High School Sports In high schools many kids often choose not to participate in extracurricular activities saying that they are useless or that only a certain type of person would do something like play soccer or join the club of chess. While this type of thinking may help some people through school and life, can it really be considered a healthy lifestyle? Today, sports have proven to be a healthy outlet for students when dealing with stress in the classroom, at home and among their peers. We've all heard the "dumb athlete" stereotype used before, and for some of us it's even been called that. . However, recent surveys conducted in the United States have found that student-athletes' grades are generally higher than those of non-athletes, but they are often at the top of their class. An example of this is Laconia High School in Maine, in Laconia, the top scoring students in the class of 2003 both play more than one sport. Aaron Stewart, a three-sport standout, is currently ranked first in the senior class with a 4.43 grade point average. AJ Pattison, an All-State football selection and member of the Sachem baseball team, is right behind Stewart with a 4.38 GPA (http://www.fosters.com/2002/news/dec02/dec22_02/sports/sp1222a .asp) Graduation for athletes is also higher than for non-athletes, with a 99.5% pass rate compared to 94.5% for students regular. Student-athletes off the field have also proven to be great leaders in their communities, often lending a helping hand. in neighborhoods with community service. It also appears that athletes have an easier time raising money because people in communities find it easier to donate money or volunteer for a local high school sports program. I… middle of paper… the most moral part of that highlight film was the song that was playing in the background, Phil Collins In the Air Tonight. Now, this isn't typically the song that moves you every day, but for some reason this song gave me goosebumps every time I listened to it. Even today, every time I listen to this song, those memories come back to me along with goosebumps. Overall, sports will always allow players to experience something that not everyone chooses to experience and that is competition. But above all, sports does several things that not many activities do and that is build self-confidence, create a strong work ethic, teach sportsmanship, help maintain student athletes' grades, and an overall healthy activity. It also does a great job of maintaining success in urban cities that may not have as many options as kids in other areas to stay off the streets and out of trouble..