It’s 7 a.m. in late March, and, as daylight breaks, this sleeping teenager realizes for the first time in months it’s a weekday and there is no school. Just as happiness starts to flood his body, the alarm clock next to him goes off. The sound is a screaming reminder that he has practice today. Most students are sleeping in, enjoying their much needed spring break from school. Yet for some reason, some student athletes such as baseball and basketball players are persuaded to attend practices and even games occasionally. Athletes should not be punished or penalized for missing these practices. After all, it is a break, isn’t it?
Sure, by trying out for the squad, the student has made a commitment to the team and all the rules, but breaks are meant for relaxation and catching up on sleep. The days meant for vacations and hanging out with friends are interrupted by dragging yourself out of the house to run repetitive drills.
School athletics are an after-school activity. There is no school during this time. There are no concert band or orchestra practices during break, so there is no reason for athletes to have to go back to the school when they are already sick of being there.
Coaches should not be able to penalize a player for not being at school during break. Sure, according to KHS administration, coaches are allowed to do as they choose with their roster, but my other teachers do not care where I am. My algebra teacher is not going to make me show up during spring break to practice my parabolas.
Worst, this does not seem right for the weaker players, the ones who are not quite as good as the rest of the team and find themselves riding the bench for most of the time. They give up their annual trip to Florida so that they can stay at home, go to practice and still find themselves on the sidelines during games.
I can play catch on the beach, drain some three pointers in Colorado and practice my serve on the cruise ship, all while still relaxing and enjoying myself. Please Coach, we ran the give-and-go play 40 times already and spent a whole week practicing pick-offs at first base. The extra three or four practices during break really do not make much of a difference.
In the words of Allen Iverson, former NBA basketball player, we’re not talking about games, we’re talking about practice. As Athletes, it does not seem fit to be forced to come back to school during break to attend more practices. It’s time to turn off the alarm clock, because it’s finally break and we deserve one.
