Students Pay to Play?

Student Athletes May Have To Pay To Play In San Jose

This is ridiculous. First of all if you want to students to start paying, target the school districts that actually have money. If your school district is filled with drop-outs, pregnant teenagers, and most of your students aren't even university bound, cutting after school programs is down right stupid. Because now you're targeting the few students who actually get out of the city and move on to get a college education.

For myself, I know I would be totally screwed for college if after school sports were cut. Not only that, but our dance department has been under attack before. What is wrong with this school district? The dance program at Independence High is one of the most unique programs around. And by unique, I mean amazing. The dancers that come out of the company are good enough to hang with any college program. Trust me, I was a part of our school's company. I know what our company is capable of and I've seen how we perform in comparison to college level companies. And note that I said company and not "dance team." If my college app had no experience in dance or sports, I'd be pretty fuckin' screwed. Sure I would still have my community service projects, but DAMN would I look like a boring candidate. Yale probably would have tossed my app out the window and never even considered to give me an interview. Which still bugs me... I swear I did well on that interview. How are you going to turn down a rags to riches story and take in some rich spoiled brat who had mommy shuttle him/her to fencing practice every afternoon? If UCLA can offer me enough financial aid to survive, I'm sure Yale could afford me.

Alright I'm obviously getting off topic. Point is, nothing to put on my college app= failure in life. Okay not to that extreme, but I'm sure not only would I have been rejected from Yale, but UCLA probably would have chucked my application too. Would I have had the money to pay for after school sports? Probably not until I turned 16 and started working. Mom would have said HELL NO to paying for sports. She would have wanted me to come straight home, get my studies done, and go to bed at a decent hour.

Also, I did a lot of growing up through dance and sports. I'm actually writing my personal statement about dance (and also about my family and friends.) I was a quiet, practically mute, shy kid. I built a shit load of confidence through volleyball, where I was DS and basically ran the defense; track, where I learned how to talk shit about girls who can't do the triple jump; dance, where performing on stage next to college/professional dancers is a huge confidence booster and character builder. To take that away from anyone is devastating. Can you imagine me now? The same quiet, shy, studious kid? Hell no, I ain't ever getting into med school then. Even if I had a 6.9 GPA, if I don't have any character, confidence, or leadership skills how would I meet any doctors and professors who would write me a stellar letter of rec?

I hope the school district wises up.