Why are the olympics offered as sports options at American schools?

[Anonymous]

I mean, sure there's soccer and basketball. But like 99.9% of the olympic sports arent even offered at schools around here.

How is America supposed to compete on a level playing field when 9 out of the 10 sports we don't even give our kids a chance to try out in school?

[Anonymous]

How could they possibly offer all of those sports (surfing for example) at most schools?

[Anonymous]

How are you going to do 20 sports in every elementary school?

And you're worried that America can't compete on a level playing field, despite being one of the top few countries in population and wealth ad athletics success?

[Anonymous]

The Olympics are a reward for people who waste their lives in these marginal sports. Pushing more kids into them would detract from their lives.

[Anonymous]

The USA is always the top medal, or near the top medal winner, in most Olympics.

What are you complaining about, OP?!?

[Anonymous]

I don’t care if my kids have a chance to learn breakdancing, fencing or sailing in school. They are there to learn to read and write.

[Anonymous]

Track and field and swimming are pretty ubiquitous.

Many sports have to be started really young.

Not everybody thinks elementary school students need to be universally screened for Olympic potential.

Don't you think the U.S. does o.k. in terms of medal count?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I mean, sure there's soccer and basketball. But like 99.9% of the olympic sports arent even offered at schools around here.

How is America supposed to compete on a level playing field when 9 out of the 10 sports we don't even give our kids a chance to try out in school?

There's 32 Olympic sports. Lots of high schools offer:
Soccer
Basketball
Swimming
Track and field
Tennis
Wrestling
Golf
Volleyball

That's a minimum of 1/4 being offered at a typical high school, and lot more than a quarter of the medals. Some also offer field hockey and water polo.

Also we do pretty well at the Olympics if you haven't noticed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I mean, sure there's soccer and basketball. But like 99.9% of the olympic sports arent even offered at schools around here.

How is America supposed to compete on a level playing field when 9 out of the 10 sports we don't even give our kids a chance to try out in school?

How do you propose to carry out your plan, OP?

[Anonymous]

Yes let’s teach our kids dressage and breakdancing

[Anonymous]

Most Olympian’s have probably done a lot of practicing outside of their high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean, sure there's soccer and basketball. But like 99.9% of the olympic sports arent even offered at schools around here.

How is America supposed to compete on a level playing field when 9 out of the 10 sports we don't even give our kids a chance to try out in school?

There's 32 Olympic sports. Lots of high schools offer:
Soccer
Basketball
Swimming
Track and field
Tennis
Wrestling
Golf
Volleyball

That's a minimum of 1/4 being offered at a typical high school, and lot more than a quarter of the medals. Some also offer field hockey and water polo.

Also we do pretty well at the Olympics if you haven't noticed.

Isn’t Track and Field like 10 sports…all the running, discus, high jump, long jump, javelin, etc?

Baseball and flag football will be at 2028 so that’s two more.

[Anonymous]

Watching handball made me wonder why we never did that in PE class. We did a lot of the other sports and that one needs so much less equipment than field hockey, for instance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean, sure there's soccer and basketball. But like 99.9% of the olympic sports arent even offered at schools around here.

How is America supposed to compete on a level playing field when 9 out of the 10 sports we don't even give our kids a chance to try out in school?

There's 32 Olympic sports. Lots of high schools offer:
Soccer
Basketball
Swimming
Track and field
Tennis
Wrestling
Golf
Volleyball

That's a minimum of 1/4 being offered at a typical high school, and lot more than a quarter of the medals. Some also offer field hockey and water polo.

Also we do pretty well at the Olympics if you haven't noticed.

Plus many also offer gymnastics and crew (rowing). And baseball (which is in some Olympics).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes let’s teach our kids dressage and breakdancing

My DC went to a high school with competitive riding. Not actually sure if dressage specifically was an option!