High School Athletes Denied Equal Treatment: Debunking a Myth

A common misconception about high school athletics is that too much favoritism is given to various sports teams. Many books about high school sports depict the athlete as getting easy grades because he is an important part of the team. Such favoritism is obvious in Bissinger's Friday Night Lights, but it is also apparent in novels as well. The quarterback in John Grisham's Bleachers, Neely Crenshaw, recalled making straight A's at Messina High, though he rarely attended a class. Through many other works in addition to these, the misconception continues to grow.

The reality, though, is quite different. Perhaps in attempts to fight the stereotype, schools are too often guilty of the opposite. Rather than getting special treatment, sports teams often get harsher treatment than students in other organizations.

In the 23 years I have taught English, my high school and all the others in our area have continued to make it a point to make athletics take a back seat. Most schools have a severe eligibility standard, usually much more rigid than the one recommended by the state. Typically, any athlete failing a class, or even getting a D, can be declared ineligible until the grade point average rises. My school requires that any athlete with a grade below a C attend morning sessions called study tables, which are scheduled for 45 minutes before school starts. Conversely, students in other organizations, such as band, choir, drama, and publications can continue to participate in their various activities even with failing grades.

Sports teams are also forbidden to practice during school time. That policy seems fair, except for the fact that other organizations are allowed that privilege. The band, for example, is given course credit for practicing their routines each day during school hours. At most schools band is the last period of the day, and it is all too common to see the band practicing out on the football field long before the dismissal bell has sounded.