Sylvia Wertz
Columnist
Competitive sports offer an amazing opportunity for students. Individuals who haven’t participated in sports before can discover new talents to be trained and honed. But a small segment of students don’t have that advantage until they reach college level sports.
House Bill 947, nicknamed the “Tim Tebow Law” after former homeschooler and current Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow, would enable homeschooled students in Virginia the opportunity to participate in public school sports. This legislation is crucial because every student athlete knows that high-school performance is the basis for all major recruitment into college sports.
Homeschooled students have limited chances to interact with peers outside their home or neighborhood. It is important that young students build social skills by interacting with others, whether it is through classes or extracurricular activities. Social experiences are as important as academic performance when it comes to real-world interaction.
Not only do these students lack social opportunities, but also competitive challenges. Sports are an integral part to any college experience. Like all skills, you have to train, grow, and nurture your talents in order to make it through college and into the real world. Homeschoolers lack the opportunities presented to students that attend public school, such as the pressure of competition and the allure of scholarships. The Tim Tebow Law would finally allow homeschooled students an equal opportunity to compete, for both medals and scholarships.
Homeschool sports leagues often lack a competitive air and the only people that really care are the parents. Students with genuine talent are stuck playing with others that may be less enthusiastic or competitive than they are. They also lack the opportunity to play with other skilled players you would find on public high school teams.
Students also miss out on recruitment and scholarship opportunities for their upcoming college years. Along with that, they have to work harder to prove themselves to make it onto the university teams.
Opponents of the bill argue that homeschoolers do not meet all 13 Virginia qualifications for student participation in sports. Allowing homeschooled students to participate on high-school teams would give the homeschoolers an advantage over the students who are in the public schools and do not qualify. They also think that they are not up to par academically.
The Home School Legal Defense Authority, however, rebukes this claim. According to a recent study, homeschooled students outperform public school students by 34 to 39 percent above the national average in standardized tests.
Supporters argue that the Tim Tebow Law helps bring about the social experiences that students don’t get through homeschooling, social experience that is highly valuable to life during and after college. Furthermore, 14 states already allow homeschoolers to participate in public school sports programs, with little or no problems reported.
As we all know, every little thing that goes into our college applications and resumes helps. For too long incoming homeschooled students have been slighted from their chance to participate on competitive sports teams. It’s time for them to get the opportunity they deserve.