Homeschool Student-Athletes Fight for the Right to be on Wall of Distinction in the D-B Dome

Let’s keep this simple. If a student(homeschool or KCS) competes for the Dobyns-Bennett Indians in any varsity sport, they should have an equal opportunity to be placed upon the “Athletes of Distinction” wall. Wordsmithing this any other way (by KCS officials) just sounds gross. WJHL has a full article about the situation.

Education isn’t one-size-fits-all any longer. It is more of a custom fit, and public schools need to adapt. Some students and families prefer homeschooling – those students still have every right to play in their designated public school system AND also be recognized for their efforts. This is not the hill that our system needs to die on. LOL. Seriously the more that we dig-in as a system, the more silly this looks. Correct the mistake today, and nobody will be talking about this in two weeks.

I don’t know if this was an oversight. However, the more that I listen to KCS representatives “open mouth and insert foot,” the more it sounds like a conscious decision to needlessly relegate homeschool students to the back of the bus. Those families pay taxes. Their kids played with distinction.

When they put on the Dobyns-Bennett jersey, they are Dobyns-Bennett Indians. When they wear the Maroon and Grey, they join thousands of other Kingsport student-athletes who have done the same. When KCS puts them on their social media pages, there is no distinction made between homeschool and non-homeschool. They are Indians all the same. Dobyns-Bennett High School has gained honor and acclaim from the efforts of both of these athletes. They have done nothing but make D-B and Kingsport look awesome. From state titles to all-state distinctions, they have made the Model City proud.

There is no need for a parent and their child to have to go before the BOE. This mistake needed to be corrected yesterday. As Ben Franklin notes, “Don’t put off to tomorrow what you can do today.” Another statement is, “Do what is best for kids and their families?” I have heard this more times than I can count from Kingsport City Schools leadership. If they competed for Dobyns-Bennett, they deserve to be on the “Athletes of Distinction” wall. No asterisk. Just appreciation. Just respect for how they represented their city and Dobyns-Bennett. Putting them on that wall is what is best for everyone.

Whether in the classroom or on the playing field……….Once an Indian. Always an Indian.

ProTip and /Thread: To quote a friend, the greatest homeschool student to ever play sports has his jersey hung in the gym of the high school that he competed for – even though he never enrolled. They would eventually give him an honorary diploma. That athlete? Tim Tebow. He played quarterback for the Nease High School Panthers in Florida, guiding them to a state title. In one game, he played with what he thought was a cramp in his leg. It turns out, he had broken his fibula! He then went on to play quarterback for the Florida Gators, win the Heisman Trophy, and win two national championships. He would then play three seasons in the NFL. He now works college football Saturdays on television.

His records and corresponding numbers are noted inside the glass frame of his No. 5 jersey that was recently hung on the wall inside the basketball gym. The school awarded it to him when the administration issued him an honorary diploma in October. His parents accepted it on his behalf as the Jets squared off with the Patriots that weekend. Tebow sent a video to thank the school.