Home-Schooled Athletes

The much discussed debates in many States nationwide is if home-schooled students should be allowed to compete in public school sports. Many individual states are submitting bills to their Congress in order to try and pass the law. It is a growing argument, and it seems to be a half and half split across the country. The people that are against it feel as it is not right because they have unfair advantages over the public school kids like sleeping in, not necessarily having to get, and flexible hours. The group in favor of it believe in it because they feel it gives the children a sense of camaraderie with a team, exposes them to diversity and teaches them teamwork. The leader for the group that support the ability of home-schooled athletes to play for public schools is Tim Tebow, he himself was homeschooled all the way until he graduated. In my opinion, yes they should be able to as long as they meet these requirements which are maintaining good grades, paying the fee and must participate at the school that they would be enrolled at if they were not home schooled.

            Being on a sports team and having a sense of camaraderie with other students is one of the most important things a high school student can do. Not only does it let you meet new people, it gives you a support group that can help you with anything. Being a home-schooled student must affect your social skills a lot so allowing them to play for public schools is the right thing to do for them so they can meet others. For many home-schooled students it is as if they live in a bubble and have very few friends and a team is a way to rapidly increase your social ability and they are a great confidence booster. Being part of a team also gives you the sense of accomplishment, which really makes you feel good about yourself. And really, in all reality, what high school student could not use a confidence booster?

            Diversifying yourself is also a big part of high school for most students. If you are home schooled you do not get to meet new people and you are stuck only knowing family and longtime family friends. Allowing home schooled students to play with public schools is needed and it would really benefit both parties. It will expose the public school kids to a new way of living, which will help them later in life in the real world. Also, it will benefit the home-schooled kids because it allows them to meet new people and how to work with others. The skill of teamwork is one of the most important skills you u can learn in high school because when you grow up you will need experience with it. At most jobs, you will be required to work with others to complete a task and playing on a sports team is a good way to introduce yourself to this skill while you are young and that is why home-schooled students should be allowed to participate in public school sports.

            In my opinion, as well as many others such as Tim Tebow, children that are home-schooled need to be allowed to play sports for their public school. Sports are one of the greatest ways to prepare young boys and girls for the real world and any kid in highs school that maintains eligibility through their grades should be allowed to play them no matter where they go to school. Home-schooling students also need a reason to be pushed out of their comfort zone in order to meet new people and sports are the perfect option because they allow you to meet new people that have similar interests as you will you are doing something you love, playing a sport. Sports introduce you to diversity, and more importantly team work and they are both two things you need to be introduced too around high school or else you will never try to work or meet other people. As long as the student remains eligible, pays the fee, and plays for the public school in which they live in, then there should be no restrictions on if they can play or not because it is the only way for them to play sports. The students must be allowed to play for the public school because if you say no the only person you are hurting is the student and that is not what high school sports are about.