I was sitting on my couch the other day, after school, watching ESPN. Jim Rome was on and he was interviewing Michigan State Senior Guard Travis Walton. Now, I do not like Jim Rom because I think he is full of himself and very cocky. However, I decided to continue to watch his show because I am a State fan and I wanted to see what Walton had to say. As Rome and Walton were speaking, it occurred to me that young members of today's society have a speech impediment. In every single one of Walton's answers he used the phrase "ya know." He'd say something along the lines of "Ya know, I took that shot and made it, ya know." No I don't know. And while Travis Walton is a bright kid, saying "ya know" every five words makes him sound somewhat stupid.
This also takes place in every teenager across America. It is an epidemic that I have come to call the "Teenage Like Epidemic," or "T.L.E." Every high schooler has it, including me. It is a bad habit that I am trying to rid myself of. TLE most often kicks in when I am trying to describe something out loud. I have said thing similar to "In my first hour class today, we, like, did this activity where you do a lot of, ya know, like, umm, stretches and stuff." It makes me sound stupid. If I had said, "In my first hour yoga class today, we did a Pilate's workout followed by final relaxation," wouldn't it have sounded a lot better?
My dad loves to correct me of TLE. I'll be having a conversation with him and he will interrupt me and make me start over just because I said like. Sometimes I don't even notice I'm saying it because it has become such a bad habit for a very long time. I am a true believer that this happens to all teenage students because we say like so much.
But who is to fault for TLE? Schools, teachers, parents? Have they taught us wrong? No. It is in my opinion that TLE is a contagious infection passed down to kids by our American Athletes. If there is one flaw to them besides steroids it is their speech. Whenever I watch an athlete in a press conference, they always use "like," "umm," and "ya know." They could be describing their game winning shot or their spectacular catch in the outfield; no matter what it always kicks in to their system.
TLE is a fault in American society that needs to be fixed. There is no antibiotic or pill for it, but as victims of TLE we need to realize the epidemic and work together to find a cure. You could do what I do and have your parents correct you and make you start your sentence over. It's not a big deal. TLE makes us teenagers sound less intelligent than we actually are. We are a smart group of citizens. Don't let TLE define who you are, stand up to it and defend yourself instead.
On March 13, 2009, North Farmington High School played in the District Championship basketball game against St. Mary’s High School. The North Farmington Raiders had home court advantage and their student body behind them. The players put their heart and soul into the game, however, they didn’t come out on top; St. Mary’s won the game 50-45. Although the game was close, it is unfair to the student athletes of North Farmington, who work so hard all season long for their diligent public school. They shouldn’t have to play against a private school in the state playoffs. Private schools have better funding, are allowed to recruit, and offer scholarships, unlike public schools, like North Farmington, where sports are not what are constantly on an athlete’s mind like they might be for a student on scholarship.
In private schools across the state of Michigan, such as Orchard Lake St. Mary’s and Detroit Country Day, recruiting is allowed in order to make their school the best it can be at any sport. They begin this process while the student is still in seventh or eighth grade. They are allowed to send letters to families talking about how good their school is in academics and athletics, and many families take the opportunity to consider sending their child to these schools. It’s no wonder that schools such as Detroit Country Day and St. Mary’s are ranked in the top 20 for mens’ basketball each year. Their programs are stellar because they are able to pull kids in with scholarships and hire coaches that would be way out of budget for any public school.
These private schools become even more intense when it comes to scholarships. After sending families these letters to get them interested, the will begin to scout the students. If the school thinks that they are good enough, then they may offer the family a scholarship. Students such as Chris Webber, now an NBA star, was on a scholarship at Country Day, and with him, they won three state championships. If this kid is getting a free ride at a school because he is so good, it’s not really fair for him to go and play against a public school. In a public school, like North Farmington, the only kids who can be on the team are kids who attend the school, and they can’t do anything about who those kids are. A private school and a public school are on completely opposite ends of the spectrum. Whenever a public school plays a private school, it is a well known fact that the public school is the underdog, and upsets in these situations are rare.
At North Farmington, sports are not the biggest topic on everybody’s mind. Classes are. However, at a private school, they might be because if you are on scholarship, sports are why you are there. North Farmington it well-known for its student body that is energetic, has good grades, and does their homework every night. Students there do whatever it takes to get an A. Yes, they still love their sports teams. At Brown Out after Brown Out, the students show up with the utmost enthusiasm and support for their teams, however, if they have homework or a big test the next day, you probably wouldn’t see many students in the stands. At private schools, winning is expected. The teams are never timorous of other schools. They practice everyday preparing for games, just like North Farmington; however, the private schools might have better equipment due to the better funding they have.
Private schools have much better funding for everything they do than a public school does. At private schools, many alumni make donations to the schools, and there is a tuition fee to even attend the school. Unlike public schools where all the funding comes from taxes, private schools are able to accept money from many sources to build better training facilities, nicer locker rooms, get higher end equipment, and the list goes on forever. These school are able to excel in athletics because of the better funding they receive.
