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| - In sports, there are a number of “end games.” These long-term, monumental, accomplishments ignite motivational fires within kids and communities. All star teams, championships and college recruiting, college sports participation and college scholarships matter. Position: More than $1-million per year is lost by PPS students because few are able to capitalize upon sports scholarships. Example, as a swim coach at Plum High School, my conservative claim (and it held true) was for the ongoing delivery of $200,000 in college scholarships for Plum swimmers.
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| abstract
| - In sports, there are a number of “end games.” These long-term, monumental, accomplishments ignite motivational fires within kids and communities. All star teams, championships and college recruiting, college sports participation and college scholarships matter. College sports and talent scholarships should be more pervasive motivators for our youth. Getting a “free ride” pays for tuition, room and board. Plus, college athletes get plenty of instant friends in their teammates. Furthermore, college athletes get to enjoy plenty of time playing their sport. Sports scholarship can take students beyond the borders of Pennsylvania, unlike the Pittsburgh Promise scholarships. Position: More than $1-million per year is lost by PPS students because few are able to capitalize upon sports scholarships. The stars and captains on every team and in every sport have NCAA and NAIA opportunities to address. Sadly, too few PPS teams have players benefiting from collegiate-sport scholarships and the recruiting process. Exceptions exist, of course. A tenfold increase could happen if PPS could focus more on the “end game” with its sports programs. One can't be serious about a college sports scholarship years into the future when short-term trouble fills the vision. Is there practice today? Is there a game next week? Who is going to open the weight room? Who is the coach next season? Is my school going to close? What kind of competition was that? Where do we have training camp in the summers? PPS needs stability, talent identification, enrichment, honesty and leadership that cares by going to the kids and families to put sports into perspective with clarity. Forming an Olympic Sports Division within PPS to train athletes with a long-term approach, increasing aerobic capacity, measuring growth and striving for scholarships while being rooted in the city would be a monumental change. Example: In the recent years, those with talent in PPS have been advised to pack-up and move out of the city and attend a school in the WPIAL that gives better hope and has a viable program where dreams of a college-scholarship happen with regularity. Example, as a swim coach at Plum High School, my conservative claim (and it held true) was for the ongoing delivery of $200,000 in college scholarships for Plum swimmers. One school in one sport can capture, on average, $200,000 per year if each graduation class averages $50,000 in college / talent scholarships. Math: Two full scholarships of $15,000 per year (1 boy + 1 girl captain) and second captains gains partial scholarships with a value of $10,000 per year. The sum for that class is $50,000. Over the four years, the sum is $200,000. All the students on all the teams are better suited for college because of their scholastic sports participation. The student athletes, even those who were not starters on their high school teams, get an awareness that better prepares them for college life. Athletes have a more productive experience after their high school sports days. Sports help get students “promise ready.” Summary: With a quality, year-round aquatics program, our students get to perform at the highest levels in the region and state. With top teams, scholarships are certain. Without the necessary administrative support these scholarships are lost. If this 2014 crisis is turned into an opportunity, and reform measures are made across schools and among various teams, PPS student athletes could earn millions of dollars in college sports-and-talent scholarships.
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