posted on Nov, 3 2014 @ 08:31 PM
It is a fact that some high schools and universities will pass students simply so they can play sports. There was something that happened to me back
in high school that bothers me today. The team needed me the most the one time I was failing a class, which was accounting. I got into the class weeks
later than everyone else, and was a little behind, and the entire subject was new to me at the time. That, coupled with me trying to do what I always
did in high school, which was never study and to rely on remembering what I had done in class, is what caused me to have a 60 something in that class
at the time. It was just a subject that I did not have any natural affinity towards. I was dating the daughter of one of the coaches at the time, and
I heard through her that two of the coaches had gotten the accounting teacher to change my grade, simply so I could compete. To be honest that was not
what bothered me.
What bothered me the most was the fact that the teacher who failed me was a very good teacher, a lady in her 50's, and who was extremely strict most
of the time. I do not know how they got her to change my grade, but I do know that she left after that year. That is what bothered me the most,
because I knew that the teachers trying to get my grade changed had a lot of pull in the school. Even though it was not really that big of a deal in
the grand scheme of things, I am still remorseful when I think about it. But honestly I did not really do anything horribly wrong, since it wasn't my
idea, but what was my fault was the fact that other people were relying on me, and I knew this, and I still basically slacked off.
I know what the coaches in these types of situations are thinking, but I do not know if they're ever remorseful. Part of the problem is the fact that
the administration places too much emphasis on winning sports games, thus the coaches will do everything in their power to win, because losing could
cost them their jobs, their livelihood. Even though they shouldn't cheat by allowing failing students to play, they have built their entire system
around some of these individuals, and losing them basically throws most of the gameplan out the window. This is mainly true where extremely talented
individuals are concerned, otherwise there would be no real incentive to take the risk of cheating.
But the players are to blame as well, at least those who possess the capacity to pass their classes and stay out of trouble, yet who do the opposite.
Some universities, and not just the athletic staff, bring student athletes to the school when these students can barely read. Their sole purpose there
is for playing sports, usually football. Not all schools do this, but it does happen. Thus there is no way that these students could pass their
classes without either being given the answers to tests and assignments, or having their grades changed after they've truly failed the class.
I agree with the original poster in that it is good to see coaches and teachers playing by the rules, even when it hurts their team. I think that
enforcing the "no pass no play" will also show the students that if they want to play they have got to do their best to pass their classes
legitimately. Part of the problem is that some athletes do not care about getting an education, but instead are focusing on playing professional ball.
University-level athletics are basically just an "athlete factory" for professional sports. Perhaps if we didn't play professional athletes obscene
amounts of money then more people would concentrate on getting an education, or doing something where they contribute to society...Pro athletes do not
perform any vital services, yet they get paid millions. Baseball players especially. It is utterly ridiculous the amounts of money they make,
especially considering it is not the hardest pro sport out there. Football players must have a lot more knowledge, must take and give hits, etc.,
combinations which make the sport infinitely more difficult. And even though NFL players make too much, it still blows my mind that they pay baseball
players so much. I do not like baseball though, considering it is slow, boring, and only requires that a player can either throw, hit, or catch the
ball. Maybe they have to make some fast-paced plays occasionally, but they only have a few options open to them at any one time, thus the difficulty
level is low.