As we all know, the months of May and December are exciting times for all students and schools. They are the last months that stand in the way of freedom. While it is exciting, the months of May and December are also synonymous with final exams, graduation tests, SATs, college tours and endless hours of studying. What is often lost is that while these two months result in the culmination of semester or yearlong academic preparation, they also result in the culmination of fall and spring sports.
As the end of each semester draws closer to an end, so do sports schedules. Playoffs begin around the back-half of the semester and student-athletes become increasingly strained. As a student they have to keep up with all schoolwork and study for all exams just like a student with no extracurricular activities would have to do. As an athlete they have to dedicate themselves to their sport in order to achieve the highest success in the GHSA, a state championship. Often times, the two conflict with each other, leaving schools and student-athletes in difficult situations.
Take football as an example. The GHSA football regular season schedules for the 2015 season had to end by November 7th. However the playoffs ran through December 12th. The final exam testing schedules run from generally the first week of December to the end of the second week, which in this case was December 11th.
The question has to be asked, how can a football player prepare or take a final exam while he prepares for a state championship game? This puts an extraordinary amount of pressure on the players who have to prepare for arguably the most memorable game of their lives while at the same time having to study for the most important test of the semester.
Football is not the only sport affected by this either. This past spring the GHSA scheduled state soccer championships from May 12-14. This also fell on the same predicament that football was in. How do you expect a soccer player that is competing for a state championship to prepare for both a soccer match and final exams?
Seemingly everyone from teachers to parents to even students are attacking the GHSA for scheduling athletic events during important exam dates. The criticism comes from frustrated individuals who want their students, children or themselves to be able to prepare for their tests and prepare for the state finals, which is an understandable frustration. However, the GHSA cannot please everyone and cannot schedule events based on one or two complaints from disgruntled parents or teachers.
The GHSA has 455 member schools and holds state championships for 20 different sports. There is no possible way for the GHSA to schedule all of these events without inconveniencing at least a few people. Each school system sets its own particular school schedule which makes it impossible for the GHSA to collaborate because the school systems do not have their schedules set at the same time as the GHSA.
Academics should have priority over athletics and I don’t think many will debate this but sometimes there is no other option than to have conflicting schedules. Schools have flexible finals schedules for this reason. Student athletes need to understand the demand of the sport and the classroom before they decide to participate in any particular program.
Yes it is frustrating and unfair to the athlete but at the same time life is not fair and the athlete must understand that making difficult decisions and working hard is a part of life. They will face many decisions in their adult lives that can benefit from this moment. So to the athlete I say, yes it is unfair but if you are willing to put in the extra effort, you can achieve the best of both worlds.
In the Game/May 2016/Web Only
GHSA
State Championships and Final Exams: A Scheduling Nightmare
By Zachary Pine
Photos by: GHSA.net
