The dumbest thing I have ever heard

A friend of mine told me about an email she had received from her pre-teen daughter's swim club coach. This club is affiliated with a large local university. It is run similiar to AAU basketball, Junior Olympic volleyball, etcetera. Apparently some of the teenage girls on the "team" had missed some practices due to having to study for school. The coach said that at the level these girls were at they should be adept at balancing academics and athletics. And that missing practice because of school i.e. homework, tests, whatever, was unacceptable! The email was sent to the entire club.

I agree that student-athletes who participate in activities other than school should learn to balance the demands of both. It teaches time management that can be applied in life. However, that being said. A student-athlete's primary obligation is to pass school (and that includes any other extracirriculiar activity you can name!). These children are students first and foremost and that is often forgotten or the importance of academics is downplayed.

I was stunned by this irresponsible statement. Any coach that tells a student-athlete that one's outside-the-classroom-activities are more important than school is an idiot. Furthermore, I question his (this coach's) motives as I know that his program generates A LOT of cash flow from kids who swim year round (at some points two or three times a day!). And let's not even get into the kids who are burned out and suffering from repetitive-movement injuries before they are in high school! But fill-in-the-blank-activity practiced daily, year in and year out is the only way to get better. Ask these guys and that's the answer you get. It's the American way, more more more.

Barf.

I'm all for getting better. But just because "this-is-the-way-we-have-always-done-it" doesn't mean it is the right way or more importantly, the smart way. Parents, use your head before you open your wallet and kids, use your head for something other than holding a swim cap. Decisions you make today can affect the rest of your child's life.

Whether or not a child made all their swim club (or whatever) practices is irrelevant if the child doesn't graduate from school.

Stay strong,
Ed T.