“Researchers believe that sitting for hours may change people's metabolism in ways that promote obesity, heart disease, diabetes and other illnesses chronicles. » Most people don't know that having a sedentary lifestyle can actually be very negative for their health. On the other hand, having an active lifestyle or even just walking 15 to 20 minutes a day (Putnam 4) can be very beneficial to people's mental and physical health. Having an active lifestyle through high school and after is much more beneficial than having a sedentary lifestyle, because high school sports competition develops lifelong good habits, is a good source of stress relief and keeps the athlete in better overall health. “Hard work can lead to excellence and young athletes to success that can guide them throughout life. » (Watkins 27) There are many ways to get involved in high school athletics. Team sports are a great way. There are many team sports to choose from, such as baseball, football, hockey, and soccer, to name a few. These team sports can be a fun and enjoyable way to stay active through high school. In today's world, even though high school sports have become as much about college recruiting as anything else. Parents try to push their children to the next level. They use the child's athletic abilities to try to compete for some of the nation's top scholarships at the nation's top academic schools. This added pressure makes children much more vulnerable to injuries and other stress-related illnesses. In fact, of the thirty million high school students who compete in high school sports, just under three and a half million athletes seek medical attention at least once after showing symptoms of more than... middle of paper .... ..oke." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, February 16, 2011. Web. September 13, 2013. . Putnam, Douglas. Controversies from the Sports World. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1999. Print. Watkins, Christine. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2009. Print “Preventing Sports Injuries,” nd Web, November 13, 2013. . Healthcare_services/mens_health/sports_injuries/PreventigSportsInjuries/Pages/index.aspx>Staff, Mayo Clinic. “Exercise and Stress: Get Moving to Manage Stress,” Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, July 21, 2012. Web. "NFL.com - Play60." NFL.com - Play60, and Web November 13.. 2013.