When a public school plays a sport against a private school, the outcome is normally a lot to a little. These games are David versus Goliath. While there is the occasional upset or close game, it is the private school that normally comes away with the trophy. It is not fair that this should happen, however it is the way the system works. But it is time for change, time to change the system. It is not fair that North Farmington should have to play St. Mary’s, but its not who wins or loses that matters, its about what is right and what is wrong, and the people who are in charge of the Michigan High School Athletic Association should know that.
In recent years, one of the worst things to come out of high school athletics is Pay to Play. It means exactly what it says. Athletes must pay a fee in order to play their sport.
Pay to play is ruining high school sports. It's unbelievable. Even with the bad economy, pay to play is still taking place. We need to be able to conserve our money right now, not spend it. This year alone, its costs $100 per high school athlete, and $50 per middle school athlete. That means that if your a sixth grader right now, and you play football through your senior year of high school you will spend $550 dollars on football. And what if you also play basketball and baseball? Thats like two mortgage payments on your parents house. And also, for some sports, like hockey, lacrosse, downhill skiing, and bowling, there are previously established fees, which cost more than the normal rate.
"I wish we didn't have it," Principal Rick Jones said.
"It's an unnecessary aspect of the game," Varsity Football Head Coach Todd Schultz said. "The money doesn't even go toward sports, it goes to the academics first, so it's very difficult to fund some of the after school sports."
Even members of the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) are against Pay to Play. In fact, they are trying to ban it in public schools.
"Participation fees drive students away from playing their sport," MHSAA Director Jack Roberts said.
Yes equipment costs a lot, but its unfair to make the parents pay for everything. To have their child play, watch their child play, and attend the team banquet at the end of the season. For god sake, it even costs money to be in the Musical and Marching Band.
Pay to play needs to stop. Its ridiculous to make parents pay over $500 in four years just to have their kid play sports.
When I walked into the Farmington Hills Ice Arena, it was pitch black. I couldn't see anything. There were fans roaring with excitement and the players were gearing up for a battle. After all, this was the rivalry game; the Farmington Flyers vs. the Farmington Falcons.
I recently attended a high school hockey game for the first time in my four years at North Farmington. The team, made up of players from North Farmington and Harrison, call themselves the Flyers. They played the Farmington Falcons.
The fans were jumping up and down as the Flyers skated out on to the ice. At the time, I didn't think much of this because, even though I love sports, I had never seen a high school sporting event where the students hadn't gone just to socialize with their friends.
Once the puck was dropped, and NF senior James Long gave the first open ice hit, I could see the fans were into it. The stands were full, everyone was on their feet, and, as the first goal was scored, the fans jumped and rejoiced with one another, something I don't often see at football or basketball games.
As the game went on, the fans got more excited, and I got more excited. I was sitting on the edge of my seat the whole game. Senior Austin Murtland lead the team with two goals, and the way the team skated showed the effort they give in practice everyday. Going into the third period, I began to think that this was the most exciting high school game I had ever attended. At the end of the second period the score was 4-1 Flyers.
In the third period, the game got even more exciting when the Falcons came back to tie the game. Senior Goalie Adam Whitehead let in three unanswered goals. As the third period came to an end, two fans, seniors Jordan Mifsud and Jovan Bryant got the entire crowd on their feet. Senior Trevor Lamson was playing the cowbell, and the fans were doing the "Lets go Flyers" chant.
As the game went into overtime, the crowd was still filled with energy. The game ended with a Flyers goal, and the fans rejoiced along with the players. Because the game went into overtime, it won't count as a win for the Flyers because other arenas can't support overtime and therefore it cannot be upheld as an OAA stat or standard.
When I walked out of the arena that night, I couldn't help but think, "I have to come to more of these." The game kept me on the edge of my seat, bitting my fingernails from beginning to end.
Th hard core sports fan dreams for moments like these. The sound of an open ice hit or a check against the boards. It is what we live for, that adrenaline rush that keeps diehard sports fans coming back for more.
This also takes place in every teenager across America. It is an epidemic that I have come to call the "Teenage Like Epidemic," or "T.L.E." Every high schooler has it, including me. It is a bad habit that I am trying to rid myself of. TLE most often kicks in when I am trying to describe something out loud. I have said thing similar to "In my first hour class today, we, like, did this activity where you do a lot of, ya know, like, umm, stretches and stuff." It makes me sound stupid. If I had said, "In my first hour yoga class today, we did a Pilate's workout followed by final relaxation," wouldn't it have sounded a lot better?
TLE is a fault in American society that needs to be fixed. There is no antibiotic or pill for it, but as victims of TLE we need to realize the epidemic and work together to find a cure. You could do what I do and have your parents correct you and make you start your sentence over. It's not a big deal. TLE makes us teenagers sound less intelligent than we actually are. We are a smart group of citizens. Don't let TLE define who you are, stand up to it and defend yourself instead.