Keeping high school sports in their proper educational
perspective in the 90s is becoming increasingly more difficult for educators.
We all know that America loves a winner. The media focuses much attention
on those individuals and/or teams that are crowned state champions. Parents
often perceive the interscholastic program as the means whereby their son
or daughter will develop sports skills that will ultimately lead to a collegiate
athletic scholarship.
It cannot be argued that the need for ethics
or a body of principle transcends almost every walk of life. No place in
our society is this more evident today than in education. To truly understand
and deal with this issue, one must first have thorough com prehension of
the purpose for the interscholastic program as a part of the curriculum.
The origin of the South Dakota High School Activities
Association dates back to 1905. At that time, the interscholastic objective
was said to be a consequence of concern expressed by numerous populations
that schools and society were not sufficiently tea ching those traits necessary
to sustain character to attain success in a competitive society. Then, sports
were viewed as a practical and motivating way to accomplish those goals.
The interscholastic objective was teaching morals, character and the Ameri
can system of achievement.
Somehow or another, those of us in charge of
the interscholastic program have gradually allowed the goals and objectives
to focus more on winning than participation. In far too many instances,
the over-emphasis on winning has replaced some of the more im portant time-tested
goals and objectives of high school sports. In this modern day and age,
specialization in one sport on a year-round basis is not uncommon.The intense
pressures to win that are imposed upon high school coaches discourages widesprea
d participation by all members of an athletic squad. Communities, especially
school boards, should re-evaluate policies that call for dismissal of competent
and professional coaches who may not have recorded as many wins as the general
public expec ted.
One of the primary purposes for interscholastic
sports in the school curricula is to prepare young adolescents for the challenges
of adult life. Student athletes are being shortchanged if all they take
from the interscholastic programs are the skills related to playing the
sport. We must offer the student athlete things that will last them a l
ifetime and help them to be a better person and better equipped to deal
with the challenges of life. If it’s done right, participation in athletics,
win or lose, can become one of the most powerful and influential educational
experiences that can a ccrue to teenage boys and girls.
As educators, it is our obligation, it is our
duty, that we provide what students need in order to receive a well-rounded
education. In this regard, it is important that our schools provide the
student of today with the best education possible for this kind of world
that now exists.
It is undisputed that interscholastic athletics
and fine arts activities are vital parts of the total educational experience
of students.
As the twentieth century winds down, we need
to remind ourselves of the primary goals and objectives for sponsoring school
sports. In that regard, we need to eliminate the over-emphasis on winning
and concentrate more on character development and the val ues needed to
become a successful person.
A good activities program will make a concerted
effort to teach, but not confined to, good sportsmanship; the important
of persistence; perseverance; commitment to excellence; the want and desire
to be the best you can be at every pursuit; learning h ow to achieve and
commit to a goal, pride, devotion, dedication, respect for those in authority,
honesty, trustworthiness, the ability to work with others in a team setting,
caring about others, self-discipline, respect for rules and regulations,
st ick-to-itiveness in developing a strong work ethic are but a few examples
of the lessons for life that should be taught, developed and nurtured through
activity participation.
Excerpts from an article
by Marlyn Goldhammer, Executive Director, South Dakota High School Activities
Association. Reprinted from Kansas High School Activities Journal. m