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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (March 28, 2018)
14 Wednesday, March 28, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Commentary... Sports scholarships By Bob Gardner & Peter Weber Guest Columnists Many parents are trying to live the dream through their sons and daughters — the dream of landing a col- lege athletic scholarship by specializing in a sport year- round. Unfortunately, most of these dreams are never realized. The odds of a sports scholarship paying for even a portion of a student’s col- lege education are miniscule. The College Board, a not- for-profit organization com- prised of 6,000 of the world’s leading educational institu- tions, reports that a moderate cost for college students who attend a public university in their state of residence is $25,290 per year. The annual cost at a private college aver- ages $50,900. Meanwhile, the most recent data from the NCAA reveals that the average Division I athletic scholar- ship is worth only $10,400. More significantly, the same study shows that fewer than two percent of all high school athletes (1 in 54) ever wear the uniform of an NCAA Division I school. Even if the dream is realized, parents likely will spend more money for club sports than they ever regain through college athletic scholarships. Thanks to the costs of club fees, equip- ment, summer camps, play- ing in out-of-state tourna- ments and private coaching, youth sports has become a $15 billion-per-year industry. There is an option, and it’s a financially viable one: Encourage your sons and daughters to play sports at their high school. In education-based high school sports, student-ath- letes are taught, as the term implies, that grades come first. The real-life lessons that students experientially learn offer insights into lead- ership, overcoming adversity and mutual respect that can- not be learned anywhere else. Unlike club sports, coaches in an education-based school setting are held accountable by the guiding principles and goals of their school district. And the cost of participating in high school sports is mini- mal in most cases. While there is a belief that the only way to get noticed by college coaches is to play on non-school travel teams year-round, many Division I football and basketball coaches recently have stated that they are committed to recruiting students who have played multiple sports within the high school setting. In addition, by focusing on academics while play- ing sports within the school setting, students can earn scholarships for academics and other talents — skill sets oftentimes nurtured while participating in high school activities. These scholar- ships are more accessible and worth more money than athletic scholarships. While $3 billion per year is avail- able for athletic scholarships, more than $11 billion is awarded for academic schol- arships and other financial assistance. Without a doubt, your sons and daughters will have more fun, make more friends and be better prepared for life beyond sport by partici- pating in multiple sports and activities offered by the high school in your community. Bob Gardner is the executive director of the National Federation of State High School Associations and Peter Weber is the executive director of the Oregon School Activities Association. LEhhERS Continued from page 2 to restraining order, fugitive from justice or dishonorable military discharge. Lastly the proposition to ban certain types of firearms has limits when mass shootings are committed with the most common guns in America and some shooters manage to obtain already illegal weapons. It is important to note that all fully automatic weapons, silencers, sawed-off shotguns, sawed-off rifles, semi- automatic assault weapons and guns without serial numbers are already banned. Naturally I am with my fellow students when they shout, “Enough is enough!”, but let’s start within our Sisters community. I propose we create a fund for full-time armed police officers at SHS, supplying them with bullets, tasers and perhaps another officer on staff. Train students to be able to spot warning signs of potential shooters and report it; take all warning signs seriously. Finally we cre- ate mandatory counseling for troubled teens: teens with depression, drug addiction, vio- lence or even difficult home lives. Freedom, whilst essential for democracy, is never free from our responsibility to posterity. Bethany Bachmeier Sisters s s s To the Editor: The implication in both the article and the guest editorial about the Christian school is that values are not taught in public schools like they are in private religious-based schools. Without any named sources, “studies show” is not proof of superiority of morality nor respect in non-public schools. It is a bit offensive to suggest that our Sisters schools are not great sources of getting kids involved in service and in treating others with respect while they are getting educations superior to many Oregon schools’ abilities. Sisters School District has been at the top of the stack as one of the two best schools in Oregon. That’s a result of our youth learning to treat others with courtesy and compassion while becoming involved, caring citizens. With programs such as Starry Nights, the Americana Project, Kiwanis Key Club and youth-generated community projects, along with SOAR/SPRD, Sisters has become a most desirable place to raise children. Youth who know they are appreciated are youth who become productive and happy citizens. The school district also has the luxury of hiring superior credentialed teachers wanting to teach in a district that makes its children its most important resource. We care about our kids enough for those kids to know that it is their responsibility to be concerned about others. These kids do this with great enthusiasm and inspiration. They are inventive, creative and wondrous. I wish SCA well, but I cannot accept that our publicly educated kids don’t meet the standards of private education in scholastics, community service or moral character, espe- cially in Sisters Country. Bonnie Malone • Locally owned and operated • Large natural & organic selection • Meat cut & ground fresh daily • Huge bulk-foods department • Only 20 minutes from Sisters Located in the Cascade Village Shopping Center, Bend Open every day, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. s s s See LETTERS on page 29 hey! have a service to provide? Movers, Hair Stylists, Laborers, Bookkeepers, Caterers and more: Consider the Nugget’s SERVICES classifi eds to let readers know what you do. They’re Sisters’ local “phone book” – and they tell our readers how to fi nd you! Just $2 per line the fi rst week , $1.50 per line on repeat weeks. And it goes online at no extra charge! Placement deadline for Nugget classifi ed ads is Monday before noon. Call us at 541-549-9941. DISHES & BOOKS
