The High Price of Youth
We love when our EquineChronicle.com articles hit home with readers and even more so when talented bloggers pick up a topic and put their own spin on it, like Equine In Mind blogger Karen Melory did recently with our article entitled “Equestrians Seeking Equality For Non-School Sponsored Sports.“
For those who haven’t had a chance to read the EC.com article yet, Alicia Andrew, the owner of a horse training facility in Nebraska, along with fellow equestrians, spearheaded a movement to encourage schools across the country to recognize equestrian athletes and other students who participate in non-school affiliated sports and activities. The initial conversation stemmed from an interaction between the family of Auburn High School senior Zach Oestmann, a state and national final titled rodeo rider, who wanted a poster celebrating his athletic achievements to hang in the school’s gymnasium alongside other students’ posters. However, after being told that his poster wouldn’t be displayed in the school’s gym, because rodeo isn’t a school-sponsored sport, the topic was picked up by many local news stations.
Now that Karen’s stepson is a high school athlete, active in wrestling and baseball, the family has frequent discussions about the high financial cost of these activities like pay to play, uniform fees, fundraisers, etc. Here is an excerpt from her blog “The High Price of Youth.”
“As far as I’m concerned, every dollar I spend to support a kid with livestock, is a dollar I’m less likely to have to spend on addiction and rehab, unplanned pregnancy, and therapists. It’s no different than paying for them to play a school-sanctioned sport. Investing in your student’s success should be a universal language, not just one that’s spoken by parents.”
– Karen Melroy, Equine In Mind
Click here to read Karen’s entire blog “The High Price of Youth” https://equineinmind.wordpress.com/2016/03/
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