It's A Double Standard

Boy there is nothing better to light a fire under ones ass than a clear cut double standard. We have all been witness to double standards; women often complain that men get better pay for similar work because of their sex, Blacks often complain that they are treated more harshly by the justice system than whites, and athletics though a valuable means to a college education is devalued beyond compare.

Athletes are being cheated, cheated by a double standard that is sickening and needs to be discussed.

Have any of you out there heard about the Nickleby program?

Yes well it’s very cute; it’s the government’s way of giving kids a fair shot (As they see it) at success. Basically under the Nickleby if you are a student who attends an "F" school you can legally transfer to any "C" or better school of your choice without repercussions; meaning that you would be eligible for all activities and athletics at your school of choice. That is fine and dandy, I don’t have a problem with that; I actually find it to be a positive development, because no one should be made to attend an institution that is underperforming. Everyone has the right to a better opportunity, and if that means you can find that opportunity at another school, then so be it.

But let’s get to the double standard shall we?

Why are athletics not considered just like academics in this situation? Every year hundreds of millions of dollars are awarded for Athletic scholarships, meaning that there are abundant opportunities for students to better themselves through athletics, but first they have to showcase their abilities. However, unlike with the Nickleby, a student that is at a school whose athletic programs are a joke or an “F” in athletics has no recourse to pick up and go elsewhere without repercussion. An athlete who transfers for athletic purposes is accosted and sanctioned by the system; he can lose a year or more of eligibility; and his future can be seriously impacted by this unfair and obvious double standard. I understand academics is important, but for many so are athletics, and in some cases just as if not more important.

Now before you get all bent out of shape, let me explain myself. Some kids go to school and sacrifice, study hard, and attend their classes, because of athletics. Without athletics, many students (especially males) would lack the motivation to keep up with their studies and their attendance; this is a reality. Athletes perform better on exams, have better attendance, get better grades, and are less likely to be detrimental in their behavior to the school environment than the general population of the school. These are facts according to the statistics compiled by the schools themselves.

Why should any athlete in any program be forced to attend a school where their sport of choice at that school would offer less than an adequate opportunity to maximize their potential and skill?

Why should their future be impacted so seriously because the system improperly objectifies athletics, when in fact athletes are proven to excel in the classroom and in the school environment beyond the performance of the average student?

Why are the opportunities that athletics offer less pertinent and receive less consideration than do academics?

I say it’s time to evaluate schools and their athletic programs, grade them based on their performance much as we do with schools on the FCAT, and if a school is found to be lacking in a sport, then their athletes should be allowed to transfer to a school of choice without penalty.

Of course we all know this is a pipe dream, and it will never happen. Therefore, heed the words of the Spiderman, if your want your child to have success in athletics and he belongs to a school who devalues his sport of choice, do everything you can to get him to a schools with an adequate program.

Cheat if you have to, your child’s future is more important than the rules that are biased against them.