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The Paly Voice

The Student News Site of Palo Alto High School

The Paly Voice

The Student News Site of Palo Alto High School

The Paly Voice

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Opinion: College admission shouldn’t be a guaranteed slam-dunk for athletes

Although athletes may be incredibly talented on the court, their sports should not guarantee them spots in top notch colleges. Photo by Paige Esterly.
Although athletes may be incredibly talented on the court, their sports should not guarantee them spots in top notch colleges. Photo by Paige Esterly.

As many of you may know, Wednesday Feb. 6 was the National Letter of Intent signing for Palo Alto High School athletes recruited to play varsity sports in college. And, as much as I’d like to congratulate these Paly students who will be attending the colleges of their choice for their respective sports, a little bit of me can’t help but notice the unfairness of the recruitment system.

Before I begin I’d like to recognize that, yes, these athletes have put immense amounts of time and focus into their sports. With an immense amount of self-discipline and coordination (both of which I am sorely lacking), these students have managed to balance school, homework and countless hours of practice in order to get where they are today. I respect and admire this, certainly, I just don’t think hitting reliable home runs should promise both an athletic victory and an academic one.

In accepting athletes before even considering the applications of other students, colleges send out the message that those who play sports are somehow better and more coveted than other, non athletically gifted applicants. While the rest of us, no matter how talented we are at our own respective pursuits, bite our nails all the way up to the spring decision dates, athletes find themselves being courted by colleges as early as junior year. Is the star quarterback somehow more talented and desirable than the star of the musical? By specifically pursuing sports stars, colleges certainly seem to be sending the message that, yes, he is.

Then there’s the matter of star athletes landing in schools out of their academic league. Now, I’m not necessarily implying that this is an issue for any of Paly’s recruited students, but it’s certainly something to think about. According to U.S. News, the average SAT scores of college athletes lag behind those of their classmates, implying that, perhaps, these athletes won their admission with a plethora of touchdowns rather than academic prowess. This is not only unfair to other, potentially more academically eligible, students denied spots at prestigious universities in favor of athletes, but also to the athletes themselves. Struggling at school can be frustrating and embarrassing, and placing someone in an academic environment he or she is ill-suited to compete in only setting that student up for failure.

So, congratulations to Paly sports stars, as well as other stellar high school athletes world round. I’m sure that, most of you at least, will go on to do great things, both on the court and off. I just wish that perhaps the playing field was slightly more level, pun intended.

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Paige Esterly, Author

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  • S

    sports star cool personFeb 21, 2014 at 4:09 am

    The system is absolutely idiotic and unfortunate, but everything that colleges do are for money and recognition, and the best athletes give them both (at least D1 schools). The best actors and actresses (unless movie actor and actresses, and it is harder to determine if an actor or actress will become famous in high school) give them neither, besides bringing recognition to the individual theater department.

    So yes, to colleges, the best athletes are more desirable then the best actresses.

    Reply
  • G

    GuestFeb 21, 2014 at 3:15 am

    Hi, I understand your perspective, yet athletics in america serves as an industry that brings in a lot of revenue. Athletic events are a social gathering for students in college, and having good athletes and successful athletic seasons in the respected colleges reverberates across the entire college. Although someone maybe have talent in a musical or something like that, our nation does not see that as important. This is why the star of the musical is less important, yes it is not fair, but it is the way our nation has naturally evolved. Additionally, by bringing up the point that athletes SAT scores are far lower than others, I think your point would be enforced if you were to look at talented musicians or actors and see if they had stelar academic performances. Additionally more academically eligible students are not denied places at college by these athletes. Athletes are eligible for separate scholarships specific to athletics, and I believe schools allocate for a designated amount of student athletes per year.

    Reply