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For the past ten years lacrosse has been a vast growing team sport in the country. Being on a sports team in High School helps people build character, maintain a healthy lifestyle and keep up their academics. In high school girls have many choices and decisions to make, but by being on a team it helps girl have someone to go to or to turn to for help. It is all about finding yourself and being a part of your school. When you are on a team you are only as strong as your weakest player and there is no “I” in team. You build character by working together with others and completing tasks or accomplishments. Also you set goals to accomplish and you build skills how to deal with people that you can use in the real world after high school. After you graduate high school and if you choose to go onto college or just go right out into the work world you will need people skills. You can take the skills and advice you get from your coaches and team mates and turn them into dreams that you have, you can do anything you set your mind to. Lacrosse in high school promotes good academics, because you cannot be failing your classes and it gives you something to look forward to at the end of the day. You can also learn to work hard on the lacrosse field during practice to prepare for games, while in the classroom you work hard to achieve good grades. Also, lacrosse gives girls an outlet where they can gain confidence to then turn around and use inside the classroom. With the confidence you gain from lacrosse you can then excel in class which will result in good grades. Lastly, you learn how to rely on others for help, whether they are your teammates or your educators. This factor helps you to not solely rely on yourself but on others who can offer positive and influential advice. So being on a team gives you something to work for and be able to strive for success. When you need help and have no one to go to you have your team to fall back on and ask for their opinions. You have to work for what you get, and students should have some responsibility and commitment, being on a team is commitment. You have many obstacles to overcome and work through as a team. When you are on a team you don’t want to let just yourself down you will be putting your team down. Working to achieve your goals is what you need to do, doing well on a test is an accomplishment or getting “A’s” in all your classes is another accomplishment. Being on a lacrosse team helps you learn the skill of commitment to a team and responsibility of a team. You have to be there for your team and cannot run out on them half way through the season. You are there rain or shine and in sickness or health. In an interview with a girl from Nazareth Area High school named Amy is asked, ** What are your thoughts on being called "the best player in the league" by coach Nolan and highly-regarded by opposing coaches?, she responded by saying, “ **"I play because I play and try to do my best. I go out really serious and I want to do really well. The recognition is great but it's not what I play for. I play to play the game. I don't feel any pressure by it. It makes me want to get better. I don't feel like I have to impress anyone. I do it for myself." (Leigh Valley Live). Amy was named player of the year and she feels that she earned it by playing the sport she loves and working for herself and not for anyone else. Lacrosse also helps you support a healthy lifestyle. Lacrosse requires skills as well as endurance. It is a lot of running and fast foot work. You are always on the move and need to eat a healthy diet to maintain and be in shape. Teenagers need a healthy and active lifestyle to be in shape. Lacrosse is a high speed sport and you need to be in top conditions and keep up. Jogging and running daily supports a good lifestyle or going to the gym on a weekly basis helps too.

Statistics state that 16% of children ages 6 to 19 are overweight or obese. Statistics also state that children in the older ages should get at least 250 minutes of exercise weekly. Lacrosse in high school is a two and a half hour commitment a day times five. This is 150 minutes per day, which equals 750 minutes per week. This is well over what the statistics say you should have per week. Lacrosse is a good way to stay in shape and not be a statistic. Promoting a healthy lifestyle and preventing obesity is the key to a good, successful life. If you are also over weight you are at risk for many other diseases to follow one being heart disease and the other being diabetes.

In conclusion, lacrosse is a way for you to find you and have fun. Lacrosse promotes a good healthy, active lifestyle and keeps you positive. In the long run lacrosse is helping young women get ready for the real world. You learn many life lessons that you can take with you into college and then out into the work world. You coach gives you many words of advice and it is up to you to make them useful.