Thursday, July 16, 2020

On the suspension of intercollegiate sports in the US

Last week, the Ivy League universities suspended all sports until January 2021, with the most prominent suspension, of course, being the football teams. Given the current trends in the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, this decision is entirely reasonable. But as an American who has lived in Europe since 1991, held teaching jobs at a German and a Swiss university, and watched my son play youth soccer for eight years, I think American colleges and universities should not even have sports teams, or at least no intercollegiate competition. In Europe, higher education doesn't provide amateur minor leagues for professional sports; the clubs themselves provide training and competition for young athletes. (Andrew Shields, #111words, 16 July)

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