Quote Originally Posted by BigBear View Post
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.