Finding What We're Losing

We came across this blog from Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) Executive Director Jack Roberts..

Finding What We’re Losing

March 25, 2011

My wife doesn’t listen to me much, and she certainly doesn’t help me search anymore, when I say I’ve lost something. Seems I’m always searching for something, but especially eyeglasses and keys. “You always find them” she says. “Eventually.” And it’s true. I do.

And here’s what I’ve discovered: I almost always find what I’ve lost in the places I last left them. Quite obvious, isn’t it? We always find what we’ve lost in the places we’ve last left them.

In my opinion, in a few years we’re going to be saying that we’ve lost some things in our schools that have been important to us; and we’re going to find them right where we lost them.

• When schools realize they’ve lost a magnet for attracting students and the involvement of parents, they’ll start looking for those things . . .
• When schools realize they’ve lost a forum for giving a school identity and generating school spirit, they’ll start looking for those things . . .
• When schools realize they’ve lost a tool for reaching students and motivating students to stay in school, like school and do better in school, they’ll start looking for those things . . .
• When schools realize they’ve lost a program that teaches discipline, time management, hard work, teamwork and citizenship, they’ll start looking for those things . . .
• When schools realize they’ve lost a program that improves student attendance and GPAs and reduces discipline problems and dropouts, they’ll start looking for those things . . .

And all these things that schools have lost will be found right in the place they were last left – in school-sponsored, student-centered competitive athletics and activities.