Arkansas Mom Sues Over Son's Roster Cut

From USA Today

A mother in Arkansas is suing the school, the school district and the state, contending her son was treated unfairly when he got cut from the basketball team in high school after tryouts. The basis of her suit is the following:

"…the deprivation of the right to a full and complete education which includes competition in sports and consequently athletic scholarships impairs John Doe of a property right guaranteed under both the U.S. and State Constitutions."

I find this to be absurd. A coach should have the ability to cut players. Her son was not good enough to be a contender for the high school team, and that can be tragic, but I don't think in any right should this mother be able to sue the school. If this were me and my child, I would instill values my mother instilled in me; work harder, practice, and there is always be next year. And I agree that the school is not obliged to ensure every student is able to compete in after school athletics. That would be a nearly impossible promise.

But at the same time, I can see the mother's point. Sports are still presumably fun for kids and should be so while building character. Getting cut from the team, being labeled as a non-winner, not good enough, can be damaging to a child. This article struck me not so much because of the shock I initially felt at this situation, but because it shows how clearly sport has been elevated from a "fun pastime" to something extremely competitive and in most cases not fun at all. If it were just about the kids having a good time, then everyone would make the team. Even though this article made upset over the way the mother acted, it made me think that we should just be more honest with what sport really is, even starting at the high school level. If the coach and the school made it obvious that "this is about winning, we want to win, and not all of you will be a part of that" instead of hiding behind the shadow of an optional extracurricular activity for the school, cutting kids from teams wouldn't feel as dirty. 

Arielle Moyal
KIN577