High school sports?

[kenny thomas]

It's odd how different it is here. I live within 10 mile's of 2 high schools and have never been to a football game. Very rare that I even know there is a game. A couple hundred people would be a big crowd here.

Just so you don't think I'm against football I'm not, but none of the sports are real popular here. I go to elementary basketball games because i have nieces that play but otherwise never think about it.

 

[TexasBred]

It's odd how different it is here. I live within 10 mile's of 2 high schools and have never been to a football game. Very rare that I even know there is a game. A couple hundred people would be a big crowd here.

Just so you don't think I'm against football I'm not, but none of the sports are real popular here. I go to elementary basketball games because i have nieces that play but otherwise never think about it.

Amazing how the communities support the kids in all the small communities around here. There are no large cities close by so everything is from 400 folks up to 15-18,000. But you can go to almost any function involving athletics, band, fund raisers of any kind held by a school organization and there will be huge crowds relatively speaking. They may not give a dam about football or buying a chocolate cake at auction but they do care about the kids and appreciate the lessons learned from hard work, competition, winning and yes LOSING.

 

[True Grit Farms]

It's odd how different it is here. I live within 10 mile's of 2 high schools and have never been to a football game. Very rare that I even know there is a game. A couple hundred people would be a big crowd here.

Just so you don't think I'm against football I'm not, but none of the sports are real popular here. I go to elementary basketball games because i have nieces that play but otherwise never think about it.

Amazing how the communities support the kids in all the small communities around here. There are no large cities close by so everything is from 400 folks up to 15-18,000. But you can go to almost any function involving athletics, band, fund raisers of any kind held by a school organization and there will be huge crowds relatively speaking. They may not give a dam about football or buying a chocolate cake at auction but they do care about the kids and appreciate the lessons learned from hard work, competition, winning and yes LOSING.

Sports kept my kids busy, and I feel it helped us bond and kept them off the streets. We see kids all the time that WE played ball with and they all come over and talk and bs. A couple got side tracked but for the most part everyone did OK.

 

[Bestoutwest]

Before I start, I must come clean. I enjoy sports. I watch sports. I played sports. My son plays sports and I encourage it. Yes, I am an academic, I can't help it, that's the house I grew up in. Nothing bothers me more with our educational system than the time, money and effort spent on school sports. We as a society wonder why our kids are falling behind in the world, and yet we completely turn a blind eye to the massive amount of time and money our schools, parents and society have spent on sports. I work with several people who have children playing travel sports that have told me they spend every weekend on the road and over $10K/year to travel and participate. Another woman I know has 3 kids in gymnastics spending $1,500/month on lessons and then countless other thousands of dollars on events. The financial toll that it is taking on parents is pretty large. I know the gymnastics kids and the physical toll it takes on them is pretty severe. I have heard all the rhetoric about what sports teach kids, but I will say that you can have the best team player in the workforce, but if they don't have the education to perform the job, it becomes a moot point.

Also, I know that sports offer some kids an education that they would never receive. But how many of those kids actually get an education out of sports? The reality is not that many.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-odds-o ... ge-sports/

For a fantastic read, that's almost 30 years old, I suggest Friday Night Lights. Another more recent account is King of Sports that details the racket the NCAA and NFL have created with the illusion that it does anything other than line their pockets.

 

[Bright Raven]

Before I start, I must come clean. I enjoy sports. I watch sports. I played sports. My son plays sports and I encourage it. Yes, I am an academic, I can't help it, that's the house I grew up in. Nothing bothers me more with our educational system than the time, money and effort spent on school sports. We as a society wonder why our kids are falling behind in the world, and yet we completely turn a blind eye to the massive amount of time and money our schools, parents and society have spent on sports. I work with several people who have children playing travel sports that have told me they spend every weekend on the road and over $10K/year to travel and participate. Another woman I know has 3 kids in gymnastics spending $1,500/month on lessons and then countless other thousands of dollars on events. The financial toll that it is taking on parents is pretty large. I know the gymnastics kids and the physical toll it takes on them is pretty severe. I have heard all the rhetoric about what sports teach kids, but I will say that you can have the best team player in the workforce, but if they don't have the education to perform the job, it becomes a moot point.

Also, I know that sports offer some kids an education that they would never receive. But how many of those kids actually get an education out of sports? The reality is not that many.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-odds-o ... ge-sports/

For a fantastic read, that's almost 30 years old, I suggest Friday Night Lights. Another more recent account is King of Sports that details the racket the NCAA and NFL have created with the illusion that it does anything other than line their pockets.

I agree. As the cliche, you express your priorities more by what you do, than what you say.

 

[TexasBred]

Before I start, I must come clean. I enjoy sports. I watch sports. I played sports. My son plays sports and I encourage it. Yes, I am an academic, I can't help it, that's the house I grew up in. Nothing bothers me more with our educational system than the time, money and effort spent on school sports. We as a society wonder why our kids are falling behind in the world, and yet we completely turn a blind eye to the massive amount of time and money our schools, parents and society have spent on sports. I work with several people who have children playing travel sports that have told me they spend every weekend on the road and over $10K/year to travel and participate. Another woman I know has 3 kids in gymnastics spending $1,500/month on lessons and then countless other thousands of dollars on events. The financial toll that it is taking on parents is pretty large. I know the gymnastics kids and the physical toll it takes on them is pretty severe. I have heard all the rhetoric about what sports teach kids, but I will say that you can have the best team player in the workforce, but if they don't have the education to perform the job, it becomes a moot point.

