Beyond popular belief, sports involved more than just athletic potential. It also involved having fun, competition, working as a team, and above all else, the passion for the game... Athletes had to involve their academic skills as well as physical ability. Without their academics the players would not have been eligible to play... Sports also taught players discipline and respect toward coaches, teachers, and family. With discipline and respect came a successful student in all different kind of sports. Cristina Barajas.