By Leila Hamdi
As someone who was on the school’s swim team for 2 years, I can say sports and physical education, in general, are very important. Going to swim practice was kind of like my getaway; whenever I went, I didn’t think about anything else except swimming. It acted as a distraction and a stress relief mechanism, and I think it was the same for many other students. To add to that, studies show physical health also improves your overall mental health, well-being and social development skills. Consequently, I think a lot of students are suffering without that outlet right now. One could argue that students could just do at-home workouts, but the atmosphere isn’t the same. I think being surrounded by people and having your coach there is more motivating. Though that’s just my opinion. I wanted to ask other students their perspectives of not having any sports this year and what physical health means to them.
“Not having sports this year is really different. I’m so used to waking up at 6 am and going to school early to practice with my teammates. I really miss playing. Physical education is really important for everyone, and I think that we should encourage joining sports teams not only for the sport but also for making friends and having fun!” (Lhamo Norbu, Volleyball Team)
“It’s unfortunate that we don’t have sports this year, but luckily I’ve been able to keep active on my own. I definitely miss being on a team though and being active with others.” (Talia Morais, Track Team)
“Sports are a big part of my life, not just for physical health but for my social life. Not having school sports has been tough, but I’ve been able to go outside when I can and stay healthy. Physical education is important to me because I can apply that knowledge at any age, and it will keep me in good shape.” (Theo Reynolds, Volleyball Team)
“It’s obviously a shame that we don’t have sports, but I guess it makes sense because of COVID-19 restrictions. I would rather not have sports for hopefully just a year, rather than catch COVID-19.” (Matias Alvarez, Swim Team)