Robservations: Erasing the ‘dumb jock’ image
There are people who argue that too much emphasis is placed on sports in this country.
Parents groups, civic leaders, educators, principals and others both near and far have often remarked how we all should be ashamed of ourselves for placing what a child does on the football field or basketball court above what he or she does in the classroom.
It’s an old-school argument, and it’s helped perpetuate the stereotype of the dumb athlete for years. If they’re playing sports, they can’t be studying, right?
Well, to the people who’ve made that argument, I would like to say, on behalf of the athletes of Warren County High School, phooey.
That’s right. Phooey.
Take a look at the top 10 students in this year’s graduating class. When you see those smiling seniors, decked out in their tuxedoes and black drapes, at first you’ll see just a group of clean-cut, all-American youngsters, who just happen to be extraordinary students.
But take a second look, and you’ll see even more.
You’ll see a Lady Pioneer soccer player, Miranda Atnip. You’ll also find a two-time state championship contender in girls’ golf, Beth Underhill, and a member of the district champion Pioneer baseball team, Zach Pelham.
Keep looking up the list, and you’ll find students that not only excel in the classroom all year long, but find time to spend more than half the school year participating in one sport or the other.
There’s Erica Grove, a senior member of the cheerleading squad which took part in not only every basketball and football game, but also traveled to cheer competitions and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade.
Then you’ve got Jake Mitchell, who excelled on the football field in the fall, then turned his attention to the baseball diamond this spring.
And topping the list, as the valedictorian of the Class of 2002, is Lindsi Mayfield, who spent her fall with the volleyball squad before switching directly over to basketball in the winter.
Six. Six of the top 10 students in this year’s senior class are involved in sports, some for almost the entire school year. And if you look down the list of the top 10 percent, you’ll find even more ballplayers, managers, cheerleaders and dance team members.
So, at least in Warren County’s case, the image of the dumb jock is not only dead, it’s cremated, and its ashes are buried under a heaping pile of college acceptance letters and high ACT scores.
All these “concerned” people who’ve claimed for years that sports are a distraction, taking kids’ attention away from the real reason they’re in school, should do some more research before they pop off about other people’s children. Ask Jake. Ask Lindsi, ask any of them if sports are a distraction. I’m sure you’ll get the same type of answers.
I hesitate to speak for them, since they’re obviously way smarter than me. But if I were to guess, I’d say these young student-athletes would tell you that balancing a full classload against an athlete’s schedule actually helps them in their studies.
While long days of classes followed by hours of practice and games is obviously taxing on both the body and the mind, the strict schedules and self-discipline learned while playing sports benefits not only the athletic skills, but also the study skills of these young people.
All the members of the top 10 and top 10 percent are to be commended for the dedication they’ve shown to their studies. But for those who’ve balanced that dedication with a devotion to athletics, a special commendation should be given out, not for achieving more than their non-athlete classmates, but for going above and beyond the call to help squash stereotypes.