School is putting a lot of students under pressure, and sports can add to that pressure.

“Will I make the team?” or “How will I find time to practice?” These kinds of questions reveal the worries middle schoolers have, and when you add in homework and grades, it can lead to student panic.

One way to deal with this stress kidshealth.org says is to visualize success. In sports that might mean scoring or making your team happy.
Kids Health also says that having some social time can also help with stress like hanging out with friends or going to the movies with your parents.

Kona Schwartz a sixth-grader from the Purple Pod says “Taking deep breaths slows down your heart rate.” He also says he plays with his friends to get his mind off of the pressure.

Prolonged stress can cause high blood pressure, says the American Psychological Association. Getting outside and doing light exercise can help manage your stress.

Not all stress is a bad thing. Moderate amounts of pressure from a teacher or a coach, for example, can motivate a child to keep his or her grades up in school or to participate more, reports HealthyChidren.org.

According to the “West Orange Times” “Eighty-seven percent of people blame sports schedules for all the stress. More than one-quarter of the moms polled have children in sports five nights a week.”

A big question is, are sports worth the pressure?

Luka Leonidov of the sixth-grade Purple Pod believes so. “When the hard work pays off, you feel great.”

Sports are very popular in Westport: softball, soccer, football, baseball, you name it. All these sports are unique, but one thing that they have in common is that all of these are big stress makers.

According to parents.com, “Intense pressure in youth athletics doesn’t only negatively impact a child’s sports experience—it can also taint other aspects of their life.”

Competing a lot also leads to some stress, says kids health.org. Another big stress maker kids health.org says is coaches and parents wanting you to win all the time.

Some things your parents shouldn’t do is get angry or frustrated with you if you don’t succeed in the sport they want you to play. That will only make your anxiety and stress worse. Your parents don’t want you to stress out more but at the same time they might not realize that the sports they want you to play is stressing you out.