The intensity of sports culture in American high-schools sets the U.S. apart from most of its peers around the world. Amanda Ripley, writing for The Atlantic, notes the high opportunity cost of financing such time-intensive and expensive sports programs, particularly for high-schools where resources are scarce. Although Ripley makes valid points about the opportunity cost of sports, she fails to take into account the extensive benefits of sports culture for high-school students. The predominance of sports teams at high-schools has the power to build character, create social capital and increase academic success.
The prevalence of school sports in the U.S. is undeniable. According to data collected by the National Federation of State High School Associations, 2011 marked the 22nd consecutive year in which more high school students are playing sports. As of 2013, 45 million children and adolescents participated in organized sports. Approximately 75 percent of American families with children in school have at least one child participating in organized sports.
Sports can teach children valuable lessons about hard work, teamwork and discipline. A report by National Center for Biotechnology Information describes various emotional, mental and behavioral benefits of sports. The report finds that teenagers who play sports are less likely to use illegal drugs or carry a weapon. In general, student athletes display a great hesitancy to take part in activities which could put their health at risk. The report also recognizes three studies which found students “who participated in extracurricular activities, including sports, demonstrated improved skills in goal setting, time management, emotional control, leadership, wisdom, social intelligence, cooperation, and self-exploration.” Overall, student athletes are happier, more confident, less stressed and less likely to become suicidal.
Ripley includes a quote from James Coleman, a famous sociologist, who notes that the trophy case at a typical American high-school would suggest to an unknowing visitor that she had just entered an “athletic club, not an educational institution.” Coleman is famous for his ideas about social capital. Social capital, broadly defined, refers to those “resources inherent in social relations which facilitate collective action.” Examples of social capital include the Community of Trust and alumnae networks. Coleman believes social capital plays a crucial role in how we raise children and that relationships matter immensely in the creation and use of social capital. Organized sports teams are a perfect example of how all communities can create and build their own social capital — children form relationships with coaches and teammates, forming bonds that have the potential to turn into other forms of capital later in life.
Across several states and studies, student athletes enjoy greater academic success than their non-athletic peers. A number of studies have found that student athletes have higher grade point averages than students who do not play a sport. A 2007 survey of high-schools in Minnesota found that student athletes had a mean grade point average of 2.84, while non-student athletes had a mean GPA of 2.68. Researchers at the University of Arkansas examined the relationship between win percentages and academic indicators like graduation rate and standardized test scores for schools in Ohio. Even controlling for intervening factors like poverty, demographics and the financial resources of the schools, schools with higher commitment to athletics programs showed high graduation rates and test scores. In another study of student athletes in Kansas, students who played at least one sport reported higher GPAs and were more likely to graduate than their peers who did not play a sport.
Sports are a crucial part of American culture and high-school sports offer children and adolescents the chance to grow, not only as students, but also as citizens. Although there are many aspects of sports culture that need to be changed, the prevalence of high-school sports is not one of them.
Jordan Arnold is an Opinion columnist for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at opinion@cavalierdaily.com.
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