Shawn O’Connor, football coach at Lincoln HS in Brooklyn, says there’s room for sports in school.

To be on a sports team, you have to pass all your classes. And there are plenty of kids who stay in classes for the sole reason that it makes them eligible for teams.

I’ve been coaching football since 1988, and I’ve seen a lot of kids who probably wouldn’t have graduated if it weren’t for football.

Coaches also act like mentors, guidance counselors who are there to stay on top of you and motivate you.

I have 26 seniors on my football team and all of them graduated within four years. All of them are going to college. I had 72 kids on my team and none of them had to go to summer school.

If there were no high-school sports, it would be a tremendous loss.