Athletics and Academics...

So much emphasis is placed on sports in our society today it’s no small wonder that kids today see themselves one day becoming a prominent sports figure. However, this view is a distorted one with the odds skewed against them; it would be like everyone thinking that when they grow up, they are going to win the lottery! I can only speak on my behalf, and having played at the ‘next level’ that being college football, and coaching high school football over the past five years, gives me an insight that many other parents simply do not have. It is with this insight that I would like to discuss the topic of today’s blog and help lift the fog surrounding high school athletics and academics.

Having two children playing college football would make most parents very proud of their kids, and believe me, I am. But I want to talk about the burden that’s placed on kids who are competing for these positions and the sacrifices they are forced to make to allow them to play at the next level. The percentage of kids that sign with major college football teams is extremely low, most estimates put it around four percent of all high school athletes in a given sport! The goal here is not to discourage you from pushing your child to participate in high school athletics, but to more importantly keep things in perspective!

I can also speak for my kids when I say that after seeing how the kids on college academic scholarships live, compared to their athletic schedule and the way athletes live; they would gladly trade to have that academic scholarship! For instance, there is no glory in waking up at five o’clock each morning to go run and lift weights, but no one sees this side of college athletics. Being so tired from working out with weights and practice to the point that it is nearly impossible to focus on school work is just part of the daily routine! In addition, the pressure to perform at the highest level has never been so great. Coaches with high-profile contracts are under tremendous pressure to perform and this gets passed down to the athletes; and as a result, scholarships can be pulled any time player performance drops.

It is very rewarding to see your child’s picture in the newspaper for some athletic accomplishment, but I would prefer to see more of them rewarded for their academic accomplishments! Maybe then we would have more kids vying for academic scholarships than athletic scholarships. But in our landscape of sports mania, that is not likely to happen very soon. So until then it is up to you as parents to celebrate every seemingly minor academic accomplishment over the course of your child’s academic career. Make every parent-teacher workshop and most importantly, every academic award presentation!

Every child craves for attention, and there is no better way to improve performance, than to reward improvement with attention and positive feedback. Spend more time worrying about where they are seated in class than where they are on the depth chart in their particular sporting event and you will see your child reap the rewards of academic honors upon graduation. Encourage academic success and spend time each night reviewing your child’s progress because just as they say in business, what gets measured gets improved! If they have a natural predilection for a particular sport, be supportive, but make sure they understand that in no uncertain terms with athletics ever take preference over academics! Be firm on this point and be consistent and you both will be proud of their academic accomplishments in the end!