[torQQue]

I was not talking about your kids in general. And, also agree that there is not enough teachers in most school system. Are all parents as qualified as you or your wife to home school their children? No. But, I believe you will have more people trying this process that has no idea how to run a program like yours. You will see more of the lower achieving kids that need a public school education being home schooled by parents that have a 5th grade education. Let me see getting up at 7:00 and go to school and play sports or get up at 12:00 and still play sports. What do you think will happen?
Yes I do believe that self-esteem can be damaged at a young age. But thee are so many things in life that can destroy kids confidence. I was teased at a young age and survived. What kid is not faced with a little teasing sometime in their life. Listen, I want you to understand that I'm not trying to say you are doing anything wrong by home schooling your child. That is great that you do this for him and I applaud you for it. but I disagree about playing sports. That's all. I'm sure every teacher in Kentucky would love to have and be challenged by having you child in their classroom.

Benchwarmer, I know you weren’t specifically referring to my children. And I do respect your opinions and you provide some nice insight and valid considerations that I never thought about. Parents that care more about their sons/daughters excelling in athletics than in academics have their priorities backwards and really need a reality check. I hate to tell them, but their little Johnny has a better chance hitting the Powerball lottery twice in one week, than making millions playing pro ball.

You are also correct, that all parents are not qualified enough to run their own private education system. With that said, shouldn't the state pre-screen the parents with educational background checks, work history/ethics, criminal backgrounds, etc., before they allow them the authority to homeschool? If then, they (the parents) meet the guidelines, and the kids show satisfactory academic progress comparable to public schools, should they be allowed to participate in athletic programs within the same district? After all, we are a Kentucky state licensed school just like the public school, and have to adhere to same governance/policies issued by the state of Kentucky. The only difference is we don’t have the resources available to offer our kids competitive athletic programs. Why should the state deny them (those qualifying homeschools) entrance to their public athletic programs if they want to participate, and are qualified academically? Florida doesn’t, and if Tim Tebow would have lived in Kentucky we would of never witness his "on the field" and "off the field" greatness. It seems like our state guidelines have more/stricter athletic policies in place than they do academic policies. Talk about having priorities backwards.

I don't want my kids competing in sports because I think they will go pro. Nor do I want them to compete, so daddy can try to relive his life through his son. I just want them to learn sportsmanship and gain that strong mental character and toughness that competitive sports provide. And most importantly, it is healthy for their bodies to be active.