As many of you know, 5th graders have moved to Welsh Valley. Because of this, the school board split the school into two parts, with 6th grade and 5th grade in the lower school, and 7th grade and 8th grade in the upper school. But there’s a major problem with this- the lower school doesn’t get to play sports. I think it’s unfair, and here are some reasons why. 

First of all, it just doesn’t make sense! I haven’t heard a clear reason why we can’t play sports! Sure, we have cross country, but we deserve to have the other sports just as much! It doesn’t matter how old you are, because sports are fun and I think they should be available to everyone. If that’s not a good reason, I don’t know what is!

Second, it makes you smarter! Studies show that joining team sports results in a higher GPA for all high school athletes. Also, physically active kids are 15% more likely to go to college.¹ Sports can also help with social skills, like cooperation, being less selfish, and listening to other people.² I mean, school is all about learning. Sports are also about learning! If you don’t give the option to kids, they may never want to try it!

Finally, it’s comforting. Moving to different schools can be scary, and a lot of students feel that! It’s disorienting to leave elementary school a year early, and getting shoved into a middle school just adds to it. In English, we read about a person from a refugee camp who used soccer as a way to make friends when they moved to America. Now, I’m not sure about refugees in 5th and 6th grade, but sports can definitely be comforting to anyone and everyone. You can make friends, adjust to the change, and help feel welcome! It’s a great choice either way. 

But none of this matters if you don’t have a solution. You need a good way to make this all fit! So, here are two solutions I think would work. 

First option: make new teams! I don’t think that we would be able to be on a team with 7th and 8th graders, so why not make another? I mean, it would be a worthy commitment. You can use the same coaches and the same equipment, or order them to bring their own. You could even use extra jerseys! It would be a great addition to the Welsh Valley culture. 

Second option, you could just make some clubs! I know that making a whole new team is tough, so why not make a club? You could have a club for baseball, basketball, flag football, soccer, and even tennis! If you really wanted to include everyone, you could make it available for all ages and grades. Even if there are no teams to go against, the clubs could all be about broadening your sports horizons and practicing. It’s cheap but fun. 

So, in conclusion, sports are great. There are many reasons to include everyone, especially the lower school, like fairness, smarts, and comfortingness! Every student should have a chance to be part of this, whether it was through completely new teams or simply clubs. No matter what age, all students deserve a chance to enjoy sports.

Works Cited

1. Benefits of Sports | At Your Own Risk
2. Developing life skills through sports | healthdirect