3 ms·

Athletics and after-school programs are probably some of the best thing schools can spend their money on (apart from good teachers). I agree maybe they get in t

by skizm 13y ago

Athletics and after-school programs are probably some of the best thing schools can spend their money on (apart from good teachers). I agree maybe they get in the way of studies when students are forced to attend pep-rallies or something similar but that is just bad school administration and needs to be dealt with on an individual school level. Apart from all the soft skills that are tough to test for like leadership, organizational skills, and work ethic, sports have a tangible effect on grades; that is they improve them. I would cite studies but there are literally too many to cite. Just google "athlete gpa vs non athlete" or something similar and there won't be one link suggesting that non-athletes get better grades (on average). Athletics are also a path to a better college and give kids constructive outlets for their time and energy. Yes they happen to be pretty expensive but are totally worth it IMO because, guess what? I don't want to be like some other countries that keep their kids' noses to the grindstone all day to prep them for "a test of critical thinking in math". We should really be teaching our kids how to do their taxes, change a tire and interpret medical test results and not how to take tests.

nitrogen 13y ago
Athletes get better grades in high school because they are encouraged by GPA requirements to take easier classes, and because teachers are pressured to inflate athletes' grades to keep them playing. Local sports can be good; I played soccer in a non-school league. School-sponsored teams only divide students and create perverse incentives.
- skizm 13y ago
  That is total speculation and I would guess totally false since standardized testing scores are higher for athletes also.
  - Retric 13y ago
    Athletes are by definition reasonably healthy and healthy people are as a rule both more intelligent and do better at work / school than non healthy people. Further, athletes are required to have a minimum GPA which has both a positive and dramatic impact on testing scores. AKA compare everyone with everyone with a 2.0+ GPA and you will see a positive correlation. PS: You can correct for these factors, but it's far less common than you might think to do so as correlations are published more often than null results.
    - Zimahl 13y ago
      Completely anecdotal but I played two sports seasons out of three in high school and my grades were always better during those seasons. While I did see some students who weren't exactly killing it academically during those seasons, they probably wouldn't have done any better without.
    - skizm 13y ago
      > by definition reasonably healthy and healthy people are as a rule both more intelligent and do better at work / school than non healthy people Playing sports will make you healthier. Edit: also the whole holding student athletes to a higher standard (need to get a 2.0) makes them get better grades and do better on tests is kinda my point. School sports helps people do better in school and in life. Isn't that what people who are against sports want?
      - nitrogen 13y ago
        School sports helps people do better in school and in life. Isn't that what people who are against sports want? That only helps the athletes, while (at least in my high school) creating a stratified society where everyone else was treated as inferior.
        skizm 13y ago
        Ah. Gotcha. Valid point. I think that is a school by school thing. Not much you can do about that unless the state starts mandating how individual schools glorify different student accomplishments.
- russellsprouts 13y ago
  At my high school, just about every AP student participated in sports. School sports are good because their cost is only around $100 for a season, with generous financial aid for those who cannot pay, vs. local teams which can be thousands. Only upper middle class families can really afford to put their kids into those programs. School sports allow people of all socio-economic status to participate, which brings students on the team together more than it brings them apart.

by skizm 13y ago

nitrogen 13y ago

Athletes get better grades in high school because they are encouraged by GPA requirements to take easier classes, and because teachers are pressured to inflate athletes' grades to keep them playing. Local sports can be good; I played soccer in a non-school league. School-sponsored teams only divide students and create perverse incentives.

skizm 13y ago
That is total speculation and I would guess totally false since standardized testing scores are higher for athletes also.
- Retric 13y ago
  Athletes are by definition reasonably healthy and healthy people are as a rule both more intelligent and do better at work / school than non healthy people. Further, athletes are required to have a minimum GPA which has both a positive and dramatic impact on testing scores. AKA compare everyone with everyone with a 2.0+ GPA and you will see a positive correlation. PS: You can correct for these factors, but it's far less common than you might think to do so as correlations are published more often than null results.
  - Zimahl 13y ago
    Completely anecdotal but I played two sports seasons out of three in high school and my grades were always better during those seasons. While I did see some students who weren't exactly killing it academically during those seasons, they probably wouldn't have done any better without.
  - skizm 13y ago
    > by definition reasonably healthy and healthy people are as a rule both more intelligent and do better at work / school than non healthy people Playing sports will make you healthier. Edit: also the whole holding student athletes to a higher standard (need to get a 2.0) makes them get better grades and do better on tests is kinda my point. School sports helps people do better in school and in life. Isn't that what people who are against sports want?
    - nitrogen 13y ago
      School sports helps people do better in school and in life. Isn't that what people who are against sports want? That only helps the athletes, while (at least in my high school) creating a stratified society where everyone else was treated as inferior.
      - skizm 13y ago
        Ah. Gotcha. Valid point. I think that is a school by school thing. Not much you can do about that unless the state starts mandating how individual schools glorify different student accomplishments.
russellsprouts 13y ago
At my high school, just about every AP student participated in sports. School sports are good because their cost is only around $100 for a season, with generous financial aid for those who cannot pay, vs. local teams which can be thousands. Only upper middle class families can really afford to put their kids into those programs. School sports allow people of all socio-economic status to participate, which brings students on the team together more than it brings them apart.