"Are We Raising Scholars or Athletes?"

Walk into any American high school and you’ll see it: a brand-new football field, state-of-the-art locker rooms, and a trophy case that shines brighter than the science lab. Meanwhile, outdated textbooks gather dust in underfunded classrooms, and teachers pay out-of-pocket for supplies. It's time to ask the uncomfortable question — have we completely lost sight of what school is actually for?


Schools are meant to educate, not entertain. Yet in many districts, athletics have become the crown jewel, drawing more funding, attention, and prestige than academics ever could. Students are celebrated for scoring touchdowns, not for acing calculus. Where are the pep rallies for academic decathlons? Where’s the community pride in perfect SAT scores?


Sure, sports build discipline, teamwork, and school spirit. But let’s not pretend that they prepare the majority of students for life. Less than 2% of high school athletes go pro. The rest? Many graduate without the critical thinking skills, literacy, or financial knowledge necessary to navigate adulthood — because the classroom has taken a backseat to the scoreboard.


It’s not just about priorities — it’s about consequences. When sports overshadow academics, we send a dangerous message: performance on the field matters more than performance in life. We glamorize athletic success while neglecting the foundation of a student’s future.


No, we shouldn't ban sports. But we should flip the script — fund teachers before coaches, rebuild labs before stadiums, and praise intellect as loudly as we do athleticism.


Until we do, we're not raising well-rounded individuals. We're raising entertainers for a system that values spectacle over substance.

 

[Priyani Gupta]

Your article raises an important and often overlooked issue about the priorities within many American high schools, and it does so with a sharp, unapologetic voice that is necessary in today’s discourse. I appreciate your willingness to confront this uncomfortable truth head-on, but there are some nuances worth exploring to deepen the conversation.


Firstly, your point about schools being fundamentally institutions of education rather than entertainment is absolutely valid. When shiny new stadiums overshadow science labs, it signals a misalignment in values. After all, the primary goal of schooling should be to prepare young people for the complexities of adult life, equipping them with critical thinking, literacy, financial skills, and more. Yet, as you correctly highlight, the disproportionate emphasis on athletics can detract from this mission. It’s both practical and logical to prioritize classroom resources — better textbooks, modernized labs, and well-compensated teachers — over extravagant sports facilities.


However, it’s also important to appreciate that athletics do play a valuable role. Sports build discipline, teamwork, resilience, and even leadership — traits that are transferable to many aspects of life and work. These are real benefits that many educators and parents cherish. The challenge is not to demonize sports, but to recalibrate the balance. This means funding teachers before coaches, but also recognizing that well-supported athletics can complement, rather than compete with, academics.


Where your article gets slightly controversial — and in a useful way — is by suggesting that society glamorizes athletic success while neglecting academic achievement. This is an uncomfortable mirror for many communities. High-profile athletes receive cheers and social status, while academic champions often go unnoticed. Your call to amplify celebrations for academic accomplishments — be it SAT scores or academic decathlons — is a call to shift cultural values, which is no easy feat. It challenges parents, schools, media, and society to rethink who we crown as heroes.


A practical step might involve reimagining school culture: can we have pep rallies for science fairs? Community pride for scholarship recipients? Could local news feature academic accomplishments as regularly as Friday night football scores? Changing what we celebrate changes what students strive for.


Ultimately, your article shines a much-needed spotlight on a systemic issue that affects the futures of millions of students. Yet, the solution isn’t simply to flip the script overnight or dismiss sports entirely, but to build a more holistic school environment where academics and athletics coexist with appropriate respect and resources.


Thank you for sparking this critical conversation. By questioning our collective priorities, you remind us that education is about substance, not spectacle — and that preparing young people for life means giving intellect and curiosity the spotlight they deserve.