I believe that martial arts are the most beneficial sports worldwide. Of course, there are more extreme sports, such as skiing and wave surfing. Nevertheless, the amount of confidence and self-esteem you’ll gain simply by attending a weekly boxing session—are countless.
While boxing provides numerous mental and physical benefits while giving the trainee confidence and raises one’s self-esteem, boxing’s injury rate, especially in the head and hands, is amongst the highest worldwide. As a result, students should not learn it, as it can jeopardize their current and future school careers.
Students can expect to have their entire being honed by boxing on a weekly basis. However, it can get dangerous quickly if you decide not to pay attention.
Boxing’s injury rate one of the highest; as such, it’s also one of the most dangerous sports. To understand this point, all you need to do is watch a professional boxing or MMA match and see how the fighters aren’t capable of moving around as swiftly at the end of the fight.
You’ll notice how they’re sometimes dizzy or can’t seem to move as swiftly. That happens because they get hit in the head countless times. Of course, they get punched in the face more than you will ever. And still, it’s a potential hazard.
This article will examine the pros and cons of having boxing be a school sport. If you’re interested in the topic, you’ll also enjoy reading about boxing vs. running, which is a better workout?
Should boxing be a school sport?
Answering this question depends on a single factor, does the school plan for the boxing training includes sparring? If so, the answer is no, students should don’t involve themselves in such exercise. But, if it doesn’t, I’m all for it.
Boxing should not be a school sport because its injury rate is amongst the highest of all sports. As such, sports, such as soccer, basketball, and other ball games, are more suitable for that purpose. Of course, if you only include punching a heavy bag and pad work while leaving sparring aside, it can be safer.
Sparring and competing are the primary cause of injuries in boxing. Mostly, they cause head and brain damage, which can be extremely dangerous to the academic future of the students.
Of course, it’s not uncommon for boxers to damage their joints and get various cuts and bruises on their faces. Therefore, this sport can do more harm than good, if it includes actual fighting.
The pros of boxing as a school sport
The benefits of physical exercise—are invaluable. You simply shouldn’t deprive your body of such important benefits. For instance, I actually just finished a run while writing this section. And, my ability to focus seems to be much better than if I had skipped this morning jog.
Boxing provides numerous mental and physical benefits, which can all help school students, regardless of age, perform better in their academic career. For instance, it’s not uncommon to see boxing trainees reporting being more confident, having higher self-esteem, losing body fat, and living overall healthier lives.
There’s actually a link between practicing martial arts, including boxing, karate, and even wrestling, to having higher confidence, greater self-esteem, and having better mental health.
Eventually, these traits will distinguish between happy and depressed students. This can mean the world, both academically and individually.
As a result, I highly recommend everyone, including students, to practice any martial art, it can also be boxing. You don’t have to participate in spars or competitions if you don’t want to.
Although it can be highly beneficial, and it’ll also provide you with unique skills, it’s not the end of the world. Of course, you can attend any martial art and experience the same benefits.
If you want to learn about the best martial arts for fitness, which will also provide you with numerous mental and physical benefits, follow the link to read an article of mine on the topic.
The cons of boxing as a school sport
All schools will include some type of sport. The school system want the students to learn about the importance of exercise and sports. Studies have correlated between physical exercise and school performance.
Although boxing provides countless mental and physical benefits, it can cause more harm than good, especially in sparring and competition. Getting constant hits to the head will ensure you experience some brain damage in the near future. This can harm the student’s future academic career.
Here are some of the benefits of physical exercise for students:
- Better focus in school.
- Improves school attendance.
- Better academic performance.
- Builds a strong, healthy body.
- Improves sleep quality.
- Reduces risk of anxiety and depression.
- Develops better social and problem-solving skills.
- Build self-confidence.
As you can see, there’s no going wrong. However, there’s a big but with boxing.
Studies have found that your IQ can diminish by 3 points, an equivalent of 1 year in school, by constantly sparring and competing in boxing. Now, although it sounds scary, it’s not the complete story.
That’s explicitly the case for professional and amateur boxers. As a result, boxers who neither spar nor compete—are extremely unlikely to have such symptoms. And still, these chances exist.
Should boxing be a high school sport?
Boxing, being in high schools—is a controversial topic. If you’re interested in increasing the confidence and self-esteem of many of your students, it might be a solid idea. However, do know that it might come with a price.
High school students need to be on top of their classes, and boxing will help with that. It’ll better your physical condition, which numerous studies link to having a better capability to focus. On the other hand, it does have an extremely high injury rate, which can endanger the student’s future academic career.
For instance, 20% of all professional boxers will experience CTBI, a known brain injury in contact sports. We’ll mostly see that in retired boxers who are having a difficult time to speak.
Here’s an example.
Nonetheless, although it can be quite scary, if the high schools will take precautions to ensure no injuries occur, the injury rate will greatly diminish.
The primary precaution I see fitting is to remove sparring and competition from the story. Mostly, you’ll see professional and amateur boxers experiencing all head injuries. Why is that?
That’s because they get hit in the head—most out of all boxing trainees. They essentially spar and compete the most. However, if you remove it, you also greatly reduce the odds of getting any brain injury amongst the students.
If you’re interested in this topic, you’ll also enjoy reading about whether boxing is bad for the brain. Spoiler alert, it is. Follow the link to learn how to prevent it.
Final words
To end this article, I want to emphasize the countless mental and physical benefits of boxing. On the other hand, I also want to emphasize its dangers.
On the one hand, students from all around the world can benefit from the sport of boxing by allowing it to improve their focus, confidence, self-esteem, and even mental health. It will improve their grades.
On the other hand, its rate of injury is amongst the highest worldwide. That’s why it’s one of the most dangerous sports you can involve yourself in. It’s essentially two people, who can punch hard, inside the ring trying to hit each other in the face. You can see why it can get messy.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you’ll also enjoy reading about the mental benefits of boxing. Follow the link to see the complete list!