Will schools in America still support school sports in the future? While you might initially be surprised by that question, when you dig deeper you quickly see the growing challenges that are changing interscholastic sports in this country. For example, simply finding school officials can be an overwhelming task, as each year fewer and fewer adults are signing up to referee games. Similarly, most schools are challenged finding responsible adult coaches, resulting in teams hanging in the balance unless someone applies for the job. Even the costs to maintain sports (i.e. equipment, field maintenance) has become cost-prohibitive in some districts, forcing schools to choose between making cuts, or finding other revenue streams to keep sports going. Contrasting the American model to the European model and we see a dramatic difference — while American schools commonly offer interscholastic sports to kids, most schools in Europe are the exact opposite and do not include school sports as part of their offerings to kids. Are we heading toward this same model?
Contrasting Styles
As the United States faces growing challenges related to keeping sports within school systems, it becomes inevitable to look outside the box at how other places around the world offer kids sports outside of school. For example, contrast the European club-based model against the American school-based model below:
A.) European Club-Based Model
- Sports Outside of School: In most European countries, sports are organized through community-based clubs rather than schools. These clubs are independent of the education system and offer specialized training for various sports.
- School’s Role: Physical education (PE) is part of the school curriculum, but it is primarily focused on general fitness, health, and recreational activities rather than competitive sports.
- Competition: Competitive sports take place in local, regional, or national club leagues, which operate separately from schools. This allows young athletes to train and compete at high levels without relying on school teams.
B.) United States School-Based Model
- Integrated Sports: In the U.S., school sports are a significant part of the educational experience, with teams organized directly by schools and competitions between schools.
- Identity and Community: School sports often play a key role in fostering school spirit and community identity, with events like Friday night football games becoming cultural staples.
- Pathway to Higher Levels: For many students, school sports are a stepping stone to college athletics and professional opportunities.
Even if the United States moves toward a European club-based model, many of the same challenges will still remain. While schools might be able to remove sports from their budget, sport clubs will still need to secure solid officials and coaches. Historically speaking, youth sport coach jobs do not pay very well, and the hours can be long and atypical. Similarly, youth sport officials do not generally make a lot of money, but they sure do take a lot of abuse, resulting in fewer and fewer adults seeking these jobs. And if those hurdles weren’t enough, a few out-of-control parents can really make it tough to find quality people to lead our youth sports.
Final thoughts
There are a lot of things changing with school sports today, and the threat of even bigger changes loom. Sport participation is a great thing for kids and helps with physical, emotional, and social development, but these growth experiences rely on quality coaches and officials. Is there still enough time to right the ship, or will we eventually split sports from schools as most European countries do? The American school sport model faces many challenges, and may soon need to look at creative approaches — including the European approaches — to ensure that our kids are best served.
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