In 1993, Charles Barkley (NBA all-star) famously told a reporter, "I am not a role model. I am not paid to be a role model. I am paid to wreak havoc on the basketball court. Parents should be role models. Just because I dunk a basketball, doesn't mean I should raise your kids." While Barkley firmly believed this statement, it wasn't true at the time, and it isn't true now. Perhaps athletes shouldn't be seen as role models by kids, but they definitely are. However, in the context of Christian education, this reality can be beneficial when properly leveraged by the coaches, athletics program, and school.
We've likely all heard something similar to, "Sports don't build character--they reveal it." And to some extent, that statement is accurate. However, a coach and athletics program intent on fostering character and leadership can absolutely build--or at the very least, reinforce--character in athletes.
Teachers can have a tendency to get frustrated with athletes specifically (and athletics in general) because sports season can pose new challenges for teaching. Athletes often leave school early for games, stay out late for practice, become distracted from their schoolwork, are tired in class, and struggle to pay attention or turn assignments in on time. However, teachers must remember the various benefits of playing high school sports.
Teamwork and Collaboration. Student-athletes learn to lose themselves within the concept of the team and work together toward a single goal. Teachers can leverage this skill and adapt it to their classroom instruction.
Leadership skills. Good coaches instill leadership skills in the student-athletes. These skills, again, can translate well to the classroom, where teachers may utilize student-athletes' propensity to lead and give them responsibilities within the school.
Academic Boost. It may seem counter-intuitive, but sports can often cause student-athletes to perform better in the classroom than they do outside of their normal sports season. Because of the increased practice, game, and travel times, many student-athletes up their time-management game and utilize what free time they have to focus on school work, resulting in better grades.
Improved Mental Health. Sports often serve as a sort of stress relief for certain student-athletes, providing them with a sense of belonging and camaraderie with their teammates, and giving them an improved sense of discipline and concentration. These benefits often bleed over into other areas of life as well, including academics.
Career and Life Skills. High school sports can have a tremendous impact on student-athletes, providing them with skills that will help prepare them for life and future careers. In sports, they learn work ethic, problem-solving skills, resilience, collaboration, and how to rebound from failure.
While Christian schools should not put the cart before the horse when it comes to the role of athletics, they would be wise to harness the power of athletics to build leaders and culture. Unlike the Charles Barkley mindset of athletes not being role models to kids, Christian schools should make much of the fact that athletes are leaders--among their peers, within the school, and to younger students who look up to them. Athletics should not come before academics or spiritual life, but athletics can be a powerful tool for Christian schools that should be leveraged rather than tolerated or dismissed.
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