Push to ban football at a New Hampshire high school

[Teufelhund]

Lacross players wear helmets,,with face guards

and lacy panties that match their purses.

. . . I'm jk, I went to such a tiny school I never even heard of lacrosse until I was in my twenties.

Played rugby on the 29 Palms Marine team for a bit while I was there; talk about a brutal sport. Like football with no pads.

[MED]

Jack, I'm going to have to pick a bone with you. First and foremost, you're article is about college/university ball teams. That is a whole other discussion with different rules/regs, so forth. In that environment, a good team is beneficial for a school.

However, on the k-12 system I personally take the side of Wulf. I am a public school teacher and constantly see budgets reduced and whole programs cut (regardless of how successful they have been) just to ENHANCE the athletics programs (regardless of how BAD they have been). In the k-12 system a lot of YOUR tax dollars are wasted on new gym equipment/uniforms/etc that are simply just NOT needed, while classrooms go neglected.

I'm not going to get into a debate or a war or a case of statistic versus statistic. I just want to let you know that I am ground zero and see waste happening every hour of every day when it comes to the money literally thrown at athletic organizations, whether at a 1A or 5A school.

Parental support goes a LOOOOOONG way. If parents would pick up phones or make appointments with admins/supers or volunteer 30 minutes every other month, actually be PARENTS and INVOLVED in their childs' life instead of make teachers babysit and discipline brats, the change in American education would be amazing. We really could be the "best in the world" (without going into that whole discussion).

All that being said, yes I played football.

Today, I am a doctoral candidate, but in high school I absolutely hated academics. I cared about Football, Body Building, Archery, Track, and my Guns. Hell, if it wasn't for high school Football and my weight training classes, I probably wouldn't have graduated (eligibility requirements were far more restrictive back then). All kids need different things and the athletic department is important. I am absolutely appalled at gym class being an elective rather than a requirement in elementary and middle school.

The second part of your statement greatly depends on responsibility to fail or succeed. Today, it is about your privileged or victimized, but all kids can do all things if given the chance...what a bunch of crap. Also, the standards based liberal education mentality is really jacked up. People are wired to do different things...some it is math, science, and engineering; some it is language arts; some it is art and theater and so on. We expect all kids to perform at "standards" in all areas, which is really frustrating and unrealistic.

[CrufflerSteve]

Football? Ever see a Soccer game? No pads but maybe shin pads.
Nothing like 2 players going up to headbutt the ball,,only too slam knoggins together.

But hey don't tell that quack

Any collision sports can be bad. Some of the sports docs are saying kids shouldn't head the soccer ball until after 12 or 15. Soccer does try to avoid head butts. I still have some scars on my shins from playing soccer as a kid.

I'm going with Jefferson on this:
"A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercises, I advise the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise and independence to the mind. Games played with the ball, and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun, therefore, be the constant companion of your walks."

-- --Thomas Jefferson to Peter Carr, 1785. ME 5:85, Papers 8:407

Bring back high school rifle teams!

Steve

[BigBear]

Today, I am a doctoral candidate, but in high school I absolutely hated academics. I cared about Football, Body Building, Archery, Track, and my Guns. Hell, if it wasn't for high school Football and my weight training classes, I probably wouldn't have graduated (eligibility requirements were far more restrictive back then). All kids need different things and the athletic department is important. I am absolutely appalled at gym class being an elective rather than a requirement in elementary and middle school.

The second part of your statement greatly depends on responsibility to fail or succeed. Today, it is about your privileged or victimized, but all kids can do all things if given the chance...what a bunch of crap. Also, the standards based liberal education mentality is really jacked up. People are wired to do different things...some it is math, science, and engineering; some it is language arts; some it is art and theater and so on. We expect all kids to perform at "standards" in all areas, which is really frustrating and unrealistic.

