During the introduction of high school sports the US was experiencing social changes that aligned well with its arrival. Schools were looking to market themselves in a more effective way in order to attract the attention of well-off families. The creation of a sports system within a school showed its legitimacy and dedication to the development of kids. Today this continues to happen as high school and even middle schools across the country compete for athletic supremacy. This helps students work with others, manage their time, and motivate themselves to do other extracurricular activities. I believe these are the goals of interscholastic sports and what they aim to do. Through my personal experience I have not only discovered these objectives but have also experienced them. Without sports I wouldn't have learned certain life skills like I did which is why they continue to be a key element of American childhood. One problem though with the system of interscholastic sports is the subversion of educational priorities below athletic ones. I know from personal experience that many of the football players at my high school did not put much emphasis on grades and life after the game. Obviously there are GPA requirements to be on a sports team, but something like a tutoring system could be put into place in order to help athletes make up for the time lost on the field. With all the work put in for sports it'd be nice to get more emphasis on education.
Reference: Lecture notes, Dohrmann Article
No comments:
Post a Comment