Sports Have No Place in Higher Education
While college student’s pile up debt to cope with sky rocketing tuition, and universities are battling immense budget shortfalls; institutions of higher learning continue to waste vast amounts of money on sports programs that in no way relate to their mission to provide an education. As schools turn away scholastically qualified students and provide diminishing financial aid to those accepted, they dole out full athletic scholarships to less qualified applicants who are less likely to graduate. Colleges and universities should devoid themselves of costly sports programs and put an end to athletic scholarships. Some schools have already recognized the immoral and unsustainable economic path they are on and chosen to recapture their moral compass by putting money previously allocated for sports programs into student services and fee and …show more content…
Sports were my priority as a young man. I played basketball, football and baseball at the varsity level in high school and even now, as a grown man, I help support this absurd upside down system. I watch and cheer for my teams and buy their memorabilia. I have coached basketball for 16 years, and all my children have participated in sports. There is a place for sports, they do provide many positives but non-school funded club and intramural teams can supply all the same positives. As I’ve toiled through life at low paying jobs, I realized I faltered by not putting education first. To this regard I have made sure my children don’t fall into the trap I did, they were all expected to be students first, and while I enjoyed watching them accomplish sports goals, nothing eclipsed my pride of their scholastic accomplishments. Now each has headed off to college, not to score a touchdown or hit a homer, but to become an engineer, doctor, teacher, computer programmer or whatever dream they
While college student’s pile up debt to cope with sky rocketing tuition, and universities are battling immense budget shortfalls; institutions of higher learning continue to waste vast amounts of money on sports programs that in no way relate to their mission to provide an education. As schools turn away scholastically qualified students and provide diminishing financial aid to those accepted, they dole out full athletic scholarships to less qualified applicants who are less likely to graduate. Colleges and universities should devoid themselves of costly sports programs and put an end to athletic scholarships. Some schools have already recognized the immoral and unsustainable economic path they are on and chosen to recapture their moral compass by putting money previously allocated for sports programs into student services and fee and …show more content…
Sports were my priority as a young man. I played basketball, football and baseball at the varsity level in high school and even now, as a grown man, I help support this absurd upside down system. I watch and cheer for my teams and buy their memorabilia. I have coached basketball for 16 years, and all my children have participated in sports. There is a place for sports, they do provide many positives but non-school funded club and intramural teams can supply all the same positives. As I’ve toiled through life at low paying jobs, I realized I faltered by not putting education first. To this regard I have made sure my children don’t fall into the trap I did, they were all expected to be students first, and while I enjoyed watching them accomplish sports goals, nothing eclipsed my pride of their scholastic accomplishments. Now each has headed off to college, not to score a touchdown or hit a homer, but to become an engineer, doctor, teacher, computer programmer or whatever dream they