I've changed my opinion about school sports.

[RandySF]

I used to think it was a waste of time. But since my son started playing basketball, we immadieatly saw changes in his focus and attitude about school work. In our case, sports worked!

[niyad]

1. glad for you. now, how about all the kids who were cut off from art and music so that the

schools could keep their precious sports programs, which benefit only a few?

[RandySF]

2. Schools shouldn't have to make these choices.

Arts, music and other programs such as chess club are just as important.

[niyad]

3. you and I both know that. pity the schools don't.

[ND-Dem]

17. Or maybe the taxpayers. $$$$$$$

[FLPanhandle]

4. I didn't know it was a binary choice

Sports vs. Music.

I suspect more kids play sports than are in the band at most schools.

[niyad]

6. are you unaware of how many schools have cut their art and music programs, but not sports?

can't be in the band if there isn't one.

[FLPanhandle]

10. So in your binary view, they should cut sports and fund Music & Art?

And a number of schools have cut back on sports programs too. Especially womens sports.

I know because our schools almost cut girls cross country funding.

[niyad]

12. of course they would cut women's sports.

[xmas74]

21. I will say this about band

as a proud Band Mom and former band geek-it's expensive. Really expensive. It's cost prohibitive to many students. I know I've put out about $1600 so far this year for high school marching, partial concert season and the very beginning of jazz festival season. That's more money than most would ever put out on sports or other activities and our school expects us to pay for those also. (The fees for band do not include the actual instrument rental or purchase and also do not include the band trip for overnight competitions or the big week long trip this spring.)

Football is expensive but fans actually buy tickets to watch them pay every Friday night, so it does make money. Cross Country is even cheaper to field-a physical, a pair of shoes and maybe a uniform rental, paid every year, along with coaching salary and bus fees. I love band but it's just not feasible for many to join. I struggle with the fees all the time. Golf and swimming proved to be much cheaper.

[Spider Jerusalem]

7. It tends to be when the school district has to cut the budget somewhere

frequently because of spending money on a new stadium, or something.

[niyad]

11. exactly.

[Telcontar]

5. Sucks to be them, they should learn to handle a ball

Or you could, I dunno, stop making everything a binary strawman issue?

[niyad]

8. or maybe you could learn about how many art and music programs are cut to keep the

sports programs.

[Telcontar]

9. None at my son's school

In fact the just started up a new music program. Yay for rural Alabama schools. Oh, and they have excellent football and baseball teams (we don't talk about basketball)

[xmas74]

20. Our school expects us to pay for extras

such as sports, band, etc out of pocket. For band I paid for camp, for music, for shoes, for t shirts, for uniform rental, for dress attire, for gloves and much, much more. For Winter Guard I paid for rifle, for saber, for warm ups, for costumes, for body tights, make up, hair, monthly fees and other things every week. For swimming I paid for monthly fees (such as pool time, bus fees, etc), warm up, duffle bag, suit, caps, towels and a towel fee, goggles, t shirts and whatever else comes up. For French Club we pay monthly fees. Same for Film Club and Robotics.

Do all sports in my town pay to participate? Yep. Do all clubs do the same? Yep, same with all activities. There are scholarships available for at-need students. They apply through the social worker's office and are approved. All fees are paid through her office so no one knows who is on scholarship and who isn't.

I just figured it was that way everywhere now. Pay for play started when I was in school nearly thirty years ago and I'm paying for my kid now.

[bigwillq]

13. That's awesome for your son.

[cyberswede]

14. I'm glad!

Sports can be a great activity. Learning about teamwork, leadership, and hard work are good benefits.

[mythology]

15. Like most things, they can be good or bad

Sports can help with physical fitness, teamwork, self-confidence and a host of other things. I hope they continue to be good for your son.

Yes some schools do bad things with their sports departments, but that isn't actually inherent to sports, just crappy cultural values in some places.

[msongs]

16. promote intramural sports and dump interscholatics sports. keep the sports and the arts too nt

[flvegan]

18. Welcome to DU! I see from the responses

you've met our folks who post without emotion and opinion, facts and context be damned!

[Ilsa]

19. Kids need to be invested in some sort of

Extracurricular activity. Sports is great because it burns off excess energy, builds teamwork, etc. Same with Band and UIL events.

[cherokeeprogressive]

22. Congrats for your son. Screw everyone who felt the need to piss on your thread.

It's not your fault some programs get cut and some don't. It's not your son's either. Most of us play the cards we were dealt and that's the only choice we have.

I've seen boys and girls come out of their shells after becoming part of something larger than themselves. Just promise me you won't ever force him to play sports when he doesn't want to. You never know; he may lose interest and decide to go into one of those programs other posters are on your back about. If that happens, let him go his way.

[HappyMe]

23. Good for your son.

Pay the naysayers no mind.

[Bluenorthwest]

24. I myself do not care for sports, but if a kid is going to do sports, basketball is a really good

choice.