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High School Football?? Entertainment or Student Participation

chocolaterain
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chocolaterain

chocolaterain

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We had this discussion at work.  What is the ultimate purpose/goal of high school football (or highschool sports in general).  Some people think highschool football is an entertainment opportunity that lets people go to a stadium on Friday nights and watch an event.  Others, on the other hand, consider it an opportunity for students to participate in atheletics, do their best, and be part of a team.  Winning and losing isn't a large concern.

What do you think is most important?  Participation for students or Entertainment for fans?

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justsaying

justsaying

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IMO High School football is a life event not something just discussed or enjoyed in high school.  The games that these athlete's play will be rehashed as long as they live...  It's bigger than entertainment.  No one is getting payed on that field so it isn't for entertainment.  It is done out of a love for the game and the competition that drives us all.  It's going to war with your teammates/friends and building a bond.  No matter where these kids go after high school it will always bond them.

Even today as I watch them play, I would love to be able to get back on the field and have that feeling again.  The only difference today is that the ambulance would be needed to haul me off.  :D 

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bullets13

bullets13

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Participation is the most important part of high school football.  I went to HJ, and we had an enrollment of 700 or so, and probably 60 kids suited up for every game.  another 100 or so were in the band, 35 in drill team, 15 cheerleaders, and 30 hawkeye escorts.  This means of all of our students, approximately 250 or so were involved directly in every football game.  Another 300 (or more) were in the stands for every game.  To me, creating student and community involvement is by far the biggest benefit of HS sports.  Winning is important because it's easier to get behind a winning team, but winning is not the most important result of HS football.  A program is successful if it keeps the student body and community interested and excited about their school and team.  

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MikeEast

MikeEast

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For the community its about pride, having an interesting social activity and bragging rights.

For the kids its about setting goals and trying to meet them. It teaches them about success, failure, handling pride, being humble and gracious. It teaches them team work and selflessness.

For coaches I would think its about winning and doing what they love and earning a paycheck in the process. When it comes down to it they are working for job security.

For the school its about revenue. Football is by FAR the biggest money maker there is besides taxes I would think. 

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tvc184

tvc184

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High school sports are not put on just for entertainment purposes but they can be very entertaining. By fans numbers, football is at the top of the heap.

There are some high school sports that get very little coverage or fans.  How big of a crowd does the swim team, golf team or power lifting team bring in? They still go ahead with the contests because that is the purpose.

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WH-BackInThaDay

WH-BackInThaDay

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It is both. Mainly student participation in that it teaches comradery, leadership, how to win/lose, etc. But, if winning wasn't important the program wouldn't get money for the teams participating in the playoffs. Lets not forget this is a major fundraiser for the schools. $4 a head per adult, with thousands of people showing up for the game. This has become a rich tradition, especially in the great state of Texas in which we all abide, where the kids love to play their heart out, and give it their all, and all the fans love to watch.

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BadMedicine

BadMedicine

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It is both. Mainly student participation in that it teaches comradery, leadership, how to win/lose, etc. But, if winning wasn't important the program wouldn't get money for the teams participating in the playoffs. Lets not forget this is a major fundraiser for the schools. $4 a head per adult, with thousands of people showing up for the game. This has become a rich tradition, especially in the great state of Texas in which we all abide, where the kids love to play their heart out, and give it their all, and all the fans love to watch.

I disagree that football is a "major fundraiser for schools."  Most schools just hope to break even from football with the cost of uniforms, equipment. coaching stipends, travel, referees, utilities, insurance, etc.  I doubt there are very many schools in Texas that make money off of football and certainly don't consider it to be a "major fundraiser".

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PURPLE 4EVER

PURPLE 4EVER

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I disagree that football is a "major fundraiser for schools."  Most schools just hope to break even from football with the cost of uniforms, equipment. coaching stipends, travel, referees, utilities, insurance, etc.  I doubt there are very many schools in Texas that make money off of football and certainly don't consider it to be a "major fundraiser".

Not true for PN-G.

The revenue generated from the 1970's playoffs helped fund the major renovations at the high school.

Nederland is also probably generating a large revenue from it's home football games.

Nederland and PN-G probably have a season ticket base of 3,000 to 4,000.

At an average of $5 a seat (not sure of the numbers) that is $15,000 to $20,000 a game, five home games would be about $75,000 to $100,000 just in season ticket sales.

Although not enough to fund the entire football progam, that is a lot of extra revenue for the school.

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Guest WBFan09

Guest WBFan09

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High school Football is not meant for entertainment it is for student particapation...

if you go to a basketball softball volleyball baseball or any other game at the high school level it is about particapation...there just happens to be an entertainment factor within the game itself

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WH-BackInThaDay

WH-BackInThaDay

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The "Southeast Texas Friday Night Football Gumbo" is a mix of fans, participation, winning, losing etc.

You can't remove one ingredient without totally changing the "taste". Every ingredient you mentioned is necessary, and equally important.

I love this quote.

As for paying the coach's salary, insurance, etc. that's why we pay taxes. I didn't say the programs clear the money, but they don't rely on revenue generated by admission to  be able to play the games, so I don't think they hope for a good turnout to pay the refs and such. It probably costs more to play for small schools than it makes, but everything is already paid for. The school benefits from funds received, plain and simple.

I agree too, that it was and is intended for student participation, but its also a lot of fun to watch. If it wasn't geared toward entertainment too, they wouldn't worry about uniforms, stadiums, playing on etc. and they'd play them during school during the week, wouldn't charge for admission, and we woudln't have a "SETX Forum" to make such a big deal out of these little events. It is entertainment, in a major way, whether you like it or not. Typing on this thread alone, proves that.

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