Sports is big business—according to Barron’s, upwards of a trillion dollars. That is a lot of money. CNBC reports that a stack of 1 trillion dollar bills would add up to 67,866 miles and could circle Earth 2.72 times. But enough about the financial aspect of sports—I have heard too many people use the money component to get turned off by sports. Still others describe themselves as not being a sports person or an athlete. Yet we are in these bodies that need exercise to survive and thrive. In fact, there are more mental, social, and physical benefits to participating in sports than you may realize.

Let’s take a look at one of the biggest years in life that herald the greatest change and associated stress. No, I am not going to point to the first year of life, although that is a year full of significant change and extreme physical development that demonstrates the importance of exercise from the start.

Instead, I am going to address 11th grade in school. Students in 11th grade are typically 16 to 17 years of age, facing long-term plans that........

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