“The Fine Print”, by M.H. Schrader
But Seriously, Folks . . .
I want to start by asking your
forgiveness. The column is not humorous
this week, and should not be taken as such.
I am digressing this week to address a topic that I think has far
reaching ramifications for the little Schraders.
I want you to be the first to know that
the most important thing in my life is my family: Mrs. Schrader and the little Schraders. And, whenever I feel that they are threatened, I tend to become
quite serious. This is one of those
times, so please forgive and bear with me.
Are we, as adults, abdicating our
responsibility to the next generations?
It certainly seems that way, especially since we tend to reward
slovenliness and penalize diligence.
How many teenagers these days really have to work? How many have to pay for and title their own
cars?
We, as parents, want to give the world to
our children. The problem with giving
the world is that it becomes expected, and we take away whatever drive there
is. We create mediocrity. Is this what we want for the future?
According to the Arkansas Board of
Education, it is. “Don’t worry, Johnny,
if you can’t make the grade; we’ll just lower the standard for you.” I cannot understand why the educantos are
dumbing down our schools. Let’s face
it; Arkansas has never been known as an educational hotbed. Now, we’re taking a system that ranks among
the lowest in the nation, and making it worse.
Of course, I’m sure the folks in Mississippi are quite thankful; now
they will no longer be number 50. Thank
you, Arkansas!
The excuse is that too many kids are not
able to maintain a 2.0 grade point average.
We’re not asking for much, folks.
Just a 2.0. Which doesn’t really
require much effort. Now, no effort is
required at all. It just doesn’t make
sense!
Why, you may ask? (Or you may not!) Because kids that do not maintain a 2.0 cannot play
football. Yes, that’s right; we are
dumbing down our next generation for football.
The sad thing is, the kids will suffer in the end.
What motivation will there be for
teachers to teach? After all, it really
won’t matter in the end, so they might as well give every child a passing grade
and spend their time reading the newspaper.
What motivation will there be for
students to try hard and excel?
None. After all, If Johnny can
goof off and pass, so can Susie.
Worst of all, the new policy gives the
wrong message to all girls, and, being the father of three girls, this really
bothers me. After all, who will be
helped the most by this new policy?
Boys. Girls don’t play
football. So, in effect, girls are
second-class and not deserving of any special treatment.
Of the hundreds of thousands of boys
playing high school football nationwide, how many will play at the college
level? Twenty thousand, perhaps? And of all those playing at the college
level, how many make it “big”? One
thousand?
So, there are hundred of thousands of
boys out there chasing a fantasy, and instead of encouraging them to pursue
academic excellence, something which can be useful to them for the rest of
their lives, we are telling them to chase the impossible dream.
I knew a man in Illinois who played
college ball. He was one of those that
wasn’t talented enough to make it “big”, and didn’t play for a large enough,
and high enough profile, college. He
wanted to be a firefighter; that was his dream. But, he never could. Why? He blew his knee out playing football, and
couldn’t pass the physical training course.
So what did football get him? Absolutely nothing. Just a shattered knee and a shattered
dream. However, after he blew his knee,
he concentrated on his studies and was able to get a degree, which allowed him
to get a decent paying job to support his family.
Yes, sports are important. I won’t argue that, especially since I coach
soccer. What I will argue is that while
important to the healthy development of a person, they should not consume us,
should not be our only reason for doing anything. Learning is a wonderful experience that we can enjoy for a
lifetime. The same cannot be said about
sports.
Let’s not let a game be an excuse to sell
out our children.