Exempt Student Athletes from Physical Education Essay Sample

Imagine you are a student in high school, it’s a game day and you didn’t get much sleep because you were up till midnight finishing your homework. The first thing on your mind is not being late to school, because if you are late you can’t play. On top of being tired and worried you also need to remember your uniform, PE clothes, finished homework, lunch, and to eat something before you leave. For most student-athletes this is a typical morning, time management becomes their best friend along with being stressed. The problem is not having enough time in the day, it's how much are student-athletes able to handle until they break down. For five days of the week they are on a constant cycle of being stressed from their eight classes, tired from two hour practices, and overwhelmed with the homework they still need to do. Being a student-athlete in high school can get very mentally and physically draining. 

Student-athletes should not be required to take physical education classes in high school. Giving student-athletes the opportunity to not take P.E in high school will help benefit their stress, pressure, and performance in all aspects. Not requiring physical education will give student-athletes more time to study and get their homework done during the day. Rather than losing sleep due to staying up finishing an assignment that’s due the next day. The chances of getting injured will decrease as they are able to focus primarily more on their sports season and not have any inferences. Lastly, not requiring this extra class will overall relieve added pressure on student-athletes who are pushed to excel both in athletes and academics. 

Being in high school is already hard enough with or without sports, teens deal with things like body images, identity, sexuality, family problems, and the pressure of getting good grades. On top of everything student-athletes are required to make more sacrifices and changes to their schedules due to also playing a sport. Not requiring physical education will give student-athletes more time to study and get their homework done during the day. In the article “Student athletes should not be required to take gym class” written by a senior at Poolesville High School she states, “…it would be more beneficial to athletes to have a study hall period rather than a gym class period during the school day. Regardless of how many sports a student participates in, both out of school, a study hall class would prove more beneficial than not.” This statement proves and showcases the viewpoint of a student-athlete that too believes having a gym class can hold them back when trying to get assignments done. On average students have eight classes in their schedules meaning that is eight different homework assignments and subjects to learn and study for. The first two years of high school are the most intense as the majority of classes are required, meaning students have a full schedule of classes. Student-athletes spend most of their time at school rather than being home, they go from seven hour school days to their 1-2 hour practices then go home to finish homework which can take  another hour of their time. After they squeeze in a meal and shower, hoping to have some social time with their family and friends. Not requiring this extra class will give student-athletes more time to get their homework done throughout the day resulting in more time for themselves and their families at home.

Giving student-athletes the chance of not taking P.E will decrease the chances of getting injured. The games played in P.E can be very silly and easily cause a collision resulting in an injury. The U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission conducted a survey of emergency reports of P.E related injuries in children and found that in 2007 there were roughly 60,000 reports. Although the survey was collected years ago it still is relevant today, as it shows not only athletes can get injured from P.E but also anyone. Below is a graph showing the amount of injuries from P.E in both girls and boys. As you see over the years the numbers have increased almost doubling.

My best friend was personally impacted by one of these silly games played in P.E, while running she tore her ACL. My friend is also a two sport athlete and unfortunately she had to undergo surgery and miss her seasons. Not requiring student-athletes to participate in P.E can decrease the chances of getting injured and having to miss their season.

Not requiring this extra class will relieve added stress and pressure on student-athletes. The pressure of being the perfect straight A student in high school is something that is brought onto everyone right when you enter freshman year. Getting good grades to get into a good college is the motto of four years of school. Student-athletes feel stress as more pressure is being put onto them to also have those good grades while also performing good. The mental health of high schoolers is one thing that has been overlooked in the past, about twenty percent of all teens experience depression before they reach adulthood. Only about 30 percent of teens are being treated for their depression, this shows how overwhelming and mentally exhausting life can get on teens before they are even able to experience college and their adulthood. It is very easy to get both physically and mentally exhausted during the week as there is simply not enough time in the day to rest, stay leveled, and truly focus on our well being. I have personal experience that this problem, I changed my clothes at least four times a day due to the classes and practices I had and I often didn’t have time to eat lunch throughout the day due to having a filled schedule. Not requiring this extra class will give student-athletes the opportunity to relax and recharge throughout their busy schedules.

Having physical education in school is to primarily encourage students to create healthy habits in their lives. Requiring this class will improve the rates of obesity, movement throughout the day, and increase the health of the students. Not only will P.E help create healthy habits, it can also improve student’s teamwork skills and ability to learn and play a physical activity. Giving students the opportunity to move their bodies during hours of sitting at a desk and doing work is also giving them a brain break. The games played in P.E can also give students the interest in what sports they should join. For example, playing the game badminton in P.E can give interest to someone into playing tennis for their school or for a club. 

Although physical education can impact students positively throughout their time at school it can actually negatively affect them as well. For example, physically active games include running, ability to throw and catch a ball, and knowing how to competitively score. Of the things not everyone knows how to do at first experience, not being able to do these things in P.E can cause other students to be made fun of or feel insecure. I read in one of my sources that students are starting to purposely miss school in order to miss P.E class due to bullying. The class itself can come off imitating as you have to athletically perform in front of your peers and correctly understand the rules of the games. As much as physical activities can build one's confidence and self image can also tear it down for another person who doesn’t feel they are doing good. 

The whole purpose of taking Physical Education is to improve students' activity, create healthy habits, learn leadership, and teamwork. Which is all things student-athletes already learn in their own sport seasons. Not requiring physical education will give student-athletes more time to study and get their homework which also relieves stress and pressure put onto them. Most of all student-athletes' chances of getting injured will decrease while improving their performance in their sport. Student-athletes should not be required to take physical education classes in high school. Personally I have been a student-athlete since 7th grade, but then it was much easier to do than it is in high school. In high school we have way more responsibility, one being getting ready for college which can mean taking college dual credit classes and working in order to save money to go to college. Not requiring this class will open more opportunities for student athletes as they are given more time to focus on their studies. Another thing that will positively affect not requiring this class, is it can also build students confidence when playing games in P.E. Not feeling the pressure by other students that are more advanced in those areas can give others more time and patience to really understand the concept of some physical activities and build their self esteem.