Three Point Stance: Spare High School Sports, Great and Small

Last week, I talked to our readers about why middle school sports should be saved. Now I turn my attention away from the middle-school to the high-school level.

Among many other things in the budget, high school sports are in danger of being cut from our children's lives. The most precarious of these are the smaller sports like tennis, golf, and volleyball.

I think it is a shame to have to make a decision on which sports are worthy of saving and which ones are not. It shouldn't be looked at in that way.

Every day, students at PCHS take their time and effort to compete in the sports they love, while also learning many trades along the way. They learn the qualities of a leader and how to direct people in a positive way. That will come in handy when they grow older and reach the workforce.

They are taught to work hard. That effort will help them to go far in this world, especially when it comes to college and their job.

Sports also teaches discipline, leading to balance and focus in all aspects of their life.

I haven't even mentioned the most obvious reason for sports: physical fitness. We all have heard talk about how future and current generations will likely suffer from severe health problems and excessive obesity.

Then we talk about eliminating one of the few things that causes enjoyment for those trying to battle it.

It doesn't matter if you are on the volleyball team, football team, soccer team, or tennis team; you are still trying your best to learn these qualities and to keep yourself in shape.

It doesn't matter what sport you play, every one of them teaches these important life qualities more than any leadership class ever will.

– Cody Dalton is a writer for The Southwest Times in Pulaski. He can be reached at [phone] or at [e-mail]-