Sorry for being lax in posting. It’s been a crazy week with getting grades in for the end of the quarter. Needless to say, I’ve been recounting some of the points that have come up during my discussions with my students about the sports vs. the arts debate. Someone commented after my last post that they believed the core of the discussion was on one’s interests and likes; not that one is easy and the other difficult.

Certainly, interest plays a significant role as to why someone chooses to take part in an activity. But where does that interest come from? Is it purely innate? I don’t think so. I would posit that interest is also generated from (not in any particular order):

• Friends
• Family
• Pop Culture

Friends

I touched upon friendship in my last post. Specifically, I noted how art was a solitary activity. Therefore, those who push themselves to develop artistic skill in a specific medium (e.g., oil, acrylic, pastel) are going to miss out on many of the neighborhood activities of their friends. Especially in the formative middle and high school years, friendship is seemingly all-important to most young people. Issues of identity and belonging affect all of us throughout various stages of our life, but it is more keenly felt during those years. The fact that sporting activities—both playing and watching—reinforce that sense of self and camaraderie longed for makes it easy to see how friