Column: High school sports build fitness, teamwork and lifelong participation
Retired superintendent Curt Dubost.
– High school sports first became popular at the exclusive prep schools in New England in the late 1800s, though they existed at some boarding schools much earlier than that. Football and baseball were the two main sports, with the school’s involvement typically limited to telling the boys to play baseball far enough away from the school that they didn’t break any windows.
Sports spread later to other areas and, along with Greek fraternities, were modeled after collegiate programs. They were run pretty much by students with no formal leagues and few rules. Non-student recruits often were on school teams. Abuses, particularly by fraternities, led to the push for greater school control, and by 1920, schools, not students, were running their athletic programs. Military programs such as ROTC were also popular, and led to West Point and Annapolis having perennially top football teams.
At the same time, other sports were increasing in popularity, and school administrators started to acknowledge the potential role of athletic competition in a well-rounded education. As a result, high schools began to build gymnasiums and develop rules to address safety and other concerns. Basketball, boxing, soccer, golf, tennis, track and field, bowling, cross country, swimming, and other teams were popular in different areas.
Opportunities for girls’ sports were severely limited, although the success of women in the Olympics and other post-high school venues made it harder to argue against their inclusion in high school sports. The Olympics first included women in 1900 in Paris, where they competed in sailing, golf, tennis, and croquet. Full opportunities for girls in high school sports didn’t really begin until Title IX in 1972 mandated their inclusion.
As for minorities, high schools were heavily segregated, either as a matter of law, such as in the Deep South, or de facto by virtue of segregated communities with their hence segregated neighborhood schools. Facilities for black student athletes at black schools were woefully underfunded, with often decrepit facilities, equipment, and transportation.
Despite this disparity, largely segregated black high schools produced many outstanding athletes, but as in professional sports, their opportunities for competition collegiately were severely limited. Traditional black colleges like Grambling State, under highly respected coach Eddie Robinson, did provide opportunities for a college education to many minority athletes and did graduate many pro football prospects.
That changed most prominently at Alabama, one of the most storied college football programs, under legendary coach Bear Bryant. No black players were on Bryant’s teams until 1970, when the USC Trojans, under coach John McKay, trounced The Tide 42-21 with a fully integrated roster including fullback Sam “Bam” Cunningham. Cunningham ran over, through, and away from ‘Bama’s all white defense for two early touchdowns and dominated. Coach Bryant saw this and used his gravitas to persuade Alabama to integrate or never again win championships. They did so the following year, and thankfully, that spread throughout college and high school athletics.
As we begin the new school year, although football is understandably most followed, let’s remember to support and make an effort to attend the many other high school sports in which boys and girls practice hard and compete for their schools. These are often the sports that lead to lifelong fitness. Although one former Bearcat, Josh Oliver, plays in the NFL, the odds of high school athletes becoming professional athletes are extraordinarily slim. Other sports, though, we play recreationally as adults.
These sports offer students the opportunity to compete on a team, proudly represent their school, and develop physical fitness. They are the ones in which we continue to participate throughout life. I have sons, grandsons, and granddaughters who now play or played high school football, basketball, track, cross country, volleyball, golf, soccer, and baseball, and we try to attend all the contests we can and are equally proud of their participation in all these endeavors.
How can you be supportive? Encourage your children to participate on a team. Come to games. Support fundraisers. Be a referee. If you have time and interest, consider coaching a school team starting in elementary. It can take a lot of time, but it can be incredibly rewarding for both you and your kids. Before you know it, they’ll be graduating.
– Former Paso Robles Joint Unified School District Superintendent Curt Dubost
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