Should athletics be removed from schools?
What if, with the budget crisis caused by rising costs and cuts to educational funding caused the local high schools to shut down their athletic programs? While no one wants to see a scenario such as this played out, it is definitely a question to ponder. For instance, it makes me wonder if the focus of the community would return to test scores and the education of their children rather than scoreboards and mascots.
Without athletic teams at a high school what need is there for controversial mascot issues? The community could pick up the governance of athletic teams such as they do Little League, Pop Warner Football, The Channel Cats, etc. They can elect committees and officials to be in charge of booking and upkeep of facilities, hiring and paying coaching staff, ordering and storing athletic equipment, hiring game officials, scheduling games, clean-up, playoffs and the best perk of all they can name their teams anything they like!
The schools will be released from the pressures and criticism of each and every decision made in regard to athletics, the days of scraping and begging for funds to keep up with public demand will be over and the best perk of all teachers and administrators can focus on the business of education. The staff can go to the post office or grocery store and be assured that if they are stopped by a parent or community member with a criticism at least the topic will be education.
The students could have the best of both worlds as they would have a community and household who would hopefully be placing a higher focus on their child”s education as they head off to school each day and the high school staff, unencumbered by athletic mandates, could be more accommodating to school-wide student social and educational events.
Certainly this shifting of control and values is a utopian dream for a society that exists to work together rather than be torn apart but if a person cannot dream big during an election year when can she?
Holley Luia
Kelseyville
