Sports are a large part of life at US and, indeed, a defining aspect of American culture. Whether swinging for a home run, swishing a free-throw, or powering through the touchdown line, a player joins a welcoming community of millions of Americans who enjoy sports as anything from a hobby to professional career. The love of sports has driven teenagers all over the country to strive for excellence, but how far should the struggle for athletic achievement go?

On Friday, October 21^st, the US football team traveled 140 miles from the University School Upper Campus to Columbus Northland—about a two-hour bus ride. As many students may have noticed, the entire football team—even those not on the varsity team—left the school at around 11:35 to begin their long trip to Columbus. Along the way, the team stopped by Ohio Wesleyan to practice for their game. After emerging victorious, the team enjoyed a luxurious and delicious celebration in the locker room and on the bus home.

The football team arrived back at Hunting Valley at around 1:30 AM. Those who had their driver’s license found their cars in the dark and drove home. Those without their license—underclassmen who probably did not even end up playing in the football game—relied on their parents to leave home an hour and a half past midnight to pick them up.

This is where the heart of the problem lies.

Driving two hours away for a football game may not seem ridiculous. But the fact that the team left in the middle of a school day, that they only had one game, that many of students (including almost all of the freshmen) did not even end up playing, that students were forced to drive home early in the morning after a long day, and that parents were compelled to leave home at an unusual hour just to bring their kid home—is obvious an obvious overreach to even the most lenient observer.

Consider the consequences that this single game had on members of the US community. Consider those students who live far away from school. Are they expected to arrive home possibly past 2 A.M. just for the sake of a football game–a football game they may not have even played in? Even those who live a relatively closer distance from school still arrived home at a very late hour. The effects of this one football game will likely bleed over to the next day, as well—one’s ability to focus on any academic work will undoubtedly be negatively impacted.

This issue questions the true value and role of sports in our community. What makes football so important that one must leave his academic studies in the middle of the day and drive to Columbus for one game—just one game? What justifies the unusual scheduling of the game and the inconveniences the players and their families had to go through? Is it obligation? Is it devotion to the team and football itself?

While some students might have found the entire process fun, it seems like the sacrifices made by both parents and students alike once the game was over could have been easily avoided. Scheduling games during the weekend, which would allow students to finish the school day, enjoy their Friday evening, practice a bit more, and leave and come back from Columbus at a much more reasonable time seems so obvious as to hardly be worth having to suggest.

Yet here we are.

This is by no means unrealistically demanding. Sports will always remain a large part of student life at US, and they should. But sports should reasonably accommodate for the needs of the students and parents. Sports should compliment the rest of our lives, not the other way around. They should not become an unreasonable burden that holds a student back, but yet another wonderful opportunity for a student to thrive.