Letters submitted by BDN readers are verified by BDN Opinion Page staff. Send your letters to [email protected]
When my son and daughter decided to play sports in high school, their motivation for participating in sports was never to stand on a podium. I don’t believe the thought ever occurred to them; it never occurred to me as a parent as a reason to support their participation in high school sports or sports at any level. They were motivated to be with friends, be part of a team, be physically active and enjoy the benefits of competition.
As a parent, I was aware of the many benefits of high school sports and the life-long benefits: leadership, discipline, time management, navigating obstacles, accepting defeat while supporting the winners. High school sports also allow individuals to cross paths with other individuals from their own school, as well as other schools they might not share other activities with. It’s a chance to widen one’s friendships.
The list of benefits is endless. Yes, down sides exist, however the benefits outweigh the negatives.
An additional thought about competition, academic competition. A student may take mostly college level and AP classes; another student may take mostly general high school classes. Should the individual taking college prep be elevated over the individual taking general classes, if the latter is No. 1 in ranking and No. 2 is the student enrolled in college prep.
Maybe we should put less emphasis on podiums and ranking and as the adults role model respect and regard for the success of all individuals.
Laura Bouzan
Stockton Springs
