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Education-based athletics within our nation’s schools have been an important part of everyday life for millions of individuals for more than 100 years.
There are many reasons for the success of these programs. Perhaps most importantly they are focused on the team – everyone on the team – and not the individual. Historically, studies have shown the No. 1 reason students participate in high school sports is to have fun with their peers.
Throughout time, changes have occurred in these programs – most of which have been beneficial and kept high school sports moving forward. Often these changes happen due to a trickle-down effect from the college or professional level. Conversely, however, there are times when changes occur at higher levels and our leadership must hold the line to the fundamental values of sports at the interscholastic level.
Due, in part, no doubt to the proliferation of the transfer portal in college sports, our member state associations are besieged by an ever-growing number of transfer requests. While change may be inevitable, transferring schools solely for athletic purposes is a change that is not good for the future of high school sports and must be stopped.
The other disturbing development at the college level that is becoming more challenging for our membership is the lack of enforcement of uniform rules. The “individual over team” focus of college sports these days is on full display with many players’ pants in football. Pants? Hardly. Call them shorts or cut-offs.
Adherence to playing rules must be enforced at the high school level, and being properly dressed is a part of NFHS playing rules in all sports. Again, the focus is on the team, not the individual. There are dress codes that must be followed in the classroom – it should be no different on the football field or basketball court.
https://www.nfhs.org
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