Extra Credit

While thinking of possible topics I could use for my issue paper I remembered a debate I had read in my A+ class. It was in a 7^th grade Junior Scholastic with a debate on whether schools should keep sports or not. The question I am framing my research around is “Do the benefits of school sports outweigh the faults?” When I first started researching I thought it was a mainly national issue. As I continued my research I found that it really is a global topic. There have been numerous studies done outside of the U.S. I am pointing out the faults of discrimination in sports (especially to disabled individuals) and also addressing the claim that athletics diminish academic achievement. I will support the claims that athletic involvement is actually beneficial to students in ways such as building character, teamwork skills, confidence, decreasing obesity risk, and social skills. I will also point out that if high school athletics were not in existence then would we have collegiate sports, or professional sports? Would we have events such as the World Cup, Super bowl, or even the Olympics? Definitely something to think about.

                My target audience is school administrators, parents, and local government authorities. I will mostly be talking about high school. One thing that is common throughout education is academic achievement. Since studies prove that sports result in higher academic achievement I can use this to appeal to school administrators. Parents always wants what is best for their child or children so I will stress the benefits of athletic involvement. Points will be made that sports build character, friendships, and confidence.

                The thing that worries me most about this research paper is finding information that says, or proves, what I want to say. This issue is current so studies are still being done. It’s not that there isn’t enough information, it’s just finding the right information. This can cause a lot of trouble. I don’t believe I will have a problem in reaching the page requirement. This is a topic that I have a strong opinion about. I believe that a big struggle for me will be keeping my personal opinion and bias out and letting the facts do the convincing. My fingers are crossed that I can find this balance. Seeing as I am a very opinionated person, this is an everlasting struggle I have in almost all assignments.