Earlier this year, the Picayune School District’s Board of Trustees approved establishing Picayune Memorial High School’s first volleyball program, which will begin in the fall. This decision marks the formation of the county’s only school volleyball program. The start of a new sports team will allow students to become better athletes and students, while providing another activity for the community.

This new program will not only give students the opportunity to learn a new sport but they will engage in a physical activity that will improve their well being. From time to time, our state is ranked at the top amongst the worst categories, such as obesity.

Giving children the opportunity to participate in physical activities such as volleyball can help them maintain an active lifestyle that can prevent health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Another aspect of fitness is having a healthy diet. When a student participates in sports, it is important to consume the proper amount of vitamins, minerals and protein. Eating meals that include eggs, beans, fruit, vegetables and drinking plenty of water can be more beneficial than eating a hamburger with fries and a soda.

As the students become involved in this sport, parents will also not have to worry about the whereabouts of their children and ensuring they are not falling into crowds that are involved in crime or drug and alcohol use.Several surveys have determined that students who participate in extra curricular activities have higher GPA’s, attend school more often and have lower dropout rates. The data shows that those students were able to develop better time management skills, took responsibility for their actions, found ways to improve academically and learned to work under pressure. Adding a new sport to the school year brings a number of positive opportunities to the students of the community.