Missouri schools can add 4 activities as sports
By The Associated Press
Fri, 05/03/2013 – 2:43pm
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Some favorite leisure time activities in Missouri could become high school sports.
The Missouri State High School Activities Association announced Thursday that member schools voted to allow schools to sponsor teams in bass fishing, chess, bowling and target shooting, beginning next year.
The association says it could eventually hold state championships in the events. First, at least 50 schools in at least three of the state’s eight districts would have to have teams in the sports. Then member schools would decide whether to add the state championships.
Source: http://www.standard.net
Great news for chess.
Actually, it’s not great news for chess world. It limits participation by homeschoolers, who are some of the best players in the state. They may now be ineligible for participation at the state level, if at all. Limiting top players promotes mediocrity and further dumbs down what is happening in Missouri scholastics. If Missouri would like to be the mecca of chess, a policy that limits competition by the top players certainly seems suspect in attaining that outcome.
Btw, weren’t you homeschooled?