So , this begs the question : Have athletics become a misplaced priority in our schools ? Have schools lost the balance between academics , spiritual life , and athletics ? Is the tail of sports competition wagging the dog of mission , academic rigor , and career preparation ?
There is an appropriate place for sports on the Christian school and college campus , and student participation in competitive sports has many benefits . However , while we can support competitive athletics and the opportunities such programs can provide , we should be very clear on the actual cost of athletics .
THREE CRITICAL FACTORS THAT HINDER THE PROPER GOALS OF SPORTS
1 . UNDERSTANDING THE FULL COST OF ATHLETICS
Sports programs require considerable investments in finances , time commitment , and priorities . Christian schools and colleges only have a limited number of hours a week , limited supporters from their donor base , and limited opportunities to create that portrait of academic success they call a graduate .
In addition , building and maintaining athletic fields and facilities , coach ’ s wages , traveling , transportation , insurance , supplies , and equipment require a lot of funds . Oddly , in my many years of experience , I have found that many schools spend almost three times as much on athletics programs as they do on textbooks and curriculum . They don ’ t seem to bat an eye at a $ 20,000 scoreboard but can ’ t bring themselves to spend that kind of money on classroom technology or academic resources . That is a clear sign of misplaced objectives and priorities .
Often , the highest cost isn ’ t money ; it is the required cost of time and effort that adversely affects participants ’ academic , family , career preparation , and ministry responsibilities . Student athletes spend between fifteen to twenty hours a week practicing , traveling , and competing . Overemphasis becomes obvious when practices last two to four hours nearly every day without a game . Sports seasons generally last twelve to fifteen weeks , which overshadows most of the school semester and even part of the summer break . Student athletes come early , leave late , and try their best to juggle a demanding schedule to complete reading assignments , paper writing , and other academic expectations .
Is quality in athletic competition an important consideration for students , parents , and school administrators ? Yes — we should always strive to bring excellence to everything we do . But it should not be at the cost of other equally important experiences and activities like career planning , maintaining family and other relationships , and other life lessons .
We may have good intentions , but sometimes we overemphasize success in sports . This overemphasis can spoil the fun of competition and have an even higher cost like poor academic achievement , elevated student and parent stress levels , and participant burnout . I ’ ve known many Christian athletes that could knock the cover off a baseball but couldn ’ t do the math required to balance a checkbook .
2 . BALANCE PERSPECTIVE IN ATHLETICS
Balancing the importance of winning can also prove problematic in athletics . I have nine very competitive children , and no one in my family likes to lose . I was a fierce competitor in baseball , hockey , soccer , and wrestling , and I wish I could say that I always maintained proper priorities and balance in my life . Still , not everyone is a superstar athlete . Most student athletes at Christian schools and colleges will be good at basic skills and play well on a team . It ’ s critical to recognize noteworthy teamwork progress or accomplishments — not just wins and losses . This will be the hallmark of a healthy athletic program and indicates a good balance of priorities . We have all known coaches who have had an imbalanced perspective as they overemphasized the role of “ star athletes ” on a team or on winning a game at almost all costs . Let ’ s remember that Christian schools have one primary objective : to prepare students academically , spiritually , and socially for their lives and careers . Perhaps it needs to be recognized that few of our athletes will go on to the Olympics or play professional sports as a career . Most will be participating for fun , recreation , and team spirit .
40 THE RENEWANATION REVIEW