High School Sports in America Essay - 1146 Words

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†¦show more content†¦With the chance at a college scholarship becoming the main focus for some students who play sports, club sports seem to be the way to go. On the other hand Dan Gould, Michigan State professor, provides some exampl e of why club sports may not be the best way to go. The biggest reason is the â€Å"One-sport wonder† student athletes who specialize in one sport their entire life. â€Å"Specialization leads to overuse injuries: pitch counts get too high, players use the same muscles and hurt them† (12). So when students play club sports and specialize they risk the chance of hurting themselves and losing out on scholarship opportunities. Gould continues his point by saying playing multiple sports, and gaining multiple skills help athletes to perform better. So the claim that students should play club because it’s better for developing their skills is not completely valid. Students who play high school sports are more likely to play more than one sport and potentially gain skills that an athlete playing club sports will not. One of the biggest complaints about interscholastic sports is the belief that sports take focus away from academics. Amanda Ripley, journalist and author, elaborates on this very issue. She provides many examples of the ways that sports play a negative role in American schools, and how she believes that they are the reason to blame for the shortcomings of American students: â€Å"Sports are embedded in American schools in a wayShow MoreRelatedThe Case Against High School Sports Funding in America894 Words   |  4 PagesAgainst High School Sports by Amanda Ripley started to make me think. There were many strong points about how the priorities of the sports are beginning to be more important to students than their education. Another great point was that the financing and budgeting is unfairly distributed throughout school districts and is spent more on athletics and clubs and not enough on classes. And I Believe that schools should put certain restrictions on the spending and promoting or in school sports and clubsRead MoreHigh School Sports Programs Should Be Funded1657 Words   |  7 PagesSports. Six letters, five consonants, o ne vowel, seems like a fairly normal word. However, the meaning of this one syllable word reaches far deeper than some countries can even imagine. Sports in America is an institution that many people experience on a daily basis, from participating in an activity, coaching a team, or even watching a game. In a study by Soven Bery, the NFL, MLB, and NBA put together make an annual revenue of 20.5 billion every year from America’s love of sports (http://bleacherreportRead MoreThe Case Against High School Sports1170 Words   |  5 PagesAgainst High School Sports,† Amanda Ripley, a journalist for The Atlantic, states that America is spending more money on high school sports rather than on academic purposes. â€Å"High School Sports Aren’t Killing Academics, â€Å" written by Daniel Bowen, a postdoctoral scholar at Rice University, and Colin Hitt, an assistant professor at the University of Arkansas, discusses the benefits that come out of sports programs to improv e the classroom and the school’s social capital. Co-founder of a sports recruitingRead MoreHigh School Sports Be A Drastic Decision Essay1165 Words   |  5 PagesPublic high schools in the United States are responsible for predominantly educating children in the classroom. However, an education should be well rounded and teach students about multiple different aspects of life. Fitness education, physical education, and high school athletics are competitive. Public high schools hold the responsibility to offer as many sports as possible and to support as many students to succeed. Terminating high school sports would be a drastic decision. â€Å"One 2010 study byRead MoreEthnographic Interview on Sports in American Culture702 Words   |  3 Pageswas sports in American culture. Sports are popular in America, and are a big part of the culture in America. I would say most people in America have played sports, whether they played as kids, in high school, at the collegiate le vel, or even professional. A great deal of people also enjoy watching sporting events. The following were the questions asked during the interview. How have sports affected your life? Why do you think sports are so popular in America’s culture? How are sports a partRead MoreThe Smartest Kids At The World Essay1743 Words   |  7 PagesEducation is an important part of almost every person s life around the world and without it, we would struggle to develop as we mature into adults. America is currently the third most populated country around the world. With such a big population, it can be assumed that everyone undergoes a great education and graduates with a brain full of the greatest knowledge that everyone needs to know. While it can be true in some cases, other countries appear to be doing a much better job with educatingRead MoreHarassment Towards Women Playing Educational Sports1657 Words   |  7 PagesSports have always been an intrical part of Americas culture and society, from playing baseball in the front yard to knocking a homerun out of the ballpark, but this playing in the fields only applied to boys. Unfortunately, before Title Nine was established in 1972, there was a great deal of harassment towards women playing educational sports. This new amendment to the Civil Acts, broke down the barriers for women, and demanded proportionality between mens and womens athletic programs. Due toRead MoreAmerica Football1535 Words   |  7 Pagesfootball is the most popular sport in America. Football is also a sport that is enjoyed all over the world by people of all ages. Football is also an activity that the family can all enjoy as in example dad can play with his son on a Sunday team. Mom and sister can watch, or the whole family can go out on Saturday to watch college football or on Sunday for the Football Or Soccer Football or Soccer Many people argue about soccer and football. Football is mainly an American sport, but it is growing rapidlyRead MoreThe Should Not Be An Nfl Football Player1122 Words   |  5 Pagesan NFL Football Player. This is not a dream I share alone as many other youths envision this dream too. So, we go out to parks and play the great American sport and pretend to be our favorite player. Growing up a Cowboy fan I would always pretend I was NFL great Emmitt Smith. So many of our youth still do the same as I work at an elementary school and here kids all the time at recess yell out football term such as â€Å"O’DELL† when a great catch is made, or â€Å"HOUSE† when some is apparently going to scoreRead MoreThe Smartest Kids And How They Got That Way Written By Amanda Ripley1149 Words   |  5 Pagesthat are from America and go off to other countries to go to school through a study abroad program. The American education system needs to follow what the o ther countries are doing to be able to catch up and create a better future. America was seen as the the leader in the world in everything from its boosting economy to its blooming students however as time passes America continues to slip in regular subjects like English, Mathematics, and Science. Compared to the rest of the word America is falling