High School Sport

The U.S. is one of the only countries that provide funding for school athletics. As a result sport has flourished and has become the spotlight on all stages. It is geared to reinforce values of dedication, perseverance, and teamwork. However, high school sport does not always meet such goals, instead we see many student athletes being pressured to meet the high expectations that they are held to and consistently win games at any cost. These burdens have and continue to jeopardize the education of students. Schools may have eligibility requirements; yet even still many times such rules are bent or overlooked in order to keep top athletes in the game. During my high school athletics I saw this first hand, usually after one conversation with a teacher you were back on the field. This was especially the case if the team was doing well that year. This is something that happens across the board, which highlights how sport takes the front burner in U.S. culture, regardless of what is at stake. This is concerning because when we emphasize one skill over another, it can leave individuals with out opportunities if their athletic career comes up short of expectation or falls through.  However, by the same token it is important to note while such programs can strip opportunities they can also create them. Therefore, athletic programs are not the issue; it is what is being valued that creates the problem. I believe that if we put them on level playing field students will have a brighter future in all regards.