You can not drive through any American town today without seeing some type of youth sporting event going on. It is very easy to get children involved with youth sports in this country when they are young. However, it is hard to keep their interest as they age. By the time most of these kids have reached middle school they will have stopped being involved with athletics. School districts, mostly smaller schools, are struggling to get enough students to fill their teams. That should never happen in a country that loves sports as much as the United States.

There are numerous benefits that are tied to student involvement in athletics. Students who are involved in sports are healthier and have less problems with their weight than students who do not participate. Along with promoting good health, athletics provide students the opportunity to build leadership skills, communication skills and make life long friends. Students who are involved with athletics are usually more outgoing and will spend more of their free time involved with non-athletic group activities.

Students who are involved with athletics also tend to have more self confidence than the students who are not involved. The students who are involved in sports do not have the time to get into trouble after school and tend to make higher grades. The benefits are too important to ignore.