Analysis of Arguments for and Against High School Sports

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Analysis of Arguments For and Against High School Sports The average American tends to hold athletics to a higher standard than grades or academics. Americans have become obsessed with the success (or failure) of their teams, almost completely disregarding whatever happens in the classroom. If a football team were to have a .500 record (i.e. 6-6), the coach would most likely be on the “hot seat”, but when students average a “C” [averaging A’s (wins) and F’s (losses)] the school moves on and nobody blinks an eye. Most citizens in a community could care less if their school was struggling academically as long as their sports teams went undefeated or had a winning season. American societies have been raised to be competitive and that winning, especially in sports, is very important. They have come to accept that scholarly achievements take a back seat to achievements in the sports world. Using appeals to logos and pathos, as well as fact and value claims, Daniel Bowen and Collin Hitt offer opposing views from Amanda Ripley supporting either the positive or negative effects sports have on test scores and academic accomplishments. In Amanda Ripley’s article “The Case Against High School Sports,” she argues that sports are becoming an unnecessary distraction, causing American students to fall behind other countries in math (and all other subjects) in the classroom. She suggests that the main American focus for all schools—elementary, high school, or college—is to put the triumphs of athletic teams before the success of the schools’ intellectual feats. Ripley provides many examples and situations to support her stance. She interviews foreign exchange students who help to sustain part of her argument that says sports in America are more important than sports in other countries (South Korea is the specific example given). The other main part of her argument suggests that

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