The Real Cost of Stuyvesant Sports

The PSAL winter season is officially underway for 11 Stuyvesant teams, with 16 more to follow in the spring season. Yet in a school where 22 sports are offered in the form of 42 teams, some talented student-athletes are easily driven away from partaking in them. The idea of balancing homework and school, as well as dealing with the mental health implications that come with playing sports, is seen as a prominent reason why so many avoid joining. The question at hand for prospective athletes asks if it is really worth it to compete for a Stuyvesant sports team. While sports can add some pressure and stress, these ultimately do not outweigh all the upsides to competing on a team.

Balancing schoolwork and sports can be a tough task. During their seasons, almost all teams practice or have games right after school everyday. After a lengthy couple of hours at practice, athletes then commute home, and some of these travels may take longer than an hour. As if those haven’t been tiring enough, they realize that they still have hours of homework and studying waiting for them. For many, this schedule leads to a tiresome cycle of minimal sleep and burnout, leaving an athlete’s mental health state vulnerable.

However, with a strong work ethic, along with minimal procrastination, managing schoolwork and a sport is possible. Some Stuyvesant athletes even claim that playing sports ultimately ends up helping them with their work. Sophomore Rebecca Pereira, who plays for the girls’ varsity soccer team, explained how the sport has helped keep her on track. “Ninety-nine percent of the time, games and practices really improved my mood,” Pereira said. “It seems counterintuitive, but playing a sport improved my homework and schoolwork in general. I went home already feeling productive, feeling physically well and healthy, and that also reflected onto my mental health.”

However, these mental health effects are not entirely beneficial. The mental health concerns, a consequence that many are not aware of in sports, raise a valid point for Stuyvesant students not to join teams. A study done by Rich Neil, a graduate of the Cardiff School of Sport, and others determined that making mistakes and the fear of losing are major contributors to lingering mental battles for athletes before, during, and even after matches.

The impact of sports on mental health is especially visible in individual sports. In sports like tennis, badminton, swimming, and track and field, there is more pressure on solo athletes to perform at a high level, as their struggles cannot be made up for by their teammates. A study conducted by Matt Hoffman, who works in the Department of Kinesiology at California State University, reflects slightly higher anxious, withdrawn, and depressed scores in individual-sport athletes. Sophomore James Xu, who plays individual tennis, noted some of the disadvantages to competing in an individual setting. “Even if you have a team supporting you and cheering you on, the pressure of being the difference between losing or winning a playoff match is hard to bear, especially since only you can affect the outcome of your game,” Xu said. “And worst of all, if you lose, you can’t blame your teammate.”

Yet when asked about his preference, Xu noted some of the reasons he enjoys competing individually. “For me, I really wouldn’t have it any other way. I think solo sports are much more rewarding, and you can make a big impact on your team in solo sports. Plus, solo sports allow you to bully your opponent more,” Xu said. Eventually, individual sports feel similar to team sports as you start to build lasting relationships with your teammates.

A team setting only further alleviates the mental health implications, prompting many to join team sports. The environment created allows athletes to discuss the sport with each other, and in addition, it creates reassurance for the player that there are others competing alongside them. Through team bonding, close relationships are built, giving athletes a sense of comfort and familiarity during games and practices. Unsurprisingly, team sports boost mental health, as a similar study conducted by Hoffman showed that organized team sports correlated with slightly lower anxious, withdrawn, and depressed scores.

Pereira, who plays soccer, a team sport, described the mental benefits of a team setting. “One of my favorite parts of playing on a team [is] the connections and friendships you make. Not only do these friendships flourish off the field, but on the field as well, since relationships play into the team’s chemistry. These teammates motivate you and encourage you on and off of the field. It’s great when you can count on your teammates to boost your morale in general every day,” she said.

Sophomore and JV football captain Braminder Kumar also raised similar points in building relationships with others. Joining the team with no prior experience, he developed through the coaches and upperclassmen, and created lasting relationships thanks to the sport. “[Coaches] would always say, ‘You are just as strong as the weakest link on your team,’ and those words struck me the most, as football [is] a team sport and emphasizes the importance of not having an ‘all-star’ player in our team rather than an ‘all-star’ team,” Kumar said. “In the end, this wasn’t just a team. It’s a family that sticks up for each other on and off the field.”

So, what’s the final verdict on playing sports at Stuyvesant? “Hard, but worth it,” Kumar said. Though sports take time and commitment, there are countless upsides. Sports can get students through school and give them something to look forward to, and they’re also key in building physical strength. “Physically, tennis is pretty much the only exercise I do, and it keeps me in shape. Stuyvesant can feel monotonous and boring, and sports really spice up school life and allow me to get through 10 classes a day,” Xu said.

With the spring season coming up in a couple of months, consider joining a PSAL team. We, as students of Stuyvesant, are lucky enough to have the opportunity to choose and compete in almost any sport. Through the experiences of our very own athletes, sports have been attributed to a great number of positive effects on mental, physical, and emotional health, and they will continue to remain a huge, bright part of Stuyvesant culture.