A new High School football stadium is opening in Allen, Texas that cost $60 million dollars and seats 18,000. This is all funded at public expense. In Texas we read constantly of districts cutting programs and teachers’ salaries due to budget shortfalls. How can this make sense?

High School football is big business in Texas. Most adults, who would never attend a debate or band concert, are invested the team. The atmosphere is infectious as “Friday night lights” put you under their spell. Of course these are just kids, who rely on us for guidance and direction. Three percent of high school athletes will compete in college; less than one percent of college athletes turn pro, where the average career is three years with risk of permanent injury and brain damage. Is this best for these kids?

I was All-State in swimming in High School and lettered at SMU, swimming all four years. It was a growth experience as a young adult, which taught me about dedication and teamwork. I was also pre-med, with a rich social life and broad cultural interests. Sports were in balance with who I wanted to become. I also had adult mentors who helped keep me grounded. At a recent reunion of my old teammates, I was impressed with how successful and full their lives seemed to be. This experience added to their college life, but did not dominate it.

The difference is that many of these kids do not have balance or mentoring and sports are out of proportion. The cost is in missed opportunities as adolescents and potential risk to having their life path derailed. Our role? Only go to the game if you intend to go to the debate, math club and college bowl tryouts. We must be the role models! And 60 million dollars goes to a new stadium only after every teacher gets a merit raise and all students have reasonable class sizes and opportunities for extracurricular activities. The responsibility is ours.