"One Strike and You're Out" an Analysis of No Pass/No Play Policies (2000)

The Argument Jamar is a typical young, black male in his community. His mother is dependent upon government assistance, he has no knowledge of his father and he receives virtually no parental guidance or involvement. Most of his friends are high school dropouts who regularly sell or use drugs and have few of sports. Academically, Jamar is also similar to his peers. He is intellectually capable but completely disinterested in academics -- a wealth of unlimited potential. Like most of the children in his neighborhood, he dreams of escaping his hapless environment, unfortunately his grades are unlikely to gain him admittance into college. In fact, the sole reason he attends school is to play basketball. Jamar is an outstanding basketball player who last year led his school to the state playoffs. His role on the team is his only sense of identity and sole source of positive self-esteem. Yesterday, the principal informed Jamar he would not be part of the basketball team because he failed Algebra II. Jamar never returns to school. Jamar's predicament is far too common among teens in contemporary society. One thing nearly every educator agrees upon is that something must be done to enhance Jamar's chances for academic achievement and graduation. Two opposing camps are forming, however, over the appropriate means by which to achieve the justifiable end. A decade ago educators began panicking over the state of our academic system and the overemphasis on athletics in school. Consequently, an increasing number of state legislatures, state boards of educators and local school districts have taken action to limit participation in extracurricular activities if students fail courses or do not achieve sufficient academic standards. Led by the Texas state legislature's implementation of the Pass/ No Play Bill, four states have set specific academic standards, nineteen others have implemented academic guidelines for participation and the majority of the remaining states have established some regulations for extracurricular activities (Cooke, p.5). Proponents of No Pass/No Play legislation argue stern measures are necessary to curb the current statistics which suggest that more students are failing classes and achieving lower grades than in the past. They assert that such policies will serve as a motivational tool, providing the incentive for students to pull up their grades. Further arguments state that extracurricular activities are merely a privilege and not a right, the benefits of which have become overvalued in our educational system. These individuals genuinely believe that students affected by the policy will not only improve their grades, but reevaluate their priorities, comprehending that academics must come first and their outside interests second. Opponents of tying higher academic standards to athletic participation generally focus on the positive affects athletics have on students. This opposition relies upon statistical evidence demonstrating that participants in sports and other extracurricular activities earn better grades than non-participants and record better attendance in school. Additionally, they emphatically assert that high school athletic and non-athletic activities are not only supportive of the academic mission of schools but are inherently educational and vital to the total development of students (Lapchick, 1989). These educators further argue that athletic participation develops many basic values such as self-esteem and self-respect and denying the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities is effectively denying a valid educational opportunity. Historical Analysis Recognizing the inherent value of non-academic activities traces as far back as Plato's admiration for the intelligent skills of athletes, cobblers, carpenters and musicians. More concretely, academics and athletics became directly entangled in the early nineteenth century. …