Peyton Taylor is a sophomore at Huntley High School. He started playing sports at the age of five. The first sport he played was basketball. He is currently participating in bowling, cross country, and managing wrestling.

He joined sport because he is an only child and felt isolated from the outside world. By playing sports, Taylor stays busy and has something to do after school instead of being at home bored. Unfortunately, Taylor injured his shoulder recently and has to be out of athletics for some time to recover. 

“When I dislocated my shoulder it took me a while to get back in,” Taylor said. “My doctor said that [I’m] done with bowling and the spring sports.” 

It is a struggle to not play anything with an injury. Some parents may not even allow their children to play sports because they fear it may be dangerous. However, some parents, like the Taylors, will support their children’s decisions. 

“We encourage Peyton to express himself in any way, like being on multiple sport teams,” Cheryl Taylor said. “We want whatever makes him happy.”

By playing sports, Taylor is able to focus more and make a positive impact.

“I am fine with my son competing in multiple sports,” Scott Taylor said.

With supportive parents, Taylor feels encouraged to do his best. School sports are normally after school on weekdays. Sports can affect people with their school work, and make them more independent. Playing sports can reduce the amount of stress when in school, and can teach kids time management.

“Playing sports teaches [kids] teamwork, and to show what a team [is],” Cheryl Taylor said.

Taylor is still recovering from the injury, and is devastated that he can not compete in bowling for the rest of the season, but still appreciates the benefits of competing in multiple sports.