Making the Case for Interscholastic Athletics

A visible aspect of your school's approach to human development

The Brief Case 📚→💼→📈→📊

“Athletics are the front porch of the university. It’s not the most important room in the house, but it is the most visible.”

Scott Barnes, 2009

Interscholastic athletics are both less and more than we make them.

To some, they are “just games” or “a distraction from academics.” To others, they take on what would seem like life and death consequences, dominating dinner table conversations, family budgets, and weekends.

School leaders whose schools offer interscholastic athletics programs do best to balance these perceptions along with some additional context:

1. The work of athletics in schools — whether that be practices or games, preseason workouts or postseason banquets — is observable in ways that nothing inside the school building and school day ever will be. Imagine if all classes were broadcast to any parent interested in taking a look. Imagine if parents could watch over their children’s shoulders as they worked through tests and quizzes, shouting out advice or correctives. Imagine if just anyone could walk past a classroom and shout or cheer or jeer or heckle. Such behavior is a near daily norm in the world of athletics.

2. The work of athletics in schools is relatable. Sports (like arts programs) resonate with school constituents in part because they have so many entry points. Most people can pick up and try a sport one day and then appreciate greatness in it when they see any level of athlete performing well. That's harder to do with a science experiment or debate or historical presentation. The confidence boost that comes with such relatability means that people will feel comfortable weighing in on all kinds of choices relevant to sports.