[quote=Russell]
I understand someone with a love of sports wanting to have the privelege of playing and having that be sponsored by the school. That said, I am not sure I see any overiding value in sports and schools going hand in hand to the degree that they do, at any level. Given the way things are, I wouldn’t let my opinions interfere with my kid’s,or any kid’s wishes to particpate either.[/quote]

Russell: What about the values instilled by team sports? Forgetting football, or basketball, or baseball for a second. What about crew? Wrestling? Field hockey?

I never played collegiate sports, but I did play high school sports (football, baseball and wrestling) and those memories are still with me today, along with the lessons I learned about adversity, teamwork and striving for goals. Part of the college experience is the various extracurricular activities you participate in, including sports. If you treat the values instilled by team sports as being part of what makes you a better person, wouldn’t academics and athletics go hand-in-hand? Isn’t the whole point behind the notion of a student-athlete?