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Show Sports' Play "slide by," some of those in- - terviewed agreed. "Right now in Utah teachers won't let you - -slide by you have to do the Sr. work." said Keith. "r But there is a "respect" be- " tween teachers and athletes, one student said, while teachers, as well as others in the school, must thank the sports program for some benefits, be-nefits, such as furniture in the teachers' lounge. PROCEEDS FROM sports especially football-help football-help mafct such purchases possible. pos-sible. And support for such programs gets merchants and community involvement behind be-hind sports, as well. An through it all an athlete learns "self-discipline" that can help him throughout life while gaining approval from parents, for instance. "Ninety-five percent of it is parents." pa-rents." Rich said with Alan - -adding parents like to see their kids perform well in sports. WHILE "NO one hates sports." it was agreed, there are some students and teachers with concerns that the athletic program carries too much weight at Lavton High and possible elsewhere. Views of that sort from Lxyton High will be aired in part two next week. By TOM BUSSELBERG LAYTON Sports help make a school united while serving as the drawing card that keeps many students in school. SO SAY a group of Layton High School students, most lettering in two or more sports. They were interviewed for the first of a two-part series on school sports. One athlete estimates a third of the boys attending Layton High look to sports participation participa-tion as their drawing card for continued school attendance. "IT KEEPS the school united un-ited and gets people involved in things." said Mike Bunting, who participates in football, basketball and baseball. "It also builds self-confidence. "At the Ail-Star (football) Game, everyone (students), went down and the people from Layton all sat together. Everyone sticks together at our school. We have lots of unity." WHILE UNITY could be considered a definite asset many would want to look far beyond that in justifying an athletic program. Emphasized by many was the need to maintain main-tain high grades. "Sports helped me to keep up my grades." said track, basketball and football athlete Keith Wilson. "We have to keep our grades up. It has kept me (sports) out of trouble. Since (getting into sports) I settled set-tled down and no jv I plan to get good grades." HE SAID he plans to attend the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Any athlete receiving receiv-ing two "F" or "U" grades is dropped from sports. Echoing the need for good grades was Rich Ipaktchian. involved in four sports: football, foot-ball, basketball, baseball and track. "If you want a scholarship, scholar-ship, or also just for a higher education, there's no way (without the grades)." ' ANYMORE, A higher edu-cation edu-cation is needed to "get ahead," some of the students said. Alan Overmoe said even if an athlete is lucky enough to go professional, that doesn't last long. "The maximum age is 39 or 40 years old. Then what are you going to do. And Keith added. "The average av-erage running back stays in yt to four years then most have to ' fall back (on something else)." Driving home the point even further was Mike who said, "They're all businessmen, lawyers, etc. during offseason." off-season." AND SCHOLARSHIPS aren't the only reason to look to a higher education, said Jaime Oliveras, a wrestler and football player. "A couple of years ago you could've maybe said no (to college) if you didn't have a scholarship. Now you have to go." And competition for high grades is keen at Layton High, the students agreed. "They aren't satisfied with a 3.0 (B). You have to get a 3.5-3.7 (A-). They're really competitive on grades," one student said. And another student said it's the sports that acts as a motivation moti-vation to keep those grades in line. WHAT OF the possibility an athlete could make it to graduation gra-duation without knowing how to read? The students strongly refuted that, at least at Layton High or the state. "There's not one who can't read in the whole school." Jaime said, "especially now with the special spe-cial classes. If a person gets out who can't read that's his own fault." The athletes also refuted the sometimes-raised claim that coaches and teachers may let a player "get by." "Coaches are concerned about the kids getting get-ting to class," Mike said. AND LANCE Brightshue. lettering in football and basketball basket-ball added. "The coaches really real-ly do care. We respect them they wouldn't let us mess around." And as far as a coach saying a student was "college material" mate-rial" just to keep him going whether it was true or not Rich strongly countered. "No coach would ever say they were (if they weren't)." LOOKING AT the teachers' attitude towards athletes and school work Mike said, "Teachers make it harder. If you play in something, they make it harder." Jaime said teachers might go out of their way for athletes, as well, though. "I think teachers care a little bit more about us. If there's a problem the teachers will talk to you and ask if they can help." BY THE same token, teachers won't let students |