On February 19, 2015 my American Sport in the 21st Century class discussed interscholastic sport. We briefly touched base on a lot of topic areas such as pros and cons, values, problems, and cost. High Schools cut $2 billion in funding just last year. What does this mean for schools? Pay to play? Less games? Buy your own equipment? No athletic trainers? According to the article Pay-to-Play Keeping Kids on the Sidelines one in seven parents could not afford for their kids to play middle or high school sports. The average cost to participate in a sport was $126, but that did not include travel or equipment. This cost is too much for lower-income households, which is bad news for the future sport managers such as myself. Unfortunately, 1/3 kids drop out every year (lecture 2-17-15) and with the rising costs of participation this number may increase.
This means less jobs and opportunities for the future sport managers. Although some may argue that this is okay because sports distract students from their academics, but I believe the pros outweigh these cons. Sports allow for a person to grow, learn skills, and allow them to work with a team. These skills are necessary for adulthood, and limiting participation is not the solution.
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