The Federal Way School District is facing a big-time budget crunch and trying to come up with some answers.

According to preliminary reports, the district will need to cut up to $12 million from next year’s budget.

The news is nothing new. The district is like most everybody else in today’s economy: They are going to have to make some tough decisions on how to save money.

But one decision that the school board should shy away from is cutting any type of extracurricular activities, especially sports.

During their preliminary budget discussions, at least one school board member has stated that he would be willing to look at cutting sports from the budget.

“Nobody wants to cut anything,” board member Tony Moore said during a retreat in February. “But at the end of the day, I have to make ‘big boy’ decisions. Our needs are first to academics…the classroom is last and everything else is on the table…It doesn’t mean they have to end, just the way we fund them.”

Moore’s opinion is nothing new for a member of the Federal Way School Board. Three years ago, former board member Charlie Hoff also suggested cutting athletics from the district.

“A substantial portion of our budget is spent on recreation and I don’t think that’s where it needs to be spent,” Hoff said in 2006. “Are we in the education business or the recreation business?”

Thankfully, other members of the school board did not echo Hoff’s statements back then, and nothing ever developed. It looks like that will also be the case this time around.

Following Moore’s comments at the February school board meeting, other members stated they would rather see slightly higher class sizes than slicing programs that keep students interested in coming to school.

But it’s a scary thought, nonetheless.

Sports play a huge role in the overall experience of middle and high school.

Sure, academics are obviously the most important aspect of going to school. There is no way I can say that turning out for sports is more important than what happens during the school day in English, social studies or math class. I’m also pretty sure Bill Gates wasn’t the star running back on his high school football team and I don’t believe Paul Allen ever possessed a 90 mph fastball or a knee-buckling curve ball.

Those two turned out to be pretty successful in the business world, didn’t they?

But I’m also pretty sure Gates and Allen didn’t need the so-called carrot of playing sports to show up to first period and pass all their classes, which is exactly the case for a lot of students within the Federal Way school district.

The “Three R’s” are staples for any successful person later in life. But so are the lessons that are taught by participating in a sport. Sports have the innate ability to teach kids discipline, respect and responsibility, among other things.

All of us in the working world use things that are taught on a nightly basis on the sports field. Working with a team, handling failure in a positive manner or the discipline it takes to show up every day to give it your all at practice are core values any boss would want.

Studies have validated the meaning of sports in schools. The National Federation of State High School Associations, representing 11 million prep players, says athletes average a full grade better academically than non-athletes. Ninety-two percent don’t use illegal drugs. A review of 75 Fortune 500 companies showed 95 percent of executives played high school sports.

So like it or not, sports play a huge part of the middle and high school experience. Let’s keep it that way.