Playing a sport can bring people endless joy or make them want to quit something they once loved. Sports can be a good thing, yet they can cause pain and hurt oneself and others.

Sports throughout the world can put people at risk and have them fear something. You can put yourself at risk for a short-term injury or a long-term injury while you play a sport. Injuries can range from a minor sprained ankle, a broken bone, a tear of an ACL, and a brain injury. 

Some sports are more dangerous than others, so different injuries can occur in the type of sport. However, an injury can be harmful and cause much pain or suffering.

Adding on, a sport can be a big time commitment for a person and family. Most families struggle with getting their kids to a practice or game. Having a problem with committing to something when time is cut thin, it is hard to stay focused or improve yourself in the sport. 

As well as time commitment comes the expense of a sport. Sports can cost a lot of money, primarily from the uniforms, shoes/cleats, a ball, and whatever else the sport needs. In addition to buying all the equipment is the cost of playing the sport. Money is a sensitive topic and can be a struggle for single parents, older siblings, parents, grandparents, or guardians. 

One last disadvantage for playing a sport that is heavily talked about now is mental health. Throughout life, people are judged, critiqued, and even criticized. Having a coach who is always yelling can make a player hate their sport and cause players to believe that they are not good enough. While having a great coach could make you love a sport, athletes sometimes fall out of love or are burnt out of a sport they have grown up playing. Players crave athletic validation, and in the end, it can cause harm to mental health and make a player hate a sport they once loved doing.  

On the other hand, there are many good reasons to play a sport.

Everything slips away when doing something you love, and nothing is more important than the sport itself. Sports can give an outlet to humans and let them relieve stress, anger, and all the problems they might have. Logan Vo (10) states, “Volleyball helps me take my mind off school, allowing me to relieve stress.” 

A big pro about playing a sport is the friendships that are made. Having friends is great for mental health and having a passion you can share makes it even better. Coaches are also a huge pro of playing a sport because a coach can make a difference. Coaches can help you improve yourself, give you confidence, and help you realize your true potential. Sports can allow people to meet one another and have social skills, which can be helpful in the future for jobs. 

Staying healthy is so important today, and playing a sport is a so-called “fun way of working out.” Playing a sport can also help people stay fit and exercise. While a sport can help you work out, you also need to eat right, but coaches can help with that. 

Sports are so prevalent in the world, but people can view them as a bad or a good thing. Sports can change a life for the better or worse.