Athletics Benefits more than just Student-Athletes.

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Athletics also benefits the society. Athletics benefits the society by keeping student-athletes busy and engaged in an extra-curricular activity and off the streets. Students that are involved in athletics are required to spend a significant amount of time practicing after school and over the weekend. They also have competitions once or twice a week. Their free time is almost completely taken up by athletics. Rather than being out in the streets, these students are actively involved in something positive. The alternative for some of these students is to find another way to occupy their time. For many, they end up in gangs or engaging in illegal activities that result in jail time or probation. Therefore, athletics benefits the society by keeping these students off the streets, out of jail, and out of other legal problems.

Some might argue that student-athletes still end up in trouble even if they are involved in athletics. While a few of these student-athletes still find a way to get into trouble, the majority stay away from the “bad crowd” in order to be able to participate in athletics. Even if athletics saves just one kid from ending up in jail, it still helped our society by having one less kid in jail. This is one more kid that will eventually graduate and become a productive citizen of our society.

Athletics can also benefit the community. Athletics benefits the communities of the student-athletes by bringing the community together. This is clearly evident during football season in any community in Texas. In Texas high school football is everything to many people. This is especially true in South Texas where many of the communities are small, rural towns with not a lot of leisure activities available. These towns all come together in order to support their local team. They come together every Friday night in order to show pride for their hometown team.

Non-supporters of athletics might say that not a lot of people from the community participate in the athletic events at the local schools. Therefore, it’s not bringing the community together. This is certainly not the case in the Rio Grande Valley. During football season Friday nights are devoted to high school football. Local businesses revolve around high school football teams. They fill their stores with memorabilia devoted to the local high school team. Football season brings pride to the community. The community is “painted” with school spirit.

Athletics also benefits the economy. Athletics benefits the economy by helping to increase the number of high school graduates. If these students are involved in athletics they must pass all their classes in order to participate. In Texas this is known as the “No Pass, No Play” rule. If a student fails any class they are not allowed to participate until the next grading period. At this point, they must be passing all their classes in order to participate again. In athletics every game or competition is important. Missing three weeks because of a failing grade can be detrimental to their athletic career. This rule motivates students to pass all their classes and put them on the right path to graduation. Statistics show that high school graduates earn more than their classmates that drop out of high school. They are also less likely to end up on government assistance. These high school graduates end up contributing to the economy by earning more money and not relying on government assistance to make a living.

Some may argue that athletics does not benefit the economy in anyway. It is true that athletics does not immediately benefit the economy while the student is involved in athletics. However, this does not mean that the effect of a student participating in athletics does not benefit the economy. At the culmination of a student’s high-school athletic career they will enter the real-world with a high school diploma. A high school diploma helps an individual to be more marketable in the workforce. This high school diploma will benefit the economy in so many ways.

Athletics benefits more than just student-athletes. In some way or another, athletics benefits everyone. Through their participation in athletics these students contribute to the school, family, school district, society, community and even the economy. These contributions benefit many different people.