I never said athletics wasn't important. That is a whole other tangent. All kids CAN do all things if given the proper guidance and help. I can take any kid with any "disability" or mindset and teach them music (my particular subject) and how it relates to math, science, history, etc whether they have a God given talent or ability in the subject area or not. Some of my kid hate music but just want out of a different class, and after a few weeks they are actually my student leaders. So I don't quite understand what point it is you're making, but I suspect we are agreeing on some level.

We could also get into the argument for trades schools based on your "wired differently" comment... which I've put a lot of thought into. I don't think it would be a bad idea. I personally miss seeing the pieces of utilitarian art of old Master Masons, Carpenters, Electricians, etc.

I do like your "responsibility" comment. That is something that is greatly lacking in our kids these days. And it's driving the social world into the whole "privileged vs victim" mentality that is so prevalent.

On the "state standards" I completely agree. It's a waste of time and resources. There are some kids who will be better at some things and I personally don't believe every kid could be at a certain administrative decided level. However, I do think they should be given the opportunity. For example, I have kids who will learn to read music and play an instrument but will they ever achieve the state standard of music composition in a certain genre on an advanced theoretical level? Probably not, and I think that would turn some kids off of music getting into that sort of depth.

Academics vs Athletics is a millennium old argument that will never have a winner. They are both very important to our well being. The problem is when one is put down to the betterment of the other.

...Bring back high school rifle teams!

Steve

That I would be all for!!!

[MED]

All kids CAN do all things if given the proper guidance and help. I can take any kid with any "disability" or mindset and teach them music (my particular subject) and how it relates to math, science, history, etc whether they have a God given talent or ability in the subject area or not. Some of my kid hate music but just want out of a different class, and after a few weeks they are actually my student leaders. So I don't quite understand what point it is you're making, but I suspect we are agreeing on some level.

My wife completed all the credits for her BA (IDP) for Counseling. She actually wanted to work with kids and help them through their issues, dealing with families, etc., which is something I would never want to do. Well, she will not be able to do this because she can't get through the prerequisites in math, which is something she will never use. We spent hundreds on a tutor and she spent tons of money on classes and retakes...she just can't do the college level algebra so she is calling it quits. Because of this stupidity, the world will have one less counselor who actually wants to work with kids. Based on academia she should just get it if she spent enough time on it. BS! Given, it made it far more difficult since she waited until her 30s.

I am great at math, engineering, computer science, etc., but I absolutely hate interpersonal communications and most forms of language arts. It looks like we should probably focus on different skill sets and education curriculum. However, she is expected to be just as good at math as I am, and I am suppose to spend my time bored to tears with poetry and creative writing. My son is battling the same issues as I battled in school; his language scores are low and his math scores are high.

[buckshotbarlow]

funding isn't the issue here...it's a frigg'n doc trying to take away the opportunities that i had...now that pisses me off. I wonder what else my kids will loose by the time their my age now...

[BigBear]

My wife completed all the credits for her BA (IDP) for Counseling. She actually wanted to work with kids and help them through their issues, dealing with families, etc., which is something I would never want to do. Well, she will not be able to do this because she can't get through the prerequisites in math, which is something she will never use. We spent hundreds on a tutor and she spent tons of money on classes and retakes...she just can't do the college level algebra so she is calling it quits. Because of this stupidity, the world will have one less counselor who actually wants to work with kids. Based on academia she should just get it if she spent enough time on it. BS! Given, it made it far more difficult since she waited until her 30s.

I am great at math, engineering, computer science, etc., but I absolutely hate interpersonal communications and most forms of language arts. It looks like we should probably focus on different skill sets and education curriculum. However, she is expected to be just as good at math as I am, and I am suppose to spend my time bored to tears with poetry and creative writing. My son is battling the same issues as I battled in school; his language scores are low and his math scores are high.

Ok, now you're making sense. I do understand your point. This all goes back to the stupid standards assessments. I can't answer why a counselor would need advanced math skill either. Heck, I'm lucky I can barely balance the check book half the time. I'll concede your position, though I still believe if your wife could find that one special teacher who could work with her, she could "get" math.