POV Entry

When does the sport of high school football become more than just a game? High school football evolved into a way to make money, gain fame, and become the best of the best. In some of the top named programs in the country, playing on national television has become a yearly event. Florida’s number one ranked high school team, Miami Northwestern Bulls, will be playing Dallas Southlake Carroll in a game called, The Old Spice Clash of Champions this November. Miami and Dallas are the top two ranked teams in the nation, but they also have been involved in illegal activities.
Last year, all of the coaches from Miami were fired in after a sex scandal. Players were paid by “boosters” after they had performed well on the field. “I’ve seen it right on the field, players still in uniform being handed wads of cash, rewards for helping boosters win bets that can climb into the thousands of dollars. I’ve also seen a booster reward a star Northwestern sophomore with a car,” said Robert Andrew Powell in “Sex Scandals, Stadium Sponsors, and National TV.”
Want to find a corrupt high-school team? Just turn on the television. It was only a matter of time before an allegation surfaced when Alabama’s Hoover High appeared on an MTV reality show. Hoover is a public high school, yet its football team wins every game and started last year ranked number one nationally. A conflict emerged. The school employees had been accused of changing grades of players on the football team. Another program, Evangel High, was fined $5,000 for illegally recruiting a high school player.

High school football is one of the purest forms of entertainment, and it should not be compromised by gambling, illegal recruiting and national television. By televising high school football games, it’s making it more than just a game. The big name high schools in the nation are expected to maintain their reputation of winning state championships and being ranked nationally. The pursuit of this reputation takes away from the game. It puts pressure on the athletes to live up to these expectations for the wrong reason; it’s not what the game is about. High school football is about teamwork, loyalty, hard work and commitment. Televising these games take that away.
Paying players is the most unethical thing that could be done in any high school sport. Boosters put too much pressure on players to do well and win games. This takes away from the most important aspect of the game: sportsmanship. In high school, athletes should play the sport for the love of the game, not for money. Paying high school athletes also takes away their opportunity to experience the pride of winning the game and the self-satisfaction of achieving that goal.
Competition is an important part of athletes’ lives. Illegal recruiting, paying players, and making winning the most important aspect ruins the game for athletes who love the sport. High school athletics are a way for students to get together, play as a team and contribute to the one common goal: enjoying sports.