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Save High School Sports For years, sports have been a part of American high schools. They have been a source of school pride and give people a connection to their school. They break up the otherwise mundane routine of going to class and doing schoolwork. In recent years there has been a huge push by researchers, educators, politicians, and parents to figures out why America’s schools are constantly falling behind other countries in crucial test subjects. One of the latest reasons to blame for the shortcomings of American students is the incorporation of sports in the American school system. Some are beginning to think that the focus of schools is no longer education and that sports are taking on a greater role within schools. It’s starting to become a topic of conversation to remove sports from schools altogether, but is this really the fix for American schools? Some people believe that students should just play club sports if they would still like to be involved in sports. Removing sports programs from schools is not the answer to fixing the problems in America's schools. Interscholastic sports programs allow students to become more well-rounded athletes, help them to perform better academically, and provide a sense of community to the students, parents, and others in the community. When students play for their high school teams, it provides them with a greater chance to become a well- rounded athlete. In the last couple of years club sports have begun to gain mass popularity across the United States, especially in soccer. Vikki Ortiz Healy, Chicago Tribune reporter explains some of the reasons students and parents are starting to move away from high school sports and to club sport. “Students and parents, often motivated by c... ... middle of paper ... ...stand that school has to come first. Lastly, school sports create a community environment with the athletes, students, parents, faculty and others living in the community. Sports are more than winning and losing. They give students a sense of pride in their school and make them want to go there. Sports have been a part of schools for very many years and do more good than harm. School can’t just be all work and no play! Works Cited Anderson, Joel. "Varsity Blues: Alternatives to High School Game Abound." Tampa Bay Times 14 July 2013`: n. pag. Print. Bowen, Daniel. "High-School Sports Aren't Killing Academics." The Atlantic 2 Oct. 2013: n. pag. Print. Ortiz Healy, Vikki. "Be True to Your School? Athletes Have Options." Chicago Tribune 14 Aug. 2013: n. pag. Print. Ripley, Amanda. "The Case Against High-School Sports." The Atlantic 18 Sept. 2013: n. pag. Print.
High school athletics leave a major impact on everybody that is involved with them. It also can even leave a mark on people who aren’t associated with them. There are many conflicting opinions on whether high school sports are a positive or negative influence on a student’s life. Athletics in high school can have an effect on the community as a whole. In H.G. Bisssinger’s highly regarded Friday Night Lights, high school football is accurately portrayed as the most important thing in Texas; it receives much more attention than academics. Football players are often treated like celebrities; yielding confidence, and at the same time creating pressure.
Amanda Ripley argues in The Atlantic in her article “The Case Against High School Sports”, that the United States place too much attention on sports rather than academics. Ripley argues that sports programs at schools should be reduced, maybe even cut out completely. She states that there are a lot of countries that outperform America on international tests, and it is because they put more of their emphasis on academics, where the United States puts more of an emphasis on athletics. Ripley says that high school sports negatively affects academics. (1). I disagree with Ripley on this topic; I think that sports are important for young kids because it teaches them very valuable life lessons and it keeps them out of trouble.
Gatz, Margaret, Michael A. Messner, and Sandra Rokeach. Paradoxes of youth and sport. Albany: State University of New York, 2002.. 12-13.
Amanda Ripley constructed an article in which she opposes the use of athletics in American schools. She proclaims that America’s schools are placing athletics above academics. This highly controversial article was published on the cover of the Atlantic. Her argument raises opposition
Botstein begins his essay by listing examples to assert that the American high school is obsolete. He describes high school as if to someone who knows nothing about it, so as to better expose the failings of the institution. Current or former high-schoolers remember the team sport culture, but might not realize its harm without Botstein’s detached and somewhat analytical description.
Pappano, Laura. “How Big-Time Sports Ate College Life” Norton Sampler: Short Essays for Composition, 8th ed. Pages 591-600. 2013.
In the article, “The Case Against High-School Sports” Ripley discusses how some schools put a bigger emphasis on sports rather than academics. Ripley explains that since sports gets more attention, nobody pays attention to the academic side and their needs. According to the author, some schools are willing to do whatever it takes to make sure a sport runs, even if there is no money in the budget. She states that too much of a focus is being put on sports is affecting academic achievement negatively in American high schools. The author gives the reader three reasons why schools should focus more on academic achievement and less on sports.
Within a community is a sense of unity, which for many is brought together by the young athletes of the community. In his article “High School Sports Have Turned Into Big Business,” Mark Koba of CNBC highlights that within the last thirty to forty years high school football has escalated into a highly revered tradition in which not only communities, but highly successful corporations have begun to dedicate millions of dollars towards (Koba n. pg.). This highlights the status of sports within the community and may explain part of the reason schools would favor sports over other programs. Because sports programs can often turn over big profits for schools, they tend to dedicate most of their excess funds towards sports, and rely on sports programs to create large profits for the school. When school administrators see how much sports unite, excite, and benefit the school, they develop a respect for sports and consider it a necessity to provide a good sports program for their students and community. Also in his article, Koba quotes an interviewee named Mark Conrad who is the associate professor of legal and ethical studies at Fordham University 's school of...
"College Athletic Programs Undermine Academics." Student Life. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2011. Opposing Viewpoints. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 27 July 2011.
She strongly considers that the school should use their money on programs that would, in her opinion, actually benefit the rest of the school. Based on Tamar Lewin’s hypothesis in his article College Increases Spending on Sports Faster than on Academics, he proclaims, “Increasingly, institutions of higher education have lost their focus on the academic activities at the core of their mission…The spending priority accorded to competitive athletics too easily diverts the focus of our institutions from teaching and learning to scandal and excess”. Although this article bases their information off college spending, the same can be said about high schools. High schools are putting off aside other extracurricular activities and give special importance to huge, likable sports like football, basketball, soccer, and
Amanda Ripley’s idea that athletics are a distraction in “The Case Against High-School Sports” sparked within me the question of whether all people are equally distracted by athletics in an environment which is heavily focused on academics. The author states, “During football season in particular, the focus of American principals, teachers, and students shifts inexorably away from academics.” I can clearly remember a day last May in high school where I had a late football practice and two AP test the following morning. I recall waking up very tired, sluggish, and upset that I did not get a last minute chance to look over my materials. I remember feeling like I had maybe taken on too much, but I knew I would be alright because I had prepared
Mitchell, Horace. "Students Are Not Professional Athletes." US News. U.S.News & World Report, 06 Jan. 2014. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. .
Mitchell, Horrace. "Students Are Not Professional Athletes." News Opinion, 06 Jan 2014. Web. 8 Apr 2014
Shulman, James L. and William G. Bowen. The Game of Life: College Sports and Educational Values. Princeton University Press. New Jersey. 2001. Print.
Sports programs have been an integral part of all schools. They support the academics of the school and therefore foster success in life. These programs are educational and help produce productive citizenship. They help students experience and build skills that may help them in their future, like interpersonal and time management skills. Education may kindle the light of knowledge, but sports help to maintain the proper physique. Sports are also an important means of entertainment and a use for energy after long hours of study. Sports increase a student’s performance not only in the classroom but also in their life.