometimes it can be hard to determine which one outweighs the other. The New York Times reports that students who participate in high school sports are known to be more successful in life.

“Sports exercise affects you not just physically, but mentally, emotionally, and some people even say spiritually,” said Milford’s Athletic Director Chris Ceresa.

Being a well-rounded student can be a huge benefit for being admitted into college and getting a great career.

Some other advantages are higher grade-point averages and attendance, lower dropout rates, and fewer discipline issues.

By participating in sports, students gain personal, physical, and social qualities, along with self-esteem needed to succeed.

According to research from Child Trends Data Bank, 58 percent of seniors who planned on attending college participated in athletics, compared with 43 percent who did not have such plans.

“The sport you select is your vehicle in athletics,” Ceresa said, “It doesn’t matter which vehicle you choose, but the things you learn from it are the same from sport to sport.”

Milford’s new athletic trainer, Heather Lloyd, has a different perspective, as a former athlete involved in cheerleading for 13 years.

“There’s a whole student network when you play sports!” said Lloyd regarding friendships.

The people you spend countless hours with sweating, complaining, and then celebrating with can become lifetime friends. There are plenty of students to meet and grow close to when joining a sport.

Bonds are often made that stay with people for a long time, even after the season’s end.

Many times people involved in sports are more connected to other activities at school as well. School spirit is important to these student athletes.

“I learned to take advice from seniors because as freshmen you think you know everything there is to know, but you really don’t,” said Senior Alana Noone.

Freshmen and sophomores are able to strengthen bonds with upperclassmen, which increases their social mobility.

Healthy habits also carry on into life. Constant exercise helps teens to understand the value of good health. By taking an athletic skill and using it later on to promote fitness, people add quality and length to their lives.

“Physical activity helps control and prevents a range of health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, and stroke,” reported Team-Up for Youth.

After a few years of sports athletes learn to understand their bodies, especially when feeling pain.

It’s a lot easier to take care of your body after learning how it works.

However, high school sports are notorious for injuries. “Risk of injury parallels with sports,” said cross country and track coach Brian Salyers.

The level of risk varies from high contact sports like football, soccer, and hockey, to the noncontact sports.

“Opportunity cost applies to every aspect in life,” explains Ceresa, “There are risks in everything we do!”

Sports can cause a variety of major injuries, an example being stress fractures in runners. Constant repetitions wear out young bodies.

“I think that nowadays kids start at a younger age to specialize in sports, so when they’re in college they are already burned out,” said Lloyd.

Weekly games, races, and competitions can really stress a student-athlete out. “It’s preparing you for life; no part of life is stress free. It’s all just part of being a teenager,” Salyers explained.

It can be a lot to take on, but everyone gets through it. After all, there are plenty of reasons to why students choose to participate in athletics.

“Sometimes it just takes stepping aside to relax,” Said Lloyd, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!”

It’s important to know that high school students everywhere are feeling the same pressure and frustration to be good.

Above all, high school athletics includes some sacrifice, and a lot of benefits in the present, and future.

The Girls Cross Country Team poses after the Linden Invite. These runners have gained great life habits through their years of running.