Michael+R’s+OpEd+Article



By: Michael R
 * Academic and Athletic Priority **

A student wants to learn and has an interest in their studies. An athlete practices and devotes time to their sport. Which has more potential to the future: the spent time of the student or the practice time of an athlete? Is the question irrelevant?

Coaches continue to say, “School always comes first.” Some athletes come to a compromise. Some students choose to struggle against the fourth dimension. My experience with sports has shown coaches do not always have the highest standard or appreciation of study. I remember hearing a coach comment on a player’s “C” grade. He said, “At least you did your best and passed.” Part of me wants to believe the statement, but I know with more academic “practice” the individual could have done better. What is someone’s best? No, a limit does not exist. Missing practice for academic purposes does not reflect a true committed athlete to the rationality of a coach. It illogically shows lack of commitment.

When I miss a sport practice, I think of this generic hypothetical conversation: Sport Player: Yes, I missed practice because I wanted to study. I missed practice, because I cared about my grades. I missed practice, because I see the importance of school. Coach: Why did you not coordinate your time around your commitment to the team? You need to prioritize sports, too. When you started this sport, you made a commitment to the team.

To me, the argument of the student has more gravity to life. To the values of a hardworking student, the sport player made the right decision by not going to practice for a day to study for a challenging AP US History Test.

How strong is an athlete’s priority to their studies? Energy is drained from the athlete by their sport. Sleep deprivation continues the cycle of time constraint. How much will the athlete compromise for their sport?

If I committed myself to a sport completely, I would hopefully improve my ability to play the given sport. If I used that commitment on learning math or reading good literature, I would hopefully improve my life. A person chooses to focus on their studies or their sport. I know by working on both I improve at a slower rate than focusing on one, but that is an individual choice.

The usual situation for sports is for the individual to leave school early, travel to the location, and wait for an extended amount of time before the event actually begins. Not all teachers are helpful with missed material or test makeup. The ideals of sports are good on some level. Meeting new people is not detrimental. Challenging and striving to a goal is helpful.

Once upon a time, education meant discovery and the excitement of learning. In the beginning, involvement in sports meant having fun. The commitments of academics/athletics continue to pressure, force, and demand the individual to change their time distribution. media type="file" key="michaelr-muckraker-0910.mp3"