Academics, Sports

Its academics in sports not or and its not and. We all know the stereotypes of the Jocks
and the Honor students. The Honor Students always have their heads in their books, and the
Jocks couldnt care less. Which if you have looked around isnt always true, but unfortunately
some kids are falling behind and struggling. Im not blaming it on their sports or their coaches,
but something has to change and in this day and age we should be able to do something.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics the U.S.s average score in
mathematics is 481 at first glance 481 might seem great but it's 481 compared to 613 in
Shanghai China, as well as its 13 less than other the average for all countries that are
coordinated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) which is
494. According to the same site the average science score for the U.S. is 497 compared to
Shanghais 580, and reading average for the U.S. is 498 compared to Shanghais 570.
According to the National Spelling Bees website there has been 93 winners, 48 have
been girls and 45 have been boys, and co-winners have been declared in 1950, 1957, 1962,
2014 and 2015. Since 1925 the National Spelling Bee has been testing the best spellers in the
nation and earing is self a following that rivals soccers. In schools in the Leander School
District students from grades 6-8 compete in a Geography Bee where there is 7 rounds each
student must answer 1 question from each round till you answer 7 questions, students still
answer 7 questions whether or not they got a question wrong. Most students who go on to the
next stage of the competition answer 5 to 7 questions correct. Yet most students in my
experience aren't able to answer 4 or 5 questions correctly. Which isnt strange to me because
the question are usually based on the rest of the world whereas most students in LISD have
only studied Texas history and that stops being taught after the American Civil War.
Unfortunately most students have only briefly touched on the rest of the world let alone other
countries histories. So how are students that have never learned it in clas supposed to answer
questions about it, they arent especially the students that dont have access to outside of
school learning materials.
According to Statista a website that has statistics on multiple topics. 48% of households
in the United States tune into sports coverage over once a month and the Super Bowl continues
to be the most popular and expensive sporting event in the American calendar with its half-time
show and advertising deals. Sports are important part of American moral. When a team (from a
major sport) from a certain city wins there is a huge celebration like the New England Patriots
had after they won the Super Bowl in 2015. According to USA Today Division 1 schools spent
$91,936 per football athlete in 2010. At Leander High School A.C. Bible Jr. Memorial Stadium
has 10,300 seats and a 2200 square foot press box, but the cost was a wapping $12,075,960.
Yet even though the district found over 12 million dollars for a stadium that is barely used for its
purpose after the football season ends the Arts budgets were cut and almost ended and some
classes were left with old outdated textbooks. Elementary schools got rid of theater and music
to create chouar. Art was almost ended in some Elementary schools in the area.
I believe full heartedly that sports should not be taken out of schools altogether but they
should be used as a reward instead of something that you get to do if you get to do if you pass
by a very bare margin. Also schools should spend more money on academics and the arts.