A Look Back: Talking about school sports in Kappan

Abstract

In the monthly Look Back column, Teresa Preston describes how Kappan authors have addressed the role of sports in schools. Articles have debated whether playing on teams is beneficial to student athletes or whether it distracts them from more important academic pursuits, with most finding that the research is inconclusive. Authors have also considered the amount of time and resources schools commit to athletic programs and whether the programs are worth the investment for the school as a whole. Another area of inquiry has focused on the culture of sports programs and the role of coaches in ensuring that their teams play a positive role in students’ development.