Should home-schoolers be allowed to play public school sports?
Education is the most important thing to teach a child, whether it is at a public school or at home. There are 2.3 million students who are being educated at home just in the United States.
A large portion of high school students are involved in a sport at their school. According to a High School Athletics Participation Survey, created by the National Federation of State of High School Associations, there are 7.8 million high school students who are involved in sports.
Some people may argue that it is not “fair” or “equal” for homeschooled students to be able to play at a public school. Most people argue that it is unfair since the student doesn’t actually attend that school, they shouldn’t receive the same opportunities as a student who does go to the public school.
Fundings for a school sport are not cheap and this is why there are taxes to help pay for them. The parents of the public school pay taxes in order to allow the school to play sports. But they are not the only ones that pay for it. This also includes homeschooled parents as well. Because they do pay taxes just like everyone else, they should be given the opportunity to participate in a public school sport.
Each state has their own laws on this topic. In Ohio, it is up to the public school to decide on whether or not to allow homeschoolers to participate in their sports. Although not every state allows homeschoolers to play a public school sport. There have been recent requests made in Texas, Mississippi, and Missouri to change their laws in order for them to play.
At Licking Valley, we do allow for homeschoolers to play sports within our school year. Senior, Lexi Garrette, is homeschooled and also is a part of the girls Varsity basketball team.
Sports give an opportunity for learning competition, leadership, and sportsmanship. They are not always just an extracurricular activity, but they become a lifestyle to many of the players. Athletes strive to be great not only in their sports but also in their academics, knowing that if they don’t have good enough grades, then they cannot participate in something that they love. By allowing homeschooled students to participate in public school sports, they are also striving for that greatness.