Also, I know that sports offer some kids an education that they would never receive. But how many of those kids actually get an education out of sports? The reality is not that many.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-odds-o ... ge-sports/

For a fantastic read, that's almost 30 years old, I suggest Friday Night Lights. Another more recent account is King of Sports that details the racket the NCAA and NFL have created with the illusion that it does anything other than line their pockets.

Sometimes one year with the right coach can teach a kid more than he'd ever learn in a lifetime with his sorry a$$ parents. I don't agree with all of these "select teams" or travel teams as y'all call them or going in debt so your little fat daughter can take gymnastics but you'll never change the mindset of those types of people. Best your talking about going to school because you're a good athlete...I'm talking about going to school and becoming a good citizen from the lessons you learned from a good guy who donated his time to coach.

 

[Bestoutwest]

Sometimes one year with the right coach can teach a kid more than he'd ever learn in a lifetime with his sorry a$$ parents. I don't agree with all of these "select teams" or travel teams as y'all call them or going in debt so your little fat daughter can take gymnastics but you'll never change the mindset of those types of people. Best your talking about going to school because you're a good athlete...I'm talking about going to school and becoming a good citizen from the lessons you learned from a good guy who donated his time to coach.

I won't disagree with that, and it can be a great opportunity for a child to have a positive role model in their life. However, when we have high school stadiums that are larger and better than MOST college venues, we are teaching children that sports are king, the athletes are royalty, to devote thyself to a lifetime of worship to someone, or the something-ie sports, who is good at something that basically doesn't matter in the world (except for a generator of massive amounts of capital), and that the classroom education, which will literally put food on their table, doesn't matter as much as other children running around. I see absolutely no problem in town sports. Our son is signed up for basketball league and will do baseball again this year, but he is a grade ahead of his peers AND in the gifted and talented program. Which will carry him further in life?

 

[greybeard]

Just got done reading this thread.
I thought it was going to be about Houston Texans football.

(What the heck is 'travel ball'?)

 

[TexasBred]

Just got done reading this thread.
I thought it was going to be about Houston Texans football.

(What the heck is 'travel ball'?)

Let me know too when you find out. I hear some using the word "Select ball" up here meaning you are selected because of your skills and put on a team of other little smart a$$ cocky kids and travel to tournaments all the time and play baseball, basketball, volleyball etc. Cost a heck of a lot of money too.

 

[Bestoutwest]

(What the heck is 'travel ball'?)

It is a team that plays in organized tournaments and games. They are for "better" players and play all over the place. A lady I work with said she spent $10K one year taking her kid around. It's quite the racket.

 

[greybeard]

Sounds like kid beauty pageant kind of thing, but for jocks.

 

[True Grit Farms]

Sometimes one year with the right coach can teach a kid more than he'd ever learn in a lifetime with his sorry a$$ parents. I don't agree with all of these "select teams" or travel teams as y'all call them or going in debt so your little fat daughter can take gymnastics but you'll never change the mindset of those types of people. Best your talking about going to school because you're a good athlete...I'm talking about going to school and becoming a good citizen from the lessons you learned from a good guy who donated his time to coach.

I won't disagree with that, and it can be a great opportunity for a child to have a positive role model in their life. However, when we have high school stadiums that are larger and better than MOST college venues, we are teaching children that sports are king, the athletes are royalty, to devote thyself to a lifetime of worship to someone, or the something-ie sports, who is good at something that basically doesn't matter in the world (except for a generator of massive amounts of capital), and that the classroom education, which will literally put food on their table, doesn't matter as much as other children running around. I see absolutely no problem in town sports. Our son is signed up for basketball league and will do baseball again this year, but he is a grade ahead of his peers AND in the gifted and talented program. Which will carry him further in life?[/quote]
Sports teach skills you can't learn in a school book. It called the school of hard knocks and winning or losing. You get knocked down you get back up. If someone is bigger or better you work harder. Those that play to win are winners, and those that don't care one way or the other usually work for someone else and don't give a darn. And someone who doesn't care if they lose is a loser.
Sports teach you how to lead, school teaches you how to follow.

 

[D2Cat]

Some things gained by participating in organized sports are often not immediately seen. Besides burning energy that may keep some out of trouble, a good coach can see the strengths of a youngster and in pursuing them give that person confidence never obtained otherwise. Sports teaches the participant to anticipate. It's a skill used in every area of life. Helps us to be safe in the decisions we make. Teaches the value of working hard, delayed gratification, accepting responsibility for choices, being timely, being humble, appreciating someone who pushes you further than you think you can go.

How do you put a dollar value on these lessons?

There's more to in then scoring points.

 

[Bigfoot]

I don't want to sound like I'm against sports,but they are kinda overblown. They play/practice 11 plus months out of the year. We all need to be well rounded. Putting that much commitment to one thing, chokes out other things. When I was in school,if you farmed, coach would let you start football in August. It was over by October. Also, some of this cross training stuff kids are doing, is going to wreck their backs.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I don't want to sound like I'm against sports,but they are kinda overblown. They play/practice 11 plus months out of the year. We all need to be well rounded. Putting that much commitment to one thing, chokes out other things. When I was in school,if you farmed, coach would let you start football in August. It was over by October. Also, some of this cross training stuff kids are doing, is going to wreck their backs.

How do you feel about roping and rodeo? Seems those type events require a ton of practice and come with a fair amount of risk to one's health.

 

[Bigfoot]

I don't want to sound like I'm against sports,but they are kinda overblown. They play/practice 11 plus months out of the year. We all need to be well rounded. Putting that much commitment to one thing, chokes out other things. When I was in school,if you farmed, coach would let you start football in August. It was over by October. Also, some of this cross training stuff kids are doing, is going to wreck their backs.

How do you feel about roping and rodeo? Seems those type events require a ton of practice and come with a fair amount of risk to one's health.

They are individual sports. Practiced when you want. In our case, after other chores etc are done. We don't need permission to take trips, or miss practice that sort of thing. Rough stock is dangerous for sure. I'd be fibbing if said roping wasn't. Barrels and poles have risk as well. The type of workout I'm referencing in my post was a 14 year old kids flipping a tractor tire around. Dead lifts and the such. The way kids da are lifting, and the type of workouts they are doing, is quit concerning to the medical field. My kids run 2 miles a day. Do push-ups, pull ups, and sit ups. Nobody is on free weights.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I don't want to sound like I'm against sports,but they are kinda overblown. They play/practice 11 plus months out of the year. We all need to be well rounded. Putting that much commitment to one thing, chokes out other things. When I was in school,if you farmed, coach would let you start football in August. It was over by October. Also, some of this cross training stuff kids are doing, is going to wreck their backs.

How do you feel about roping and rodeo? Seems those type events require a ton of practice and come with a fair amount of risk to one's health.

They are individual sports. Practiced when you want. In our case, after other chores etc are done. We don't need permission to take trips, or miss practice that sort of thing. Rough stock is dangerous for sure. I'd be fibbing if said roping wasn't. Barrels and poles have risk as well. The type of workout I'm referencing in my post was a 14 year old kids flipping a tractor tire around. Dead lifts and the such. The way kids da are lifting, and the type of workouts they are doing, is quit concerning to the medical field. My kids run 2 miles a day. Do push-ups, pull ups, and sit ups. Nobody is on free weights.

I'll stick to flipping tires and you are welcome to keep flipping calves. Isn't it great we live in a country that allows everyone to pursue their dreams?

 

[Bestoutwest]

those that don't care one way or the other usually work for someone else and don't give a darn.

So you're telling me that the top neurosurgeon in my organization, who made over $1,000,000 last year, is a loser because he chooses to work for someone else? Or the surgeon who did my foot, who probably makes close to $500,000/year, is a loser because he works for a firm that isn't his own? Or Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein who made $23,000,000 last year. Yes, he's the CEO, but technically he works for someone other than himself, so he must be a loser. So, please, tell me how these people are losers because they work for someone else. I'd love to hear it. op:

 

[Bestoutwest]

I don't want to sound like I'm against sports,but they are kinda overblown. They play/practice 11 plus months out of the year. We all need to be well rounded. Putting that much commitment to one thing, chokes out other things. When I was in school,if you farmed, coach would let you start football in August. It was over by October. Also, some of this cross training stuff kids are doing, is going to wreck their backs.

How do you feel about roping and rodeo? Seems those type events require a ton of practice and come with a fair amount of risk to one's health.

The reality is the human body has a limited shelf life-I see it every day. There are stories about people who do nothing their entire lives and live to 100 and people who run 10 miles every day having a massive coronary at 50 and that's the end. Then you have folks who abuse their body physically every day and have no problems at 80 and others that do the same that are crippled up at 35. You never know, so you do what's fun and you pay the price. In the end, if you had enough fun, you have nothing to complain about.

 

[Bigfoot]

How do you feel about roping and rodeo? Seems those type events require a ton of practice and come with a fair amount of risk to one's health.

They are individual sports. Practiced when you want. In our case, after other chores etc are done. We don't need permission to take trips, or miss practice that sort of thing. Rough stock is dangerous for sure. I'd be fibbing if said roping wasn't. Barrels and poles have risk as well. The type of workout I'm referencing in my post was a 14 year old kids flipping a tractor tire around. Dead lifts and the such. The way kids da are lifting, and the type of workouts they are doing, is quit concerning to the medical field. My kids run 2 miles a day. Do push-ups, pull ups, and sit ups. Nobody is on free weights.

I'll stick to flipping tires and you are welcome to keep flipping calves. Isn't it great we live in a country that allows everyone to pursue their dreams?

Yeah. This is the land of plenty.