Opinion Essay Sample: Academic Spending vs. Athletic Spending

Why do most parents spend thousands of dollars each summer on baseball/softball tournaments, but not on math/science tutoring/camps? In this paper, I attempt to address this question. In particular, why do most parents in the United States choose to spend money training their children in athletics, rather than academics?

In my opinion, most parents in the United States choose to spend money training their children in athletics rather than academics based on the ongoing argument that academics should be free. In a sense, academics are free, up until you complete high school. Once completing high school, the cost of education starts to rise. However, the realization that scholarships provide a free or less expensive cost of attendance, may cause parents to focus more on preparing their children for sports than in academics. The availability and competitiveness of an academic scholarship would not be as easy to obtain as an athletic scholarship.  Making athletics the more appealing option.  

When it comes to spending thousands of dollars each summer on baseball/softball tournaments, but not on math/science tutoring/camps. It comes down to this, baseball and softball are the more popular and safest sports in college sports, and one of the highest-paid sports professionally is baseball. Not to mention, females have a better chance of participating in softball giving them access to more scholarships as well. In the long run math, science, and tutoring camps have quite a beneficial long-term advancement in careers. However, athletics are believed to provide a short-term “attainable” goal to financial stability. 

When it comes to parents sending their kids to private institutions it could be argued that they spend more time and money on academics. However, this idea can be argued for the simple fact that, they may be paying for the private institution but they're still hoping to be put in the best athletic environment that they believe that they paid into. In a way, it is like a bonus. Schools with successful academic programs have a chance of recruiting what they would consider more elite athletes. Attending a private institution they have access to academics, and athletics. 

Children do not pick or choose if they attend private or public institutions. Just as much as children do not always pick if they are involved in academic or athletic programs. I would argue that the reason that parents think their children play sports and the actual reason that children play sports are perceived differently. Parents have the idea that children want to win. When in fact, children just want to have fun. What's supposed to be a fun social activity, becomes a demanding obligation. This common misconception leads to the idea that parents need to spend thousands of dollars on sports so that their children can be happy when they win and having the extra training, and practice in camps allows them to be put in a position to win. Parents may think that they are helping when they may be hurting them. They may have the idea they are investing in their child’s future. So, they push harder on the child to where it no longer benefits the child but benefits the parents’ goals for the child and not the child's goals for him or herself. 

Based on my analysis, it appears most parents in the United States choose to spend money training their children in athletics, rather than academics because of personal gain. 

Both parents and adults in general involved in academic and athletic departments require funding. To gain those resources, you must attract more public attention. Therefore, more athletic budgets are extended, and education budgets are cut, and parents and adults in general benefit from the success of the youth.