They will also learn to differentiate fact from opinion. Beyond these basic levels, however, the sports pages of The New York Times offer more. Away from the field of play is another world of issues, problems and changes that affect society. Race relations, equal status for women's sports, drug use in society, the role of athlete as hero or role model and the issue of the scholar athlete are just some of the sports-related topics continually appearing in The Times's sports pages, which, to a considerable extent, are a microcosm of the news elsewhere in The Times. What, in one respect is the world of sports, in a larger sense is the world itself.
Most students are aware of societal and personal issues connected with sports.
Few, though, have read about them in any depth. Doing so now, with The New York Times, and talking about them in the classroom, will add a new dimension to their sports interests and bring new depth to their thinking about sports. This guide, then, will not only help teachers channel student interest in sports into the wider arena of writing, reading, vocabulary growth and critical thinking, but lead them, through their interest in sports, to a wider awareness of human concerns. It has been designed to provoke thinking and discussion that will broaden their minds far beyond the realm of sports. The fabulous salaries in professional sports and the public appetite for sports entertainment, among other things, have led to the scouting and recruitment of budding superstars at the high school level.