I think the "life lessons" everybody's claiming they learned from high school sports is a bit exaggerated. You've already learned the teamwork, sportsmanship, and other lessons from participating in youth sports and 9-10 years of schooling.

I played sports in high school and I learned that I liked playing sports and it was fun.

10/12/2013 10:23:46 AM

When you're that age however "everyone is a winner."

High School is valuable as a reality check.

10/12/2013 10:54:39 AM

The intensity of high school sports makes it more of a learning experience. I'm sure its hard for people who have never been a part of sports on a big stage to understand this but when the entire town is counting on you, everything becomes magnified under a microscope and this magnifies the learning value.

Youth sports is kind of a joke as far as the levels of organization and intensity.

10/12/2013 11:33:38 AM

Quote :

"different people find life lessons in different ways. what works for you doesn't necessarily work for others."

10/12/2013 8:49:33 PM

Quote :

"I think the "life lessons" everybody's claiming they learned from high school sports is a bit exaggerated. You've already learned the teamwork, sportsmanship, and other lessons from participating in youth sports and 9-10 years of schooling."

Maybe for the more privileged kids who had the opportunity to try many extra-curricular activities. But for the rest? I don't think so.

10/12/2013 10:06:18 PM

this thread is like bizzaroworld.

10/13/2013 10:06:02 PM

Quote :

"The intensity of high school sports makes it more of a learning experience. I'm sure its hard for people who have never been a part of sports on a big stage to understand this but when the entire town is counting on you, everything becomes magnified under a microscope and this magnifies the learning value"

Not sure if this is trolling or serious, but besides football, how many HS sporting events are attended by the entire town? And in what areas of the state? What percentage of an entire HS population is represented by the football team that actually makes it onto the field to play?

For example, I went to a HS with over 2000 kids in attendance every year. Assuming 50 kids on the team get playing time, that's 2.5% of the student body. Granted, this doesn't represent every HS in the state, but in this example the spending seems disproportionate to the % of the student body seeing direct benefit from the experience.

What's not being discussed here is what I believe to be the HUGE disconnect between HS sports in large metropolitan areas, and small rural areas. I think HS sports have much more importance to schools and students in rural communities than in bigger cities like Raleigh or Charlotte. Without school sports, many of these kids wouldn't have an opportunity to play or participate in anything extra-curricular, because no other realistic opportunities exist.

10/14/2013 8:58:40 AM

^

Quote :

"and if only a minority of students are involved in athletics, why is that a worthwhile investment?"

Quote :

"same reason as for band, service clubs, etc. the fact that it costs more money is not important. it's not an imperative that the same amount of money be spent on every child."

10/14/2013 9:00:34 AM

suggested compromise: fund athletics at the same level as band

10/14/2013 9:09:19 AM

I like how everything is black and white to you.

You do realize that would be a huge boost to many schools' athletic programs?

The only reason it sounds like a good idea to you is because you were a band kid.

This thread is stupid.

10/14/2013 9:45:13 AM

false

10/14/2013 9:55:47 AM

Did some mean jocks jam you into your sousaphone?

10/14/2013 9:59:09 AM

see:

Quote :

"^^I played soccer in middle school, football and soccer in high school and did marching band. I also did Honors Society, Math Club, and Physics Club. I also did club sports up to the U-16 level. I didn't learn any lessons that required stadium lights, expensive road trips, coaches with $10k salary supplements, etc... And in Marching Band I learned that you can put on a $100k marching show without any public money. "

where does band get more money than athletics?

10/14/2013 10:00:11 AM

I would say mine but I dont like to leave personal clues on this site that would allow the super sleuths to figure out my location

Of course sports and band both had boosters clubs and were expected to raise probably 90% of their total yearly funding because the school district was dirt poor.



[Edited on October 14, 2013 at 10:59 AM. Reason : -]

10/14/2013 10:57:18 AM

where

10/14/2013 10:58:12 AM

Sports teams at my particular school were all very small anyway. They always barely squeaked by with enough people to field a full team and even if they did substitutions were then rare.

On the other hand the marching band was absolutely massive and had new flags, uniforms, props every year.

Their booster clubs were simply larger and more efficient at raising money.

Meanwhile the football team has to use pads and uniforms until they fall apart, and thats probably because they sucked dick and never won anything.

10/14/2013 11:02:58 AM

marching band raises a ton of money through fundraisers, for example when I was in high school our marching band season cost over $100k. We raised all of that money privately. We also raised our own money to buy instruments and uniforms.

Where is band getting more public money than sports are?

(also, as I already mentioned, NC isn't one of the particularly bad states in regards to athletics spending. we have on occasion (at least in Wake Co) even discussed defending it entirely)


[Edited on October 14, 2013 at 11:18 AM. Reason : defending = defunding]

10/14/2013 11:11:26 AM

Quote :

"Did some mean jocks jam you into your sousaphone?"

http://youtu.be/0P9HCPAEc48

10/14/2013 8:19:19 PM

schools recoup some cost by charging admission to sporting events as well

10/14/2013 10:04:07 PM

Quote :

"Not sure if this is trolling or serious, but besides football, how many HS sporting events are attended by the entire town? And in what areas of the state? What percentage of an entire HS population is represented by the football team that actually makes it onto the field to play? For example, I went to a HS with over 2000 kids in attendance every year. Assuming 50 kids on the team get playing time, that's 2.5% of the student body. Granted, this doesn't represent every HS in the state, but in this example the spending seems disproportionate to the % of the student body seeing direct benefit from the experience."

football games are a full spectacle and much more than just football.

-football team
-2 cheer squads
-1 dance team
-full band
-full crew that produces a live broadcast on public tv
-academic awards at halftime to honor classroom achievement
-concessions income
-gate admissions income

I coached at a large rural school where basketball and football were huge. fundraising concessions and gates fund pretty much everything and because of the rules and paperwork, it still ends up "costing the school". By the time we hit fundraising, all the funds had been depleted by football and band. Virtually all of their money comes from their own revenue. The school obviously paid to build and maintain the fields, gyms and overhead but thats it.

Parents and fundraising pays for everything else but that money still ends up counting as the schools expense.

10/15/2013 2:13:04 AM

and in the absence of athletics at high schools, the neighborhood club team would fill that role

10/15/2013 8:32:35 AM

Quote :

"I coached at a large rural school where basketball and football were huge."

Right, my point exactly. For a rural school in an area where there is nothing else to do, a football game is about much more than just the football team. A much higher percentage of the school is involved in the event.

In the middle of Raleigh (or another more metropolitan area than Raleigh), it doesn't mean as much because there are more options for entertainment on a Friday night, and a higher percentage of students won't show up to a home football game. They'll still probably be well attended, but the whole town isn't showing up, and largely doesn't care.

But I bet you that everyone who goes to Greene Central HS knows exactly who they're playing on a given Friday night and most students, parents, and residents of the area show up to the games. (I don't actually know this to be true, since I have no knowledge of Greene Central HS and it's football program. I just found a middle-of-nowhere HS in NC and decided to use them as an example).

10/15/2013 9:56:22 AM

Obviously has never been to a millbrook/sanderson game.

[Edited on October 15, 2013 at 11:11 AM. Reason : or any game in dallas atlanta miami los angeles and every other southern city]

10/15/2013 11:10:22 AM

Actually I have been to a Millbrook/Sanderson game. More than one.

I went to school in Wake County and I attended every single home football game in HS across all 4 years and many away games. I'm not exaggerating. Every home game. I have a pretty good idea who showed up while I was in school, and in this county it's definitely not more than 50% of the student body, and that includes the team on the field, the cheerleaders, the band, the support crew, etc. And all of Raleigh sure as shit isn't turning out to Millbrook/Sanderson, most of the town doesn't even know it's going on.

Whereas in East Bumfuck, most of the school turns out for each game, as well as the rest of the area.

I'm referencing North Carolina, and our state's football culture. Is it different in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Florida, etc? Yes. Those places take the activity more seriously (I assume).

10/15/2013 12:53:36 PM

Quote :

"and in the absence of athletics at high schools, the neighborhood club team would fill that role"

the "neighborhood" in many rural areas consists of one house. That's a great football team you got there!

10/15/2013 9:16:32 PM

so the high school has one person too? no? they uses magic motor vehicles that only work for school and can't be used for other activities? oh. makes sense.

10/15/2013 10:25:41 PM

High schools aren't usually made up of only one neighborhood. Your claim is that they can use the "neighborhood" for recreation, but the fact is that in rural areas, there's no such thing as a "neighborhood," so the "club team" doesn't exist, at least not in a manner more convenient than the local high school.

10/15/2013 10:39:22 PM

remember how everyone makes fun of you for using semantics arguments as a crutch? this is what they were talking about. it was clear from the context what the point was.

10/15/2013 11:08:29 PM

remember how TWW couldnt decide if you, shoot, jcgolden, or face was the biggest troll here?

fine company to be in, especially considering youre the only one in that group that takes themselves seriously.

everyone should just start using your generic response against you.

"nope, youre wrong"

10/15/2013 11:33:53 PM

athletics bring a hell of a lot more to the table for a high school person than the "arts"

10/15/2013 11:40:41 PM

^is that, like, per dollar spent or overall?? Care to substantiate your opinion? Or did you just blurt that out? Also, not need to put "arts" in quotation marks in your sentence. Unless they taught you otherwise in your "English" class.

10/16/2013 2:47:34 AM

I believe he's trolling

10/16/2013 8:04:37 AM

hes right but thats not the arts fault. arts are beat out of kids in early grade school so by the time they reach high school they have much less appreciation for it.

10/17/2013 12:39:52 AM