As we all know, 5th grade has moved to middle school. But lots of 5th graders have protested that we should include sports for 5th graders. Many people, like me, who are in 5th grade think this is unfair. Which is why in this article we will explain some reasons why.
So to start it off, why do we get to play only one sport in the middle schools? It’s like saying that we’re restricted from doing something everyone loves! We deserve to play so much more sports rather than just participate in cross country! No matter what age we are, we can have fun and have some fresh air through sports. We should at least play 8 sports! If that wasn’t a clear enough reason why, I don’t know what is!
Second of all, we can get more exercise! Studies have shown that childhood obesity has skyrocketed by twice as much, so it’s not shocking that the United States has a 19.7% of childhood obesity. Involving younger grades in school sports could encourage kids to play more and help them with their own health! Also, this may prevent many future illnesses, hand-eye coordination, movement skills, endurance, strength, better development of bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons, improved sleep, and greater ability to relax. Therefore, avoid the complications of chronic muscle pain.
The third reason, this could improve mental health by a lot! Sports reduce levels of cortisol which is a hormone associated with stress. It also releases endorphins, which is the confidence hormone produced by the body and increases serotonin which is an important chemical that plays a role in our mood.
The fourth reason, this could help with academic skills! Even though it does improve academic performance, it’s not that obvious most of the time. Parents view sports as a waste of time with their children’s already packed schedule, but however, the opposite is actually true. That participation in athletics can lead up to greater success in academics and beyond. This could manifest in the following ways: lower school dropout rates, better grades, up to 40% higher test scores than their counterparts and a better likelihood of attending college.
Lastly, this grows and builds bonds through sports! Team sports can work to bring kids together which could help so many kids who are antisocial and introverted!
Some ideas we have are:
Start a new club (like the new badminton club and lacrosse club)
Establish teams just for 5th and 6th graders
During the spirit day games, they should group 5th graders and 6th graders together