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Written by Denise Cunningham
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Thursday, 25 August 2011 13:03 |
 With federal and state budget cuts in place for the 2011-2012 school year, will school districts be able to meet the expectations of parents and students? Are we hindering the future of the next generation? How are schools preparing our students for their future? Is their focus on the academics or on athletics?
Academics or Athletics?
As students prepare for their higher education years, should they focus purely on their academic achievements or athletic abilities? For a student to be truly successful, he or she needs to focus on both. According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), only 2% of high school athletes are awarded athletic scholarships to compete in college, most of which are good for one year and must be renewed annually thereafter.
IndependentNEPA spoke to a junior from the Crestwood Area School District who feels that, with the guidance and influence of her parents, teachers, and coaches, she will be well prepared for her future. As she is a well-rounded student who is in the top 20% of her class, she not only focuses on her academics, but also her athletic skills in field hockey. This writer was enlightened by the maturity level of this student, who has already visited more than 25 colleges in a search for the right institution of higher education. Her focus is predominantly on academics, since she plans a career in the medical field while still playing field hockey, and she has aspirations of acceptance onto the U.S. Olympic Team. She feels that Crestwood is phenomenal in supplying the proper tools and resources to prepare her for the future. However, with anticipated budget cutbacks this year, the district will be losing a number of excellent teachers.
Juliann DeFalco, a teacher and field hockey coach in the Wilkes-Barre Area School District, was asked if her impression of the trends of parents and students lent primarily to academics or sports.
“This is a very difficult question to answer, since each student and family are distinctly different,” said DeFalco. “However, I would have to say that they’re more driven in the sports area. A child possessing both academic and athletic abilities is given better opportunities with athletic scholarships than a student with a better academic position.”
Does she feel that our children are well prepared for their future?
“Unfortunately, not all schools are. I would like to see them better equipped with computers,” she said. “Study halls are being implicated into the students’ schedules instead of a computer applications course of study.”
As with all school districts this upcoming school year, the Wilkes-Barre Area School District will receive a $3.8 million budget cut. This leaves the district to scramble to make some changes. A few of those being considered to help reduce costs are increasing class sizes, eliminating pre-kindergarten classes, reduction in sports programs, eliminating summer school remediation, and implementing a four-day school week.
In the Crestwood Area School District, this is the first year that a $50 participation fee for each sport will be implemented. Some families simply may no longer be able to give their child the opportunity to try out a variety of different sports.
A parent whose two sons recently passed through the Wilkes-Barre Area School District experienced one who took advanced academic courses and thought he was well prepared for his future college years at Penn State University, only to find out that he wasn’t. Her second son is now preparing for his college career and she hopes that he will be more adequately prepared for the classes that will be waiting for him in the fall.
Very few students who enter into college with athletic scholarships further their career in the sports industry. Even if the individual is fortunate enough to move on into professional sports, there is always the possibility of injury and, therefore, a short-lived career. Being realistic about their future, students and parents should focus first on academics and secondarily on sports.
“In America’s colleges, there is a system of discounting for academic achievement. Most people with good academic records aren’t paying full sticker price. We don’t want people to stop playing sports; it’s good for them. But the best opportunity for advancement in life comes from improving one’s academic qualifications.”
– Myles Brand, NCAA President
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