Basketball has been a popular sport since 1891, and many students enjoy playing it. At most schools, students have basketballs available to play with. At Horizon Honors, the middle school courtyard has no basketballs, even though there’s a basketball court. This is unhelpful and a waste of resources; students should be able to play during lunch and in the morning so they can let their energy out and have fun.

Out of the 55 middle schoolers asked, 44 agreed that allowing the activity in the middle school courtyard, even if only for the last 15 to 20 minutes, would be beneficial. There are plenty of physical reasons why there should be basketballs for the middle schoolers. For example, kids need a chance do something so they don’t sit all day at school; they can get more exercise and stay healthy. Even if someone doesn’t know how to play, having basketballs available can be an easy and fun way to learn. They can watch the other kids, and ask them for a few pointers. The Washington Post states, “children need 60 minutes of play with moderate to vigorous activity every day to grow up to a healthy weight.”

11 out of the 55 did say that they didn’t want basketballs in the middle school courtyard. Some kids just don’t like basketball. If you are worried about there being too many kids or fighting, then it is possible to develop a solution. There should be a list of kids who plan to play, then you take the first ten so there aren’t too many kids. Also, if kids start fighting, then they lose basketballs for that week or day.

Overall, there should be basketballs in the middle school courtyard to benefit students’ health and mood. It can give students the time to get their energy out before they go and sit in class. Although there are always dangers when children and sports are involved, we should give basketballs a try.