Sep292009
Are German youth deprived of team sports?
Filed under Baseball, Fall sports, Family, Football, General, High School Sports, Manchester Memorial High School, Memorial High School Football, Sportsmanship by bob hammerstrom at 10:34 am
Can you imagine a town in the United States with no baseball, soccer or football fields? No volleyball, basketball, hockey, or softball teams for students to play on. That seems sad to me, but it is reality for students in Germany.
In the United States, our youth are given an array of opportunities to play team sports for their schools. But, in German schools there are no organized athletics. They have Gymnasiums, but not the kind you play basketball in. A German Gymnasium is a type of high school that prepares students for university education. It’s more like our prep schools in the U.S.
It’s no wonder that Sophie, a German exchange student staying with our family, is excited to watch my son, Brandon and the Manchester Memorial Crusaders play football. She will get a taste of baseball too on the weekends, and we may get her involved in a wicked whiffleball game if the weather cooperates this weekend.
Are these kids missing out on an important American past-time? That’s a tough question. My heart wants to say “yes.” On the other hand, with the German education system’s emphasis on the “three R’s” and few extracurricular activities, their students may be developing much better study habits than ours overall.
I’m glad my son has the opportunity to play team sports. They teach him about sportsmanship, competition and how to interact with others to accomplish goals. Sports keep his body in good shape and teaches discipline. And, the overall experience will shape his personality for life.
-Bob Hammerstrom
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