It doesn’t take much to turn a conversation to the subject of football in the state of Alabama.While high school football is still a couple of months away from kicking off, fans of the sport are ready and willing to speculate on the upcoming season. The topic of football hasn’t been a fun one for some in the state for the last few days.
By now I’m sure everyone has heard of the investigation surrounding the athletic department at Hoover High. The football program at the school has been a powerhouse, known not only in Alabama, but also around the country.
Now the school is looking for a new athletic director and is facing criticism for allegedly showing favoritism to athletes and failing to report rules violations to the AHSAA during the year.
While some of the claims being made are dubious, the scandal has put the spotlight on a larger issue. Whether or not the issues at Hoover prove to be true doesn’t change the fact that many believe high school athletes are given preferential treatment over their classmates.
As the story at Hoover broke, the message boards on the internet showed just how different people feel about the issue of changing grades so an athlete can be eligible for college. Some of those who post on the forums actually tried to justify giving an athlete a grade just so they can play sports at the next level.
That shouldn’t surprise me. Really, it shouldn’t. I mean we live in a time when a kid is prepping for a career in sports from the time he is able to walk. They play the sport as soon as they are old enough. Then they join all the different leagues so the sport is played year-round.
Football is the sport brought into question most often when people talk about athletes getting special treatment, but it’s not just football players who are trying to get a spot on a college sports team. And the kids’ parents are totally behind them pursuing these dreams of playing sports professionally. I’m not saying this is bad. In fact, I enjoy watching talented athletes at all levels. I know these kids work hard when it comes to their sport of choice.
But to actually say that a teacher should give an athlete a certain grade just so they can play college ball is absurd. To say this is OK is a slap in the face to all the students who actually work for the grades they get.
In addition to being unfair, the policy of changing grades brings into question the character of teachers who would be willing to do it. Educators need to be allowed to do their job without fear of losing it if they don’t “help” a student pull a certain grade.
The obsession with football in the state has blinded some fans to the fact that high school sports are a privilege, not a requirement. Yes, these athletes often go to school early and leave late because of training and practices, but no one forces them to do so. They are not required to play football, or any other sport for that matter. If they can’t handle academic requirements and athletic commitments then perhaps they need to reassess their priorities.
The issue at Hoover isn’t isolated. Football rules and not just at a powerhouse like Hoover. No matter what the chances of an athlete playing a sport in college is, giving a grade that is not deserved does more harm than good. Regardless of how good a player is they are not going to play the sport forever.
Most of these people are going to have to get real jobs some day. When that day comes, it would be nice for them to have an education to fall back on.
