The Importance of High School Sports in Title 1 Schools – Written by Ella Lesnever

It may seem that having a good sports program at a local high school is no big deal. Not everyone will play on a team, and it just takes more money out of the district to pay coaches, maintain facilities, pay the referees and send students to away games. However, having sports, especially at Title 1 schools can be very important. 

There are numerous benefits to having high school sports at every school, including Title 1 high schools. Some of these include fitness, improved academic performance, leadership skills, teamwork, and better social relationships. 

A Title 1 School is defined as a federal education program that supports low income students throughout the country. The funds provided are distributed to high poverty schools, as determined by the number of students who qualify for free or reduced lunch. However, many Title 1 schools do not get enough funding to provide a good education to the students as well as the much needed sports teams. 

Many of these kids will never get the opportunity to play a sport outside of school. So, providing them with this opportunity can develop new skills that they didn’t know they had. These sports can also increase fitness levels and the amount of time that a student gets to spend outside each day. 

School can also be boring to some kids, and not worth it to others, especially if they have to sit in a classroom all day on subjects that they don’t care about. But, having sports teams allows those students to participate in something that they actually enjoy and excel at. A study conducted by the National Federation of State High School Associations says that high school sports bring about improvements in academic benchmarks. When students have something that they look forward to, they will do better in other subjects as well. The minimum GPA requirement to participate in sports will also make sure that the student-athletes are able to succeed both athletically and academically. 

Sports don’t just improve athletics and academics, but can also improve the social relationships of students. Playing on a sports team teaches teamwork and comradery, as everyone must work together towards a goal greater than themselves to succeed. These teams are like a small family at school, building friendships that will hopefully last a lifetime. 

In short, all schools, especially Title 1 high schools should have sports teams, and all students should be encouraged to participate. There are numerous benefits to participating in a sport including an increase in athletics, academics and social relationships. Many life skills are learned through being on a sports team, and this should not just be limited to the big, fancy schools.