Let’s all have a moment to recognize the greatness of America, and its exceptional educational system. Kidding. Behind the facade of America’s superbness, lies a pitiful truth: the students of The Land of Opportunity are globally ranked 36 in education. You can blame the kids. You can blame the teachers. But for me, I point my finger toward how America has embedded sports programs into an educational household.

Of course by now, the binding of sports into high schools is a rather irreversible situation. Sports in high school has become so commonplace that the average person is blind to the fact that sports by itself is silently killing the educational system. But nevertheless, it is important to realize how damaging high school sports has become; our country spends more tax dollars on high school athletes than high school math students.

Although not as strong of a case in Diamond Bar, there are other schools with students attending school as a conduit to further pursue their athletic aspirations. Barely meeting GPA requirements to be eligible to compete and graduate, these students are failing to receive the proper education they need. By either separating sports from education, like most higher ranked countries do, or at least toning it down, America has the potential to up itself in the rankings. In the end, only two to five percent will receive a college scholarship. And for the majority of the rest, will be left with a bag of cleats and tennis balls.

Sports are too loud. Many students already have a difficult time concentrating on their academics, and missing a day of school for a tournament and dedicating minimized class times for a sports pep rally doesn’t help. Gym, tennis courts, football field, locker rooms, maintenance and materials. I guarantee if America had the option to return all these and instead invest in our education like they should’ve done in the first place, there would’ve been many more “opportunities” and “American Dreams” coming true.

There are students that play high school sports as a hobby, but the only hobbies at an educational facility should involve a pencil and a pen. I’m not saying sports is bad; simply, sports should take place elsewhere, not in already academically struggling high schools.

Make high school sports an out-of-school activity like it once was. Integrating sports into a school should start at a collegiate level, where even there having a future as an athlete is slim. At least up to high school, students should be solely focused on academics; education will change the world, not a football.