Huge Announcement in Sports from Department of Education

In a historic decision, the US department of education has declared that all public schools provide equal access for students of all abilities to participate in sports.

This is a huge victory for advocates who believe everything that the Play Like a Champion Today® philosophy espouses. Sports are meant to be fun experiences that build life lessons of physical fitness, character, psychological development, social interaction and fun. While sports may double as a means for rising to elite professional levels for some, this ordinance affirms that sports can build character and goodness in all young people.

Those of us who are committed to uphold the right of all children to play sports in school welcome this directive with enthusiasm.  Secretary of Education, Arnie Duncan rightly points out that sports can help to build virtue and teach life lessons. 

Implementation of this directive will lead to accommodations not only in facilities and equipment but also in the way in which coaches approach athletes with special needs.  Implementation, we hope, will lead to expanded opportunity for all students, regardless of ability or disability, to experience the physical and psychological benefits of sports participation.

Perhaps the most significant implication of this ordinance is what it says about the state of our culture. Amidst the scandals, tragedies, and shortcomings of sports that we hear bout in the media, there are still voices speaking for voiceless. There are still people pursuing social justice for the marginalized. There is still hope for a better future for our children.

Leave the speculation at the door

The news out of South Bend yesterday was troubling. As a fan of sports, Notre Dame, and the human race as a whole, I won’t even bother with the details. ESPN, Dead Spin, Facebook, and Google would do you far more good if you want to know the latest scoop on the Manti Te’o hoax.

Rather than contribute to the circus of rampant speculation surrounding this bizarre affair, I think it is appropriate to simply just take a deep breath and look at the way we look at sports in our culture.

As a fan of sports, it is no longer simply acceptable to have a deep passion for your team, and root for them when you go to a game. Now, to be considered a knowledgeable fan, you have to know everything from which high school sophomore is making a verbal commitment to your alma mater to what the captain of your team tweeted about his breakfast sandwich this morning. The “best” fans are really just the best informed fans. And with this mass demand by legions of fans for more information, it’s no surprise that things like this happen. Players’ privacies become commodities that can be bought and sold. An athlete’s net worth is dependent not only on his or her athletic abilities, but on the ability to generate consumable information for the masses.

It is important to understand that the main player in this whole media mess is a 22-year-old man. Do you remember when you were 22 years old? I was delivering pizza and answering phones for a living, eking out a young life that enjoyed the comforts of good friends, a simple apartment, good health, and relative obscurity. Contrast that to a young man who has millions of fans that have never even spoken to him, career prospects that include millions of dollars in yearly earnings, and a personal life that is anything but personal. So before we speculate about who is in the wrong, or who is behind this hoax, let’s just keep this in perspective. Not only is Manti Te’o young, but he is under an extraordinary amount of pressure. If we care about him, or even the sport as a whole, just grant him some privacy. Stop going to different websites to get the latest update. Turn off your TV. Watch something else. Let trained professionals get to the bottom of this, and make your informed opinions then.

One of the great things about sport is the humanity revealed in all of it. You see people’s highest highs and lowest lows out on the field of play. In televised sports we see people who are the best at their craft do what they love. Their talent makes them seem super-human, but they most certainly are human. And as humans we (and athletes!) make mistakes. We hurt and we get hurt. We lie and are lied to. But some of the most distinguishing human characteristics are our best traits. We forgive. We understand. We show compassion. So, however the dust settles in this whole affair, let’s let our best selves show through.