Current Connection

Current Connection

In the descriptive article entitled “Does Football Affect Boys’ Education?” Gregg Easterbrook claims that while boys are devoting so much of their time to football, girls are doing well in high school, which is ultimately “decreasing their chance of college admission.”

According to Easterbrook, the reason boys are not succeeding as well as girls is simply because “the gender that plays football is falling behind…and the gender that does not play football is excelling.” Athletics, especially football, do tend to play a major role in high school boys life. However, some boys get caught up in the idea that their future education will rely on their football intelligence, but that might not always be the case.

There is another point that Easterbrook brings up about how playing football can cause brain injuries and “suffering two or more concussions during high school days is associated with neurological problems later in life.” This could also be a factor that overall negatively affects boys education. Their brains are at risk of being damaged, whereas girls, who don’t play a contact sport, are not getting that brain damage.

Easterbrook explains that there is a “rising popularity of football” and not as much emphasis on education. Parents and coaches, sometimes even teachers, usually only pay attention to their male student’s athletic abilities instead of encouraging and congratulating them for their school work. This teaches guys that football is the most important thing; however, their education should be the first priority.

I am a senior in high school, and all through high school I played football. It was always my first priority and now that football is over, I wish I would have focused more in school. I spent so much time and dedication to football, and I believe if I would have spent that same amount of time and dedication to school, I would be much more successful and prepared for college.

There have been many successful men that have also played high school football, just remember to make education the first priority!

Work Cited

Easterbrook, Gregg. “Does Football Affect Boys’ Education?” 11 Oct. 2011. Web. 19 Jan. 2014.