Add to that the way that extracurricular activities go these days: if my DS7 wants to play an in-season sport, then there are 2-3 practices per week plus weekend games. He's SEVEN!!!! What's up with that? He's not even all THAT interested -- he just wants to try it out to see if he enjoys it. (Sorry -- that topic gets me going...)
If we applied the same level of interest to academics as we do to sports, then problem solved. Most of the attention goes to sports, but the GT kids and their academically focused classmates will carry the water for their generation.
They become the doctors, the engineers, the leaders - and make things happen. Most of the jocks are washed up when they are 22. I was both and IMHO I loved playing, but in retrospect, my time would have been better spent in a book. I should have taken a lot more classes like accounting, law, finance - easy stuff and necessary as you move up in the real world.
