Snow and Seedorf Want to Limit the Number of Middle School Students who can Participate in Track and Field?

Bongo has a bone to pick with Larry Snow and Aileen Seedorf.

At the committee of the whole meeting earlier this month, Larry Snow and Aileen Seedorf both voiced opposition to hiring another assistant track coach at Heineman Middle School to handle the 350 or so students who expressed an interest in participating in track and field this spring. Keep in mind that track and field is the one "catch-all" sport where even the average athlete is guaranteed participation in home meets and has an opportunity to achieve individual and team success. Unlike basketball, volleyball, etc., track and field is the one sport where kids don't get cut or have to try out for the team.

Since Snow and Seedorf are always reminding everyone of how smart they are and how they are “in it for the kids,” Bongo wonders why they would oppose a position that pays for itself through participation fees ($40 per student), and which keeps kids involved and exercising on a daily basis.

Bongo did some sniffing around and uncovered the following statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other sources:

• More than 17 percent of America’s children are overweight or obese
• The number of obese children has tripled since 1980
• In addition to those who are clinically “obese,” another 15 percent are considered at risk of becoming overweight
• Overweight adolescents have a 70 percent chance of becoming overweight or obese adults
• Students who participate in extracurriculars learn character-building and team-building lessons that they can apply to their study habits and to their lives
• Activities such as athletics teach students how to discipline themselves through drills and practices
• Students who participate in extracurriculars have higher levels of self-respect, self-esteem, and self-confidence
• District 158 mandates that all students who wish to participate in extracurriculars must maintain a certain grade point average in order to be eligible to compete or participate
• Borderline students who thoroughly enjoy their extracurricular activity work hard to pass their classes in order that they may continue to participate in sports or clubs
• Participation in extracurriculars improves attendance and leads to fewer students dropping out of school

Snow and Seedorf are both in the dog house for this one. The school board meeting this Thursday (2-21, 6:30 PM) should be very interesting. In fact, if you are a Heineman parent, you might want to attend and let the dynamic duo know that a $1,600 coaching stipend is a small price to pay for the priceless benefits of middle school extracurriculars.