Sports In American Schools

       Although high-school sports can be beneficial to those who play, some changes need to be made in order to prioritize academics.In the article "The case against high-school sports," the author, Amanda Ripely, demonstrates the ups, and mostly downs, of mixing academics and sports.
      
     On one hand, sports can be a good thing for those students who do play. "Though the research on student athletes is mixed," Writes Amanda Ripely, "it generally suggests that sports do more good than harm for the players themselves." Studies show that "increases in the number of girls playing high-school sports have historically generated higher college attendance and employment rates among women," suggesting that sports gives athletes motivation to show up and do well so that they can play their sports.

       On the other hand, not many students do play sports, and their resources are being taken by the athletes: "But only 40 percent of seniors participate in high-school athletics, and whats harder to measure is how the overriding emphasis on sports affects everyone who doesn't play." Sports can be beneficial to the athletes themselves, but it affects the majority who do not play sports in a negative way, even bringing down their grades.

      Lastly, high-schools and colleges spend way too much money that could be spent on better teachers and for academics on sports equipment and coaches: "Each year, Spelman was spending $1 million on athletics-not for those students, but for the 4 percent of the student body that played sports." Schools with overweight and diabetic students spend their money on sports for the athletes, when they could be spending it on a gym or fitness center for all of the students, rather than just the athletes. Some schools thought sports were so important that they even took resources and even whole wings from the other students: "The elementary school hadn't employed a music teacher in years; and the high school had sealed off the science labs, which were infested with mold. Yet the high school still turned out football, basketball, volleyball, track, tennis, cheer-leading, and baseball teams each year." The high school had mold infested science labs, and still prioritized sports over academics.

     In conclusion, high schools and colleges should, without completely eliminating sports, focus more on improving their academic situations.


Ripely, Amanda. "The Case Against High-School Sports." The Atlantic Oct. 2013: 72-78. Print.