Shocked - school board with balls! Not shocked parents with no empathy - sports build character donchaknow

From an outsiders perspective the American obsession with sport seems kind of weird. Not to rag on the USA or anything. Over here high school sports are no big deal, just a way to stop the kiddies from getting too fat (not that it's really working). It seems to be the case that although sports are encouraged because they are healthy, athletes (as least at the HS level) are not put above anybody else. Back when I was in school the really gifted athletic kids had private practice lessons and played on private teams. We had a soccer and athletics team but no real fuss was made about it and it wasn't expected to lead anywhere.

I am amazed that the kids on the HS sports teams get their grades 'modified' so they can stay on the team/do well at school. I always thought it was some kind of joke form American TV. Obviously not :eyebrows . I'm never bitching about the English education system again (even if it is shitty lol).

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chicken
From an outsiders perspective the American obsession with sport seems kind of weird. Not to rag on the USA or anything. Over here high school sports are no big deal, just a way to stop the kiddies from getting too fat (not that it's really working). It seems to be the case that although sports are encouraged because they are healthy, athletes (as least at the HS level) are not put above anybody else. Back when I was in school the really gifted athletic kids had private practice lessons and played on private teams. We had a soccer and athletics team but no real fuss was made about it and it wasn't expected to lead anywhere.

I am amazed that the kids on the HS sports teams get their grades 'modified' so they can stay on the team/do well at school. I always thought it was some kind of joke form American TV. Obviously not :eyebrows . I'm never bitching about the English education system again (even if it is shitty lol).

I am American and I've never understood it either. The sports kids in many schools are put on a pedestal and allowed to pretty much get away with whatever they want and the administration turns a blind eye to it while the intelligent kids are treated like dirt. Both government run and private schools in my experience aren't much different in this regard.

Back to the original story. I'm glad these kids got prosecuted for what they did. Like I said in another post, if the parents hadn't gone to the police, the school administration, school board, etc., would have swept it under the rug. At least there was some justice in this case.

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JohnDrake

I am American and I've never understood it either. The sports kids in many schools are put on a pedestal and allowed to pretty much get away with whatever they want and the administration turns a blind eye to it while the intelligent kids are treated like dirt. Both government run and private schools in my experience aren't much different in this regard.

Back to the original story. I'm glad these kids got prosecuted for what they did. Like I said in another post, if the parents hadn't gone to the police, the school administration, school board, etc., would have swept it under the rug. At least there was some justice in this case.

I know we're in agreement for the most part on the sports thing, JohnDrake.

What's shocking to me is that if you ever dare mention that sports should not be connected to taxpayer-funded schools, most people react as if you're suggesting that we throw the Mona Lisa in the garbage dump.

Those who want to play sports can and should do so, but on their own time and at their own expense. It's tragically ironic that we've got a portion of taxpayers who can't afford to join a gym or a recreational sports team, yet are forced to subsidize youth recreation and school sports leagues.

But don't dare suggest this to a "Soccer Mom" or any other parent. Sports are treated like a Constitutional right. The idea that parents should foot the entire bill for their own children's recreation is on par with blasphemy.

I'm told, "You just don't understand that there are soooo many benefits to playing sports as a kyd!" And I acknowledge that there are benefits in terms of fun and exercise. But those are the only tangible benefits. For every kid who becomes a professional athlete, there are millions who do not. And sports provide absolutely no tangible, marketable skills that are relevant in the 21st Century. As a society we need to stop deluding ourselves with this stuff.