New London — It is hardly coincidental that sports and arts provided the framework for the two most well attended events in New London this summer:

Sports: Last weekend's parade saluting two championship youth baseball teams and the Olympic efforts of India Pagan.

Arts: The debut at the Garde of "Those People," a documentary about the decade-long triumphs of the New London Youth Talent Show.

Sports and arts; arts and sports.

And so what follows is a modest proposal to the educational hierarchy in the city, using the aforementioned evidence tethered to sports and arts to increase the new high school's cachet and attract more students. Sports and arts have foundations established here creating potentials worth exploring.

There will be an arts pathway at the newly built high school. But the opportunity to turn the pathway into practical learning and performing — and perhaps with the possibility of performing at the Garde through a partnership with the Talent Show — ought to be the biggest no brainer in the history of New London.

The show's quartet of founders — Curtis Goodwin, Sue Connolly, Anthony Nolan and Frank Colmenares — were either educated here or have a passion for the kids. The Talent Show, which has honed many voices — and given voices to the voiceless as well — is a logical step in the arts education process. And it is right here in the city, led by people who know kids.

I understand that involving the Garde was part of a previous plan that failed. But there is new evidence and changing circumstances, most notably a documentary that clearly shows the opportunities available through the arts well beyond New London. Such a partnership is not only obvious but a necessity.

Sports, meanwhile, are the primary vehicle the public uses to interact with any school. Community members are on high school (and college) campuses for sports more consistently than any other undertaking, a reason many educators call athletics a school's "front porch."

Straight up: New London needs to start winning again. The Whalers are on hiatus — and have been for quite some time. Let's leave it here: The past is far more glorious than the present for New London High sports, which feel a lot like the Yankees between Mickey Mantle's retirement and George Steinbrenner's decision to buy the team.

I've made the same argument for years about St. Bernard, too. Want to increase enrollment? Winning begets attention. It may be a sad commentary on society, sure. But do you want the metaphorical butts in the seats or not?

New London has the advantage of its magnet status to draw potential students from several different towns. It needs to use its School of Choice designation and be mindful of athletes who apply. Don't underestimate the power of sports to alter perceptions.

Notez bien: This neither suggests nor condones blatant recruiting. It merely proposes that New London use the advantage is has — to get kids from surrounding towns — on to the symbolic front porch. Successful teams draw more spectators — and thus more people get a glimpse as to what's inside the rest of the school. In this case, a shiny new monolith with several specialized pathways that will look more appealing with athletic teams on the front page for all the right reasons.

Example: The Babe Ruth 15-year-old state championship team had several players from surrounding towns, including Montville, Lisbon and East Lyme. Yet the uniform said "New London" and the parade was in New London. Here was a team that enhanced the perception of New London, had a parade in New London ... but with kids not all from New London. The magnet status could foster similar success in many different sports. Lest we forget that Kris Dunn lived in Montville and attended the Science & Technology Magnet High School.

I worry that the reputation of New London schools will make fulfilling magnet obligations all but impossible. Still, there's no other arts pathway in Connecticut that has a youth talent show that sells out a downtown theater practically tethered to the high school. There aren't any other gyms in Connecticut that can match all those big, green banners on the wall, not to mention the history behind the names Dunn, Wheeler, Davis, Fletcher, Reed and many others.

It's the high school's way back, folks. And it's really not that hard to fathom.

I understand that well-meaning people might bristle at even the hint of turning New London into a sports factory. I believe there is a relationship between academics and athletics that is far more synergistic than antagonistic.

And at this point, what's there to lose?

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro