Debate
Should we play down varsity sports?

YES
Judith Dawson is a physical education teacher at Southwestern Academy, a public school in Flint, Michigan. She has taught for 31 years and coached swimming and basketball. She is a masters synchronized swimmer and a master gardener.

Sitting on the bench for my team, I used to think, "Will the coach let me play?" I was good enough to make varsity, but not skilled enough to help win.

We won the championship three years running, but my memory of high school basketball isn't about winning, it's about playing the game I loved.

There are many athletes who, like me, long to play, but are not chosen for the real event. Varsity sports ensure that the best players play, while others who practice faithfully take a seat in the crunch to win.

Many coaches think they teach discipline, teamwork, and sportsmanship. I say children quickly learn "to win" from aggressive coaches who may be motivating and excellent teachers or belligerent tyrants. Modeling good character in a climate of competition is a skill many adults miss, sending mixed messages to impressionable youths.

In many districts, the teachers' union negotiates coaching stipends, but many coaches are not teachers, so there is little incentive to improve pay. This creates a revolving door of coaches with mixed ability and little connection to the school.

Player eligibility rules vary across districts, forcing some athletes out and inviting abuses from those coaches who would overlook grades to let athletes compete.

Even with rules to deter recruiting, the best athletes seem to find the best programs regardless of proof of residency, making it easy to predict who will win before a season starts.

Athletic directors rely on gate receipts from football and basketball, which draw crowds, to balance their budgets. Other sports are often underfunded. No varsity athlete should have to worry about paying for a uniform.

School districts should review how their sports programs are operated because abuses and unequal treatment are common.

My best sports experience was playing field hockey for Michigan State under Coach Betty Drobach. She believed in each player, encouraged us through mistakes, and pushed our confidence to try for higher goals on and off the field. Varsity sports can be like that, if it's not all about winning.

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NO
Marianne Simpson is in her sixth year as Educational Technology Contact at Battlefield Elementary School in Spotsylvania, Virginia. She maintains the computers and instructs students in using programs.

Varsity sports played a very important role in my daughter Natalie's life, as well as my son Matthew's. Because of their involvement, both learned to be more responsible and manage their time wisely. They set goals for themselves and realized firsthand that meeting those goals demanded a great deal of time, sacrifice, and initiative. Through constant practice and training, they learned to improve themselves and acquired a diligent work ethic that has, to this day, become a cornerstone in their ability to succeed. Further, they learned to work Debate well with others and have come to realize that winning or losing is more than a final score. They have learned to be true sportsmen, experiencing, proudly, the wonders of winning and, humbly, the perils of defeat.

Varsity sports are not only important to the athletes. They are vital to the whole student body, faculty, and community. I cannot imagine what our high schools or our society would be like without pep rallies, bonfires, homecoming, or championship games. Varsity sports unite families with common interests and give friends and neighbors the opportunity to participate in school spirit.

I can remember taking Natalie around to local business owners in our community, asking them to place ads in the football and basketball programs. How eager they were to support the teams and have their business ads in all the programs for the season!

Tailgate parties, after field hockey games, brought families and friends together to support the team and have fun.

Varsity sports are competitive. The mission is to get the athletes to work hard, improve their skills and win. For the most part, bad coaches are rare, and athletes are motivated to excel by their participation. The harsh reality is that life isn't fair. To get anywhere takes hard work. Varsity sports prepares young people for life's challenges. Playing the better players is part of life, as is promoting the stellar employee.

I agree that the organization of varsity sports needs improvement, but I do not agree that down-playing varsity sports is the best means to that end.

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