Athletics may be one way to afford college
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Many BHS students have made the decision to not only go to college for an education but to play college sports as well. Athletics on college campuses is one of the oldest traditions in higher education.
The reputation a student-athlete most likely develops, on the other hand, is not something they are probably looking forward to. A lot of students are going to think of them as “dumb jocks” that don’t even know how to work the library. Even the faculty held more negative attitudes toward student-athletes than other students. These are only minor problems that the prospective student-athlete is going to have to deal with. There are a lot of more important things the student-athlete must think about. There are difficult decisions that have to be made before going off to a school.
Student-athletes choosing a school have to be aware of what division they want to play. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a voluntary association of about 1,200 colleges and universities, athletic conferences and sports organizations. Division I institutions are required to sponsor at least seven sports for men and seven for women, Division II must sponsor at least four sports for men and four for women, and Division III has to sponsor at least five for men and five for women. Student-athletes who choose a Div. III school also have to be aware of the fact that they will receive no financial aid, where Div. I and Div. II can pay for as much of the schooling as they feel they need to.
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| Title IX helps many athletes
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“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance" from the preamble to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Title IX is the landmark legislation that bans sex discrimination from taking place in schools, in the areas of both academics and athletics.
Title IX requires that that women be provided with an opportunity to participate in sports that is equal to men's. This does not mean that the sports have to be the same, but that both sexes have an equal opportunity to play. It also requires that female athletes receive scholarships for athletics that are proportional to their participation in the sport. Finally, this law requires that equipment and supplies, scheduling of games and practices, travel and daily allowance, access to coaching, locker rooms, practice and competitive facilities, medical facilities and services, and publicity and promotions be provided equally. Since title IV was passed, attitudes have begun to change, as well as our understanding of how stereotypes can limit athletic opportunities. The only downside of Ttitle IV is that some sports have been dropped in order to equalize the number of men’s and women’s sports.
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