Thanks to the Star Tribune for its series "Paying for preps" (May 26-28) pointing out the disparities in high school athletics related to corporate sponsorships and other fundraising. My son has just finished his fourth year playing high school sports at Minneapolis Southwest High School, which is ranked as Minnesota's No. 1 public high school but doesn't have the corporate sponsorships or monetary support for athletics described in the series.
In prep sports, my son learned that he can be friends with a teammate who is homeless and with one who lives in a mansion on Lake Harriet; that he can be a co-captain with someone born in Tajikistan; that he can be teammates with athletes who are Christian, Jewish and Muslim; that a female athlete can contribute to the team, and that he and his teammates can work hard to raise money to support their teams. The values my son has learned from his prep sports experience will serve him well throughout his life.
JOAN LUSSENHOP, Minneapolis
