Student Athletes Want A Season And They Need One Too

After the last six months or so, I think we can all agree that health is important.  We have had to give up a lot of things in order to keep ourselves and other people safe.  I agree that it was necessary (although unfortunate) to cancel the spring sports season earlier this year. I am happy to see how Ohio government officials and local school officials have worked hard to give student athletes a sports season.  

There are those that are questioning the logic of allowing student athletes to play this fall.   I think students want to play and I believe that most of them are willing to do whatever they need to do to be safe and healthy so their season doesn't get cancelled.   They know what some of us may have forgotten.  Playing sports on a high school team is something they can do for a limited time and it's something that they can't ever get back.  It's an experience that will teach them teamwork in a way that classroom lessons doesn't have the ability.  

Not everyone gets a chance to play on the college level and only a fraction of those will ever go pro.  For many student athletes, they will never put on another uniform in their life.  For student athletes, this season isn't just about playing the next game, it is about making memories.  It's about making life-long friends.  It's about the feeling of having the community in the stands cheering the team on to victory.  While they are playing those games in those four high school seasons, they undoubtedly dream of a college sending them a letter to offer them a scholarship to play sports in college.  What high school athlete hasn't had daydreams about being mentioned by the commentators on ESPN?  

When I was a teacher, I understood the importance of those students playing in their games.  Some of my students didn't make the best grades and some were in danger of being ineligible.  I knew if a football player missed one game, they missed 10 percent of the season.  I spent a lot of time working with students to get assignments done and improve their grades.  It was part of my job.  Those students were motivated to work so they could play and they grew academically because of it.   Even though the students were responsible for their grades, I didn't want to be the one that took even part of their season away.  

Even for the student athletes who don't stand a great chance of earning a scholarship or even being on a college team, this time is still important.  Playing sports gives student athletes something productive to do with their time and helps keep them from being depressed.  It's a given that if they are at practice or trying to improve their games, they don't have as much time to get in trouble.  

Volleyball, soccer, golf and others have started playing games already.   Football will start this Friday.  The community isn't able to go to games like they always do because of social distancing guidelines.  However, keep in mind that these student athletes want and deserve this time.  They also need our support.  We will have to find new ways to do that this year.  That might be supporting one of their fundraisers or giving them a kind word when you see them in public.  

Student athletes, this is your time.  This season won't be quite the same as past seasons, but it is your season.  You deserve it.  

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