End To The Innocence

It has dawned on me that the purest form of athletics anymore is probably when kids are in sixth grade or so. This is something many will argue, but I feel that beyond middle school, sports are a business. Professional athletics are for people to make a living. At the college level, the same problem occurs. My brother-in-law did not enjoy his playing time at 1AA (excuse me, Football Championship Subdivision) New Hampshire. The coaches were there making their living, so the only thing that ultimately mattered was winning. I used to think that high school was the purest form of athletics, where it was all for the love of the game. But nowadays you see all these athletes who could care less about their team and are only working to get a college scholarship. So it could be argued that junior high is where athletics are at their finest. But I realized that by their 8th grade year, players are being watched by the high school coaches to consider whether they will be moved up to varsity as a freshman. Thus, junior high is another proving ground that is cut throat. This brings us back to sixth grade, where hopefully the athletes aren’t being scrutinized too heavily before they reach the next level. These youngsters are playing in their final chances to simply just play. After that point, it all becomes a proving ground. Everyone is becoming more and more competitive to win that starting spot, unlike in elementary school where pretty much everyone gets playing time. I think we need to put the focus back on the team and the learning experience players get from it. This way, kids will be able to enjoy their whole high school career. I understand beyond high school that it is a business and I agree with that. But until that time, don’t allow the game to become a business and lose the element of fun.