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Budget Balancing Hits High School Sports Mike DiPatri 3/23/11
We all know how federal, state and municipal governments are struggling to make ends meet and balance their budgets. I just heard of one city that seems to have taken things a little far.
I was born and I grew up in Jacksonville, FL. I just heard that in an attempt to balance that city’s budget, the government is discussing getting rid of sports programs in high schools. Hey, down south you don’t mess with high school and college sports. Can you imagine if Texas tried to do away with high school football?
I tried to look at the effects this might have on the schools and their students. First of all, I know these sports programs cost money to operate training facilities, stadiums and equipment, but they also bring money into the school systems. The last time I was home and went to my old school’s football games, I had to pay for a ticket. But beyond that. Let’s think of the affect it will have on a lot of the students there. There are many students who are talented on the field, but not so much in the classroom. Additionally, their parents are not financially able to afford a college education for their children. This is especially true in these days when colleges are starting to price most students out of the opportunity to get a degree. To some students, like the ones I mentioned, their talent on the field was the only opportunity to possibly go to college. Many won’t be eligible for academic scholarships and now the city wants to take away any chance of getting athletic scholarships. What will happen to sports there. Will the private high schools still have sports programs? That will seriously restrict the pool of players available for potential college and maybe even pro careers in the city of Jacksonville. Also, a lot of students now in public schools can’t afford to attend private schools there. By using the elimination of sports programs in high schools the city is depriving a lot of students of further development by denying them higher education. Considering this, would this measure really save anything?
So the city of Jacksonville, FL is considering eliminating sports programs in high schools to help balance its budget. The city may see fewer dollars going out in the near term, but what will this action cost in the future. Is this really a responsible way to serve the people who elected the members of that government? Imagine if every city decided to follow suit. What would happen to the social and educational future of many students, the city or even to the whole country? I know that high school sports programs seem petty, but the long-term effects could become significant. |
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Mike’s Take on Sports |
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Will the city of Jacksonville, FL penalize student-athletes by denying them college educations? |