High School Sports

In “The Case Against High School Sports,” Amanda Ripley, a journalist for The Atlantic, states that America is spending more money on high school sports rather than on academic purposes. “High School Sports Aren’t Killing Academics, “ written by Daniel Bowen, a postdoctoral scholar at Rice University, and Colin Hitt, an assistant professor at the University of Arkansas, discusses the benefits that come out of sports programs to improve the classroom and the school’s social capital. Co-founder of a sports recruiting social network, Kai Sato’s article “The Case For High School Sports,” focuses on how school does not just involve scoring well on a math test but to educate us to be productive in what lies ahead. Ripley’s article discusses how

Are high school sports good for kids? Many people believe that athletic sports are good, but they ignore the fatal flaws of these activities. Youth and high school sports are harmful because athletes often get too caught up in winning and get hurt frequently, physical sports also take away from other extracurricular activities.

The tightest VB NSW Cup campaign in years ended with an extraordinarily climatic conclusion – Mounties taking out the minor premiership by a single for and against point.

Throughout high school, I’ve been involved in multiple activities. As I began high school sports, I looked up to the upperclassmen and tried to be like them. As I grow older, I try to be a positive role model for the underclassmen, just as the students before me had done. I believe that being a positive influence on the ones that look up to you is a splendid aspect to have. As my senior year approached, I participated in volleyball for my fourth year. Throughout practice, I was sure to reach

A 2016 study by the NCAA revealed that there are nearly eight million students who participate in high school athletics in the United States, yet only 480,000 of them will compete at NCAA schools ("Probability of Competing Beyond High School"). Of that approximate 16% who become a student-athlete, an even smaller percent will graduate and become professional athletes. For example, data from the 2015 NFL Draft demonstrates that there is less than a 2% chance of playing in the NFL. During the 2015 Draft, there were 72,788 NCAA football participants, only 16,175 of those were draft eligible for the 256 slots which equates to a 1.6% chance of being drafted to the NFL. According to the NCAA, of the 256 NCAA players selected in the 2015 NFL draft 236 were from Division I FBS institutions, 17 were from Division I FCS programs, two were from Division II programs, and only one was from a Division III program. Student-athletes from the power five conferences accounted for for 200 of the 256 draft picks (SEC=54, ACC=47, Pac-12=39, Big Ten=35, Big 12=25) ("Probability of Competing Beyond High School", 2016). With there being a small percentage of playing professional sports after college, the importance of a college degree has become a priority for many student-athletes.

Athletics have changed over the years in Hampton Roads, Virginia, particularly in High School Football.  Football programs seemingly shied away from bettering young athletes and keeping them on the right track to focusing on building “super teams” to better benefit the coaches and the school’s reputation.  Lately we have watched a few of the area's top athletes coincidentally join forces at the same schools, regardless of what school zone they were originally assigned to, raising eyebrows all across the area. It has become such normality that more and more coaches are obtaining reprimands for recruiting violations, posing a very interesting question: Should the coaches who utilize the talent that they are given and actually work to build their team up from the ground be given more credit, or should the coaches with teams consisting of above average players continue to get all of the praise?

Many people think Division One College basketball and high school basketball are the same, but do people understand the differences? In the same way they use a basketball, wear uniforms, have a student section, and have the same number of players on the court. Division One College basketball teams, such as, Villanova, Duke, or North Carolina, offer a more professional level type of basketball game for fans to watch. However, this would require fans to travel around to different states. On the other hand, high schools such as Archbishop Ryan or Father Judge, provide a more local game to make traveling less for people. Division One College basketball and high school basketball both provide a fun environment; however, they differ in capacity, rules, and arena.

Penny Peterson, was playing volleyball for her high school’s varsity team in Astormia. During the game when Penny jumped to hit the ball, the opposing player Darlene Daniels also jumped to block the hit but Darlene reached across the top of the net and her finger went into Penny’s right eye. Penny underwent surgery and she cannot see very well. Astormia Volleyball rules states that contact with opponents if it deliberates is prohibited and if its incidental contact is not violation.

Today the committee revealed the four playoff teams. Their decision set the party guest list. A closer examination revealed one flaw. A missing party member capable of alternating the event. Iowa was supposed to be the dark horse. The school destined to crash the party. Instead the Hawkeyes are the latest compelling what if sports story. A`la the 01 Seattle Mariners. While Sparty prepares for battle Iowa, the Big10, and the playoff committee will look towards next year.

Only one and a half percent of college football players will have the opportunity to be on an NFL roster in their life. Yet, nearly one million high school football players have aspirations of playing in the NFL. The realization that so many high school athletes have dreams of playing a college or professional sport is concerning. However, the counter argument is students should be allowed to dream big and shoot for the stars. While I firmly believe that one should be allowed to have high expectations, he should be aware that it is impossible for him to fully achieve his potential.

People think that sports get into the way of people having good grades. They also think that it gives the students a false sense of success or achievement. People say that school and sports will never go together because they send their kids to school to learn and not play. There are some that go as far as to say that high school football will not further advance their lives if they don’t make a real team.

Many high schools and middle schools throughout the United States offer students a wide variety of sports for both boys and girls to become involved and participate in such as the following: baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, football, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field; as well as wrestling.

The bang of the head, the crack of the bone, the tear of a muscle, are all things that high school athletes put themselves at risks for. Every time a high school athlete steps foot on a field, rink, or court they put themself in a risky situation. Although the risk may be there, athletes achieve many valuable lessons throughout high school sports. The valuable lessons promote self-confidence, socialization and team spirit, as well as decreases stress. While playing sports, athletes are at excessive risks of being injured. Although high school athletes have a risk of being injured, the benefits of high school sports programs outweighs the physical risk because of its benefits to teenagers mental health, benefits to teenagers physical health,

A large dilemma in the realm of volleyball for parents is deciding whether to put their child in a club or not. For the majority of higher level volleyball clubs, they require an immense amount of commitment and money. Now, X-Factor, in particular, is not a Division I level club, but they do associate with Division II play and with that, their price tag heightens to $750; not including costly memberships, hotels, food, volleyball gear, and gas money for driving to far away tournaments. In the event that a student-athlete gets the opportunity and makes the club they tried out for, many parents pose the question: Is an expensive club worth it? On average, a high level, national volleyball club meets at least three nights a week, flies

Do sports have a role in the lives of students? In an article posted by the Atlantic authored by Amanda Ripley on October of 2013 titled "The Case Against High-school Sports", Ripley questions the added value of sports to high schools and its students, outlining that the focus on sports has resulted in poor international test results. The article further used schools in various cities and countries, such as Shanghai, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Finland as exemplary examples, stating that at some institutions in these cities and countries have shifted or eliminated sports in the school system and are heavily focused on being purely academic institutions, which as stated in the article yielded higher rankings in international standardized test.