The Case Against High School Sports Analysis

Amanda Ripley’s idea that athletics are a distraction in “The Case Against High-School Sports” sparked within me the question of whether all people are equally distracted by athletics in an environment which is heavily focused on academics. The author states, “During football season in particular, the focus of American principals, teachers, and students shifts inexorably away from academics.” I can clearly remember a day last May in high school where I had a late football practice and two AP test the following morning. I recall waking up very tired, sluggish, and upset that I did not get a last minute chance to look over my materials. I remember feeling like I had maybe taken on too much, but I knew I would be alright because I had prepared

In other words, I know what I signed up for when I wanted to take on a big load even though at times like the day of the AP test I feel somewhat overwhelmed by it all. The author says sports serve as a distraction in an environment in which academics should reign far superior. From my experiences, like the one last May, I have learned that it is up to me to excel at whatever I am attempting to do. I know not to take on more than I can realistically do, but that does not mean that I do so little that I never push myself like the day of the AP test . I have had several friends in high school who have done great balancing the two activities; one of my closest friends is a Division 1 athlete at Clemson University, the biggest stage for a student athlete. My senior year my other friend Wayne was not so great at being accountable for all of his work load. As football season being to start, Wayne’s grades in advanced courses such as Calculus and Chemistry begin to dip. At this point he essentially had two options: Quit football or sign up for less rigorous courses. Taking no action, Wayne suffered the consequences of his own irresponsibility. His options were very limited when it came to attending a college of his choice despite having several football scholarship offers, but it was all his fault. He did not have the character to make himself sit down with no distractions and study. My character makes it

The night last May when I had my late practice I did not feel sorry for myself. I took control my situation months ahead of time. By preparing myself over the course of the year I did not need to cram last minute despite naturally wanting to. Wayne looked at this a little differently. He waited until the night before all of his exams to study. He even bragged to me over Christmas break that his usual routine was: Go to get lunch, go to practice, and go hit the bars. He said the only time he went to class was when he knew he had a test. Had he not played football Wayne would not have even been at college. The day I got the results of my AP test I was proud of myself. Not because of the good scores I received, but because I thought I had done a great job over the course of four years balancing academics and athletics. I was finally enjoying the fruits of my excellence. Fruits Wayne will never taste because he lacked the character to get the job done when it mattered