Posted 10/27/2009 12:48:00 PM
In my nine plus years as Commissioner of the Indiana High School Athletic Association, Inc. (IHSAA), I often have spoken about one of the primary missions of academic-based athletics being to develop “good Americans rather than All-Americans.”
While it is true that an impressive number of Indiana high school student athletes graduate and move on to play a sport at the collegiate level, very few become “All-Americans.” Additionally, very few get an opportunity to compete professionally. However, all are expected to take their rightful place as a productive member of society.
By their very nature, high school athletics already are designed to teach life lessons that foster stronger, more vibrant communities. Personal discipline, respect for authority, responsibility to others, the development of leadership skills, and role model opportunities, all of which are essential parts of being a student-athlete. The combination of these traits plays an important role in teenagers’ development ...
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Posted 4/7/2009 1:06:00 PM
Enhancing one’s performance is more a part of our culture than most of us realize.
We drink caffeine in the morning and take No-Doze at night in an effort to stay razor sharp regardless of the hour of the day.
Entertainers have been known to use recreational drugs to push their performances to extraordinary levels.
College students sometimes take prescription drugs to increase learning capacity and get better grades.
Athletes representing sports as diverse as Major League Baseball, the Tour de France, and the Olympics occasionally test positive for steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs.
And we can’t turn on the television set without watching commercials for Viagra and Cialis.
Our culture is more stimulated than perhaps we’d like to think. High school athletics tend to mirror society. And so it is no surprise that people wonder what extremes today’s teenage athletes will take to enhance their performances.
Why are teenagers ...
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Posted 4/7/2009 1:04:00 PM
Whether you’re watching network news, reading a hometown newspaper or visiting with a colleague at the proverbial water cooler, one topic trumps all others these days—THE ECONOMY. And more times than not, the tone skews toward the negative.
Here’s a positive twist to “the topic of the day.” It’s not going to save our automakers or reverse the direction of the NYSE. But it is a practical way for you and your family to enjoy an evening of entertainment at a price most families can afford, even in today’s coupon-clipping world.
This Friday or Saturday night, take your family to a boys’ or girls’ high school basketball game. Tickets at most Indiana high schools are only $5.00 each. Parking is free. And the hot, freshly popped popcorn costs about a dollar a bag.
So a family of four can enjoy an entertaining night out for less than $30.00, depending on ...
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