Three days a week Windham High School student Ryan Parker departs from English and heads through the halls to his next period with highlights from recent sporting events flashing through his mind.

But he’s not daydreaming. He’s actually preparing for the class.

Contemporary Issues in Sports – which is team-taught by Julie Smyth, an English teacher, and social studies teacher Kevin Millington, who is also Windham’s varsity basketball coach – was created when Smyth heard about Thornton Academy’s own version of the course.

She then approached Millington, who immediately expressed interest, and after assuring the school board that the subject matter would prepare students for college seminars, the class was added to Windham’s curriculum in 2004.

The semester-long course is structured like a college seminar class, focusing on discussion, research and writing. It gives students a chance to feel at ease when expressing their views to a group.

“When I was in college I was a little uncomfortable talking in a seminar,” said Smyth. “This class improves students’ discussion and writing skills by using a topic of high interest.”

Although Smyth and Millington are both huge Red Sox fans, they are willing to address all sports and aspects of sports but like to stick to “overriding themes.”

During the first semester a panel of four officials came to the class to give insight into the trials and tribulations of refereeing and umpiring. The topic was tackled in response to discussions about the affects that officials can have on sporting events.

“(The officials) were something we just came up with,” says Smyth. “It was done on demand.”

Smyth also said that she enjoyed discussing the Olympics this year while the Torino Winter Games were actually taking place.

The students have recently focused on violence in sports, specialization and the lack of three-sport athletes. Another component that is addressed each semester is Title IX – which mandates equal spending on programs for men and women at institutions receiving public funds – and its consequences at the high school and college level.

The course also looks at professional sports and how they set precedents for younger athletes, including a discussion of the attitudes of pro athletes. Students even created posters with examples of good and bad sportsmanship.

Millington and Smyth also employ fun activities to celebrate certain events. During Super Bowl week, students were asked to do a presentation based on the NFL’s championship game. One group had a tailgate party with grilled burgers.

For Red Sox opening day, students each chose a letter of the alphabet and had to research information involving their letter that pertained to the Red Sox. Later that week they presented their research to the class in alphabetical order.

Students in the course assist in determining the material covered and topics discussed, which helps them maintain interest.

“It’s best when the class is led by the students,” says Parker, a senior. “Kids need to get their work done and participate or it doesn’t work.”

The power of the students was most evident in the fall of 2004, in which a class of 12 students formed a Sportsmanship Foundation to reward players who demonstrated positive attitudes and educate parents on good sportsmanship.

The group was able to raise money with an all-night movie marathon and last year they invited Duke Albanese, chairman of the committee that wrote the Sports Done Right report, to speak to the entire school.

This year’s second semester class also contributed to the foundation by presenting ideas to Deb McAfee, the school’s principal, and Athletic Director Steven Merrill. Ben Floyd, a student in the class, proposed creating a pep club and is now in the process of determining how to start one.

The idea that everyone agreed to put into affect was an award to the teams with the highest grade-point average and best sportsmanship that would be presented at season-ending athletic banquets.

“I enjoy the subject,” Parker says. “It’s the only class I participate in.”

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