In a recent article in the Atlantic magazine, Amanda Ripley argues that we should dramatically diminish, or even get rid of, high school sports in the United States, because they are throwing off our priorities and sucking up our funding. I began the article with even more than my typical skeptical eye, having written not long ago that I thought we should expand high school sports. Nevertheless, Ripley lays out a strong case for how high school athletics is getting in the way of high school education. Look no further than the entry hall in most American high schools, where you will see trophy cases lined with athletic achievements and nary a chess club certificate to be seen. Whether you agree with Ripley or not, this is an article worth reading.
That said, I think we can find a better balance between athletics and academics without jettisoning high school sports. It might begin with getting rid of one sport – football. That is very much the gorilla in the room. It sucks up more money than most other sports combined. In addition, it begins many of its athletes on a road toward obesity. Bigger is better, after all, in football.
I would like to see more sports in high school, but also greater emphasis on having schools compete in nonathletic domains, perhaps in art competitions, drama festivals, and the like. I would like to see our trophy cases better represent the full range of student accomplishments. And I would like us to promote healthy athletic competitions, in low-budget sports, so our kids can get into the habit of being healthy and active.
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