The primary reaction of schools when it comes to how to discipline a student is punishment. If someone does something wrong and breaks the rules, there should be consequences. For student-athletes, the first thing on the chopping block of punitive punishment is their ability to play their sport.
If a student athlete’s GPA gets too low, opportunities to play sports are taken away. If they get into behavioral issues, they are not allowed to play sports. Student-athletes are constantly at risk of losing their ability to play sports due to the warped and ineffective ways we discipline students. If a student is struggling, whether it be academically or outside of school, the last thing schools should do is remove them from the structure and routine of a sport.
Removing students from sports reduces physical and emotional therapeutic benefits, such as lower stress rates and less risk of substance abuse. If sports are actively providing benefits to struggling students, would it not be counterintuitive to remove that student from the sport? Would it not do more harm than good?
I have a twin brother who plays high school football at a different school, and the effect that it has had on him has been life-changing. The structure and support his team provided got him through some difficult moments throughout high school. He would not be the same person without his time in high school sports, and it is scary to think about where he would be without football.
Proponents of our current system of punishment and discipline would argue that sports are a privilege, that the student in student-athlete comes first and that if a student is struggling at prioritizing their role as a student, sports should get taken away. However, this point of view misses that not every person at a school is built to only focus on academics. Some people need a reason to come to school beyond classes, and sports acts as a magnet for many.
If the ultimate goal of any form of discipline is to correct that behavior, then there are significantly better ways to get students where they should be. Instead of suspension, what if a student-athlete with poor grades was forced to go to after-school tutoring or were given more support systems in class? That would allow for that student to continue playing their sport while fixing the root problem.
Instead of asking the question of how we should punish the student, we should be asking how we can help them. The first reaction of the administration should be to help the student positively. While there may be situations where a student should not be on a sports team, particularly if there is bullying or violence within the team, it should be the last resort. Not only is it not fair to suspend a student and remove them from a sport, but in doing so, the system imposes active harm on that student.
