I was a nerd in high school, and I was an athlete. Granted it was swimming in the Midwest which means practically nobody cared, but it was a sport. I would cou

I was a nerd in high school, and I was an athlete. Granted it was swimming in the Midwest which means practically nobody cared, but it was a sport. I would count my days on the swim team as an invaluable learning experience. I found that I could think more clearly, could sleep better at night, and was more awake during the day during the swim season. In other words, while I was in shape and health my mental abilities and general well-being improved. I would not have really internalized this lesson unless I experienced it first hand. Sports have a place in school. It helped me learn some social skills, the value of physical activity, and that there can be a life outside of a computer. I was a pretty good swimmer (won more than I lost), but I was by far the worst on the team. I didn't gain any popularity by swimming. This falls in line with what PG said; you have to be a good athlete to gain popularity from sports. This isn't to say that I like how important sports are in school, but they have a place. So yeah, reduce the importance of sports but I wouldn't be in favor of eliminating them.