They are under their football field bleachers lifting their old, antiquated weights. They are in weight rooms in their schools with minimal equipment. There are people whose home gyms have better equipment than many of the schools. They are practicing and playing on fields that have not been attended to as they should have been in years. The conditions of their fields, their tracks, their stadiums, and their gyms are not up to the average as should be expected. But the athletes do the best they can in these conditions.
Then there are those who literally have million-dollar gyms and separate buildings for their weight rooms. They have separate facilities for the sports they play. Their weight rooms and facilities put others to shame. It’s almost like a small college and in some instances even better than a few colleges.
So why is there such a huge disparity and division when it comes to High School athletics? You will hear many say it’s because their area has high tax revenue which is why they have more but is that really a good reason? Does that excuse the lack of equality not just in athletics but in academics as well?
In a society that preaches equality and tries to talk a good game, why is there no equality? I know of schools that can’t even afford buses! Not just for the students but the athletes. They have to have family and friends drive them to their sporting events and in such a busy world as today that can be a real chore especially when your event is many hours away.
I have seen schools have to try to charter buses or anything they can to help their students. I’ve seen schools go to state championship games in buses whose fees are donated by the community. So why is there such a huge disparity?
Because many of those that have to go through this have fewer tax dollars flowing in because they usually live in a very small community or reside in the inner city. And systemic racism in our schools and communities is designed to keep these people down.
You may scoff at this but it’s true. And if you scoff then you are a part of the problem. You say “the state takes care of them” or “they receive a stipend from the lottery.” The Michigan State Lottery Commission claims to give $1.4 billion dollars a year to schools. With about 3,000 schools that are about $467,000 per school per year. Plus tax dollars. So why are so many schools struggling? Why do they not have transportation or good buildings and athletic facilities? Does the lottery really give that money away to the schools or is the state getting more than its share also? Or is the school not putting it where it belongs?
Schools in Michigan get a per-student foundation grant which averages in most cases to be about $10,000 a year on average. Plus they get extra income from local taxes and of course state taxes. Plus schools are allowed to make a profit. So if equity is the true name of the game why give the lottery income to everyone and instead disperse it to those that need it most?
Because most people don’t care. They only care about themselves and their own communities. They will talk a great game when it comes to things such as equality or black lives mattering but in reality, they will do nothing to help others, and if they do they need the world to know it.
It’s very sad about our state of society and how some don’t have as good a chance or opportunity as others. Yes, life isn’t fair but we are talking about children. Our youth. And we need to try to make things a little fairer in our society for everyone.