Many high schools require students to take at least two years of a sport or physical education class, usually to keep students in shape. However, kids can find ways to stay healthy in different ways outside of school. Although many kids enjoy playing sports in high school, there is a good proportion of students who do not have the time to fit a sport into their everyday schedule, or need to take other classes besides physical education to enhance their grade point average and college applications. 

Sports can be a great opportunity for students to utilize their athletic talents to possibly get a scholarship, go to a school that without the scholarship they might not be able to and create a future for themselves. Students who are not athletic can use their academic talents in the same way. Brett Berrera (10) agrees that students should have the ability to choose whether or not they want to take an athletic class because “some students need more time working on sports, but others need more time working on academics.” Requiring students to participate in an athletic activity who are not looking to pursue sports in the future can be a waste of time when instead they can be taking a more challenging class that allows them to reach a further level in specific subjects. This can help make them more impressive to colleges and allows them to have a better chance of getting a scholarship while opening up to opportunities as well. 

Students can also be exposed to different classes that specialize in different subjects to see if it is something they are interested in for the future. High schools offer many extracurriculars that kids never get the chance to take because they do not have enough room in their schedules. For example, if kids are not required to take a sport or P.E, they can take classes like yearbook, newspaper, or different art classes to see if it sparks their interest. Allowing students to have the freedom to take classes that can help them determine their career can be more beneficial than taking an athletic class. It is understandable for high schools to want students to stay healthy throughout high school, but if this were the case, why would they not make kids take a sport or P.E. for all four years instead of only two. Students can stay fit in different ways, and focus strictly on academics while at school. 

When taking a sport, it can cause students to have to give up a lot of their after school time to go to practice multiple times a week. The time being used at the practice can be more beneficial for students to do their homework. Also, students in clubs can have conflicting schedules if there is an afterschool meeting at the same time they have practice. Being just a club member is one example, but if the student is a board member of the club and being at the meeting is essential, their conflicting schedule jeopardizes their future in the club.

Taking a sport can be helpful to a certain group of students, but can cause more issues to others. For kids who want to focus on sports in the future, taking a sport at school is necessary and can be essential for their future. However, for kids who are focusing on academics to get into college, taking sports or P.E. can be a waste of time, and there can be more beneficial classes or ways for these students to make use of their time. Therefore, it makes the most sense for schools to have sports be optional for graduation instead of a requirement.