Every high school dedicates considerable time and resources to propel its sports teams forward. What is the purpose of this? The answer is simple: to win. High school sports allow students to become physically active and attain lifelong lessons to use in the real world. There are those who play to have fun, others who play to stay fit, and more often, there are high schoolers who play sports to compete and even plan to continue playing after high school.

High school sports are an opportunity for those who want to play and compete as a teenager. If the main and end goal of sports is not to win, what else would it be? During sports competitions, the main thought plaguing every athlete’s mind is whether they will win.

“I think the whole point of sports is to win. Winning is fun, so I guess the fun can be tied in there. It’s never fun to lose. For me, after a soccer or volleyball game, if I’ve lost, then it makes me work harder and try to get better at the sport. But the whole reason I do that is so I don’t lose again,” explains Jeremiah Harris (II).

Playing sports with the goal of winning also motivates players to perform better. If an athlete and their teammates lose against another team, the team only feels more driven to train and try harder in the next game they play. In turn, they would feel a greater thirst to win the next chance they get.

“I think high school sports should be played to win because it brings more confidence to the players and the team as a whole. More specifically, within the [Dual County League (DCL)], there is a lot of competition and winning gives [Boston Latin School] a good reputation. I play softball, and it feels even better beating a team that we’ve had a long-time rivalry with or one we’ve lost against too often,” says Julia Dalmanieras (II).

Especially in these bigger competitions, such as the DCL finals, student-athletes face greater challenges as they clash with opposing teams. They feel more satisfied with the sense of achievement and pride when winning, knowing that all the hard work they have put in has paid off.

In addition, the motivating goal of winning leads to a stronger benefactor to athletes and their communities. If the team were to win often, it could increase opportunities for community programs to further train young athletes with necessary physical, athletic and mental skills in order to play in bigger leagues.

Winning games ultimately builds an athlete’s reputation of themselves and the schools they play for, bringing an added factor of competitiveness and attraction to sports at the high school level. Dalmanieras adds, “I don’t think anybody likes to lose, and winning as a team after a lot of practice makes that win more than just an addition to our record.”

Winning trophies, awards and overall recognition is the most sought-after benefit of winning. In order to obtain these honors, athletes must endure intense training sessions and persevere through tense games.

High school sports represent only the beginning of realizing how important winning can be when playing competitively. Drive is an important attribute for young teenagers, and their athletic performance increases their harnessing of this skill, which will surely be useful in future prospects.

Having a team and community that tries their best to strive for victory is a virtue that is acknowledged by all the athletes in the world, no matter what athletic background one comes from.