Pros and Cons of Being an Athlete..By: Dylan Terrell, Bri Neal, Arianna Conger, Logan Jarus*

The lineup..Dylan- Mental characteristics of being an athlete. Overcoming performance anxiety. Striving over mental speed bumps.Logan- Physical aspects of being an athlete. What being an athlete does to your body.Bri- Social pros and cons when participating in sports. Arianna- What future careers athletes can pursue, and how being an athlete can help/ hurt your chances for job opportunities. *

Mental part of sports..Let there thoughts/feelings get the best of them.Identify your type of performance anxiety.Nervousness, anxiety, stress, fear, lack of confidence.*

Athletes that have a hard time with performance anxiety..Worry about upcoming play/game.Afraid of consequences from struggling.What if?No confidence in your game.*

How to overcome performance anxiety..Accept your thoughts, let them come and go.Realize that pre-game jitters are normal.Be completely prepared both mentally and physically.Mentally rehearse what youre about to do.*

Overcoming performance anxiety..MeditationAccording to sportsmedicine.com athletes that receive more than seven hours of sleep per night focus better during games.Proper nutrition.You get out what you put in.*

When you overcome performance anxiety..Find yourself prepared for the upcoming play/game.Believe in yourself and your teammates.Become a leader, and have more confidence.Able to bare down in intense moments. clutch*

In conclusion..Have an open mind for preparation..Be willing to do whatever for overcoming performance anxiety.Clear Mechanism.Remember why youre playing the sport.*

Pros of the physical aspect of sportsKeeps athletes in shapeGets children, teens, and adults exercise rather than being insideGets children off of video games and outside being active*

More Pros:Reduces childhood obesityReduces sedentary in teens

Sedentary- accustomed to sit or rest a great deal or to take little exercisehttp://dictionary.refrence.com/browse/sedentary*

More Pros:Physical activity stimulates the brainAlso stimulates neural stem cells and sharpens cognitive functionsAlso improves fitness of the neocortexNeocortex- a portion of the cerebral cortex, composed of layered tissue and is the site of the higher brain functionshttp://dictionary.refrence.com/browse/neocortex Readies the cells in the brain to be optimal.We are made to move and people arent moving anymore*

Cons of the Physical Aspect of Playing Sports Obviously, athletes are more prone to injuries than others arePlaying sports may lead to performance enhancing drugs*

More Cons:Children cant recognize when they are tired or are being pushed too hard.Children dont physically handle hot weather as well as adults do.Sometimes athletes, mostly children, dont drink enough water as they should, which could eventually lead to dehydration*

In conclusion:Play sports and be active!Drink plenty of water when doing soDont push yourself beyond your limitsHave Fun!!!*

Work cited..http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/sport_psych/a/aa010603a.htmhttp://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/finding-your-voice/201011/performance-anxiety http://www.livestrong.com/article/197831-pros-cons-of-children-in-sports/ http://www.keyframe5.com/sports-pros-and-cons/ http://www.cellmedicine.com/harvard-exercise-intelligence/ http://www.csriconference.org/docs/2010%20Abstracts/The%20Social%20Lives%20of%20Student%20Athletes%20Versus%20Non-Student%20Athletes.pdfhttp://murphylibrary.uwlax.edu/digital/jur/2002/griffith-johnson.pdfhttp://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20111108/sports/sports4.html*

Pros on the social aspect on athletesAthletes can get to know a lot of people easier It is not what you know, but who you know. Starting at the younger levels of being an athlete can cause you to stay away from a lot of bad situations .Learn when it is time to socialize and when it is time to be serious. Depending on what type of person you are, there is a greater chance of you being able to work the room. *

Cons on the social aspect of an athleteLearning how to grow and be a person. (the stages of life) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxN9Mw6iQUs&feature=relatedProgressing with your sport you could actually be prone to using drugs from the people you know. Not having social skills Taking social media workshops *

Where am I getting at? *

Pros future careersGo Professional: Basketball: NBA Football: Superbowl/NFLBaseball: World Series/Major leaguesHockey: Stanley Cup/NHL

Other Sports Careers: Become a Coach: Children, High School, College, ProfessionalSports ManagementSports AgentAthletic Trainer, Physical Therapy, Exercise Science- If you are an athlete, it is easier to practice

Many Workplaces Prefer Athletes Because:They have more energy and perform better at workThey are self confidentThey have a competitive natureThey have emotional Intelligence, or interpersonal soft skillsThey know how to work or a team, when and when not to be dependent on other team members and how to distribute work evenly.They know how to manage time, have great mental toughness and they can focus well.*

Pros in the Long TermMany Sports do not go professional, but they still have multiple benefits, including going to the Olympics. Olympics: Rowing, Sailing Shooting, Archery, Judo, Taekwondo, Boxing, Luge, Tennis, Badminton, Football, Hockey, Table Tennis, Rugby, Handball, Ice Hockey, Curling, Weightlifting, Golf, Fencing, Aquatics(Diving, Swimming, Water Polo, Synchronized Swimming), Equestrian(Jumping, Eventing, Dressage), Gymnastics(Trampoline, Artistic Gymnastics, Rhythmic Gymnastics), Cycling(BMX, Road, Track, Mountain Biking), Volleyball(Volleyball and Beach Volleyball), Skating(Figure Skating, Speed Skating, Short Track Speed Skating), Skiing(Snowboarding, Ski Jumping, Alpine, Freestyle, Nordic, Cross Country), Bobsleigh(Bobsleigh and Skeleton BobSleigh). Or they can assist you in getting into the college of your choice:Many athletes have an easier time getting into college. They have to go through a tough recruiting process, but their reward is a lot of extra money in athletic scholarship. According to the NCAA, every year there is about 2 billion dollars awarded and divided to 145,000 athletes in Division 1 and 2 schools. ( ://athleticscholarships.com/)High school athletes as well have an easier time getting into Ivy League and private college because of coaches being able to hold acceptance spots at packed colleges for students, as well as minimally changing the universities application requirements. There are nearly four times as many private than public university students that play sports for their universities. (http://www.ncsasports.org/blog/2009/09/08/iportant-college-sports-statistics/)*

The Cons of Being an AthleteOverall:If you cant create a career with your sport it can be seen as multiple years of your life wasted.Specific sports with aggressive contact like football, rugby, ice hockey, wrestling, and lacrosse all have the possibility of creating physical trauma for the athletes, which can affect them only short term or continuously bother them their entire lives, especially when they are elderly and brittle.There are other less collision, but more muscle straining sports like baseball, softball, soccer, water polo, gymnastics, track and field, swimming and diving, basketball, and volleyball. Participating in these sports for numerous years of your life can tear your body apart over the years, with multiple different types of muscle tears.Playing sports can pressure you into things that can seriously effect you late in life, like steroid use, unhealthy weight loss, and over working your body to get back into shape.*