3 ms·
If schools didn't do sports, perhaps they could focus more on academics. Unfortunately, as you astutely point out, football and other sports bring in "big crow
by dominik 18y ago
If schools didn't do sports, perhaps they could focus more on academics.
Unfortunately, as you astutely point out, football and other sports bring in "big crowds paying lots of money" -- something that academic competitions can't bring in. There isn't a National Computer Science League that gets televised each Sunday. American football exists as an American high school institution precisely because mainstream American culture heavily advertises and hypes it.
I'd love to see schools make sports subservient to academics, but I fear it'll never happen purely for financial reasons.
- cconstantine 18y agoI was a nerd in high school, and I was an athlete. Granted it was swimming in the Midwest which means practically nobody cared, but it was a sport. I would count my days on the swim team as an invaluable learning experience. I found that I could think more clearly, could sleep better at night, and was more awake during the day during the swim season. In other words, while I was in shape and health my mental abilities and general well-being improved. I would not have really internalized this lesson unless I experienced it first hand. Sports have a place in school. It helped me learn some social skills, the value of physical activity, and that there can be a life outside of a computer. I was a pretty good swimmer (won more than I lost), but I was by far the worst on the team. I didn't gain any popularity by swimming. This falls in line with what PG said; you have to be a good athlete to gain popularity from sports. This isn't to say that I like how important sports are in school, but they have a place. So yeah, reduce the importance of sports but I wouldn't be in favor of eliminating them.