With my mood down, I was feeling stuck with whatever drama I was caught up in at the time. Instead of dropping my head down, I decided to change things up; I grabbed the beat up basketball in my garage and left the house to shoot. This day in seventh grade changed the way I saw the use of a basketball.
For teens many factors such as social media, school work and social settings cause issues with anxiety and mental health decline. According to the Office of Population Affairs, 49.5% of adolescents have experienced some sort of mental health issue. Additionally, 70% of teens believe that anxiety and depression is a major issue among adolescents according to a study conducted by Pew Research Center.
With many teens having trouble with mental health issues, people can feel as if they are stuck and need an escape. Oftentimes, teens turn to social media in order to alleviate these feelings. At times this could be helpful, but more often than not it can worsen these issues. My solution is sports, because physical activity offers a break from the stress of life.
According to a study done by International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, of the athletes that participated, 11% reported struggles with mental health. While the normal percentage of mental health was 51%. The difference in these statistics shows that athletes experienced less mental health issues compared to someone that doesn’t participate in sports. Showing playing sports could take you out of that 51% and mental health might not be a pressing issue for athletes.
For me sports has been a big part of my life even since I was little. From watching the Philadelphia Eagles with my dad to swinging the wiffle ball bat at soft pitches when I was three, it has always been with me. However, my value of sports changed in sixth grade. With middle school angst running through my body, I often felt stressed and overwhelmed. When I decided to pick up a basketball on that day in seventh grade, I realized that basketball can be used as a resource for mental health struggles.
Since this discovery throughout middle school and the beginning of high school, basketball has been my biggest support. I feel that every time I dribble a ball my feelings of anxiety and stress slowly creep away. Going outside for even just 10 minutes to play basketball gives me a feeling of calmness.
Basketball is therapeutic for me, although it’s not for everyone. But that is the beauty of sports: there is not one sport, or one way to play it. There are so many different sports and styles to play and that therapeutic feeling can be reached from any type of sport at any skill level.
I suggest that in moments of stress while in high school, college and adulthood, take time to play sports. Whether that is to go out and play basketball everyday for three hours or to just simply take a walk down the street for 10 minutes, physical activity can give you a break. It is a time to think and relax, as there is nothing there but you and sports.
