Daric Clemens is a senior journalism news major and is a columnist for The Daily News. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper.
I’m addicted, but it’s an addiction I am not fighting against. Rather, I embrace it and continue to fulfill the need.
I am addicted to sports and everything that comes with it, and it has helped build who I am today, and I think it has the power to assist others in bettering your life.
Sports have been a part of my life for a very long time, growing up playing as soon as I could walk and then also watching or attending the events. It continued on all the way through my grade-school years, but where it really impacted me the most was when I started college, and it still does today.
The way it has affected me the most in college is within my well-being. Things can be overwhelming at times being a college student, keeping up with school work, paying for rent and other situations that take a toll through the time. It can lead to your personal well-being taking the fall for the stressful times.
According to The American Institute of Stress, eight out of 10 college students experience frequent stress. I have undoubtedly been a victim of the continuous stress that comes with this lifestyle, but staying in touch with sports and physical activity has helped contain that because of the positive impact it has on well-being.
Participating in sports can be essential in maintaining a healthy social life, as it gives you the opportunity to perform activities with others and build relationships through conversations and teamwork.
For me, personally, I spend a lot of time at the Jo Ann Gora Student Recreation and Wellness Center at Ball State University. This is where I have met a lot of new people, and it has kept my social well-being thriving.
Something that has been key in this is participating in intramural basketball. I have been a part of it for many semesters, and it is something that has continued to keep my social life in good health, as communication and chemistry has been built on and off the floor.
Sports, for the most part, require some sort of physical activity. It will be beneficial to the improvement of your physical well-being. It certainly does for me, as I get sort of a refreshing feeling after taking part in an activity.
It’s not always about actually being a part of the sport either. Simply, just watching is something that is enjoyable. It has this ability to take you away from the real world for the time being and gives you something to root for and feel excitement for if you grow passionate about a certain team or individual.
It can also lead to more social interactions, as you can interact with other fans or just have a watch party and be entertained by the performances as a group.
Sports in particular might not be appealing to everyone, which is understandable. However, give it a chance, attempt going to the Recreation Center doing some of the activities they have available or going with friends to a Ball State game or other sporting team and try to enjoy the environment that comes with it.
It has helped me keep everything in order when it comes to positive well-being and has also played a big part in pursuing my career goals, and I think it can impact others in a positive way too.
It is important we take care of our well-being while balancing out and preparing ourselves for our future throughout college. Things can become stressful, but sports can be that escape when you need it the most, so go out, and get involved.
Contact Daric Clemens with comments at diclemens@bsu.edu or on Twitter @DaricClemens.
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