Broward Public School Sports – THE BEST GAME IN TOWN!

Over 15,000 high school students and 8,300 middle school students can’t be wrong.  Broward County Public Schools sports programs are the best game in town!  The aforementioned numbers represent the total number of student athletes participating in organized school system sports.  What is exciting to report is that fifty percent of our athletes are female.  With the recent addition of girls flag football and competitive cheerleading, the school system is a recognized community and national leader in gender equity, ensuring equal opportunities for our female athletes.

In the Broward County Public School system, organized sports are not about winning and losing.  We have our fair share of county, district and state champions.  Our core principle is for all students graduating from high school to succeed in the business world.  Participation in sports and athletic competitions helps prepare students to become productive citizens.  Students learn the importance of teamwork, cooperative learning and problem solving.  Students also learn important lifelong skills from their coaches and peers.  These skills include self-esteem, self-discipline, motivation, leadership, character development and sportsmanship.

Our athletes are referred to as student athletes.  Excellence in the classroom is our first priority.  To play organized sports, a student must maintain a 2.0 GPA in both middle and high school.  The 2.0 GPA is the minimum standard a student must achieve in order to graduate from high school.  Athletics and educational standards are weaved together in the school system.

These are challenging economic times for our schools, families and students.  Sports programming is supported and funded through the school system’s general budget.  Over the past three years, our budget has been cut by $136 million.  The budget deficit for the 2010-11 school year will exceed $135 million.  Sports programs are not immune from budget cuts.  We have reduced games at the high school level and sports offerings at the middle school level.  Further, district funds that flow to schools specifically for sports have been reduced.  To adequately fund school sports programs, the operative word is “partnerships.”  We need the public to support high school and middle school sports through fundraising and donations.  Adopt a school and give generously to support your local schools athletic programs.

What makes public education unique is its accessibility to all students regardless of economic standing.  Public education is provided free of charge.  Our sports programs continue to subscribe to this same model.  We recognize and believe that sports is a core component of our educational programming and should be offered free of charge to students and their families.  The Broward County Public School system is the community leader in public education and athletics.  We draw upon your support to ensure that sports remain a priority in the school system.

2010/11 INTERNET GAMES OF THE WEEK - video