Post by robeiae on Jul 22, 2020 10:58:47 GMT -5
They're always being asked: should colleges have sports, should they fund sports that don't bring in revenue, should they essentially act like farm systems for professional sports? Any deep--and most shallow--conversations on this topic also bring up the issue of benefits to students, from physical activity to way to get into college for people with lesser means (financial and/or intellectual). Here's a piece on the topic, stemming from Stanford's recent decision to eliminate a number of varsity sports: www.newsweek.com/universities-should-not-sacrifice-athletics-due-tight-budgets-opinion-1518921
I have to admit, this line made me laugh out loud:
Wait, what? Squash is major avenue for kids to get to college???
Anyway, it also says this:
Allowing that all that is true, the vast majority of students aren't actually in varsity sports programs. When I was in school, I played intramural sports, lots of different ones, and that was great. And many more students played these sports--or played other sports all on their own--than played varsity sports for the school. Having a varsity squash team doesn't benefit the student body as a whole. At a school like Stanford, it benefits less than 1% of the student body. It is, imo, a silly argument to make.
Thoughts?
I have to admit, this line made me laugh out loud:
Do away with collegiate squash, and you've just shut the door of opportunity to all these young squash players.
Anyway, it also says this:
The contribution sports make to student lives is uniquely positive. Exercise is the only activity that engages and benefits the whole person: mind, body and spirit. Beginning in high school and often long before, sports challenge students in multiple ways, developing character, leadership and teamwork, as well as athletic prowess. Moreover, an increasing body of evidence shows that the physical fitness induced by playing sports improves cognitive capacity, and also boosts one's immune system and mental health—outcomes that are critically important during a pandemic.
Thoughts?
