In any high school, there always seems to be a group of students that shows more confidence, and it’s very hard not to spot them in the crowd; I’m talking about athletes. No matter what grade level they’re in, athletes are, for the most part, well-known, and you can’t have a high school without them. Everyone loves them, and everyone wants to be them, yet is it right as a school to place athletes above average students? 

Coaches

Some students at Miami High believe that athletes are treated with favoritism from the coaches. “When I was trying out for basketball in tenth grade, the coach took favoritism on the players who trained with him during the summer, even though their skills lacked,” said senior Abraham Lozada.

Senior Otto Portillo said, “When I used to be on the football team, my coach treated certain players differently and agreed with everything they had to say.”

However, the coaches in question had different responses. Head football coach Mr. Rosales said, “It is what it is. I put the best eleven on the field, and that’s how the rules are.”

Coaches push their athletes to work harder each day and hold them to high standards. Mr. Suarez, the head baseball coach, said, he expects his players to go to college and become good prominent men.

Teachers

There’s a controversy at Miami High whether or not athletes are given special treatment from teachers. Veronicah Barahona, a senior, said that she has seen athletes not going to class, yet they still received credit for the work that they hadn’t done.

An anonymous junior said most of the time athletes are not in class but still somehow pass the class.

Some teachers give equal treatment to all their students no matter what. Mr. Emerson Perez, a biology teacher and bowling coach, said, “I am not harder on athletes nor am I easier on them. I keep everyone’s expectations equal and expect from them what anyone expects of themselves.”

English teacher Ms. Puentes said that she treats all of her students the same and her expectations are always high.

Yet it’s very possible for teachers to give athletes, not favoritism, but higher standards compared to regular students. Biology teacher Mr. Sanchez says that he treats athletes with higher expectations because being in a sport shows dedication and commitment, so just as much is expected in his class.

Athletes

Students who play sports here say that they aren’t treated any different than non-athletes. “It’s all the same no matter what,” said football player Jobdariel “JD” Gomez. “At times it’s even worse because teachers sometime use your athlete status as leverage to complete your assignments.”

Junior volleyball player Rossel Meraz said, “Teachers don’t give any special treatment to athletes at all.”

Other athletes do notice the treatment that’s given to them, but they feel it’s for the better. “Teachers give me extra time to turn in work because they know that I have other goals,” said track and fielder runner Rodina Richard.

Other athletes think it isn’t fair for them to do the same work as regular students. Argee Flores, a freshman soccer player, said, “It’s not fair because I get home tired and late.”

However, students still understand that being an athlete is no walk in the park. A junior, Gabriela Villanueva, said, “Since athletes work harder than regular students, it makes me feel appreciative of what they do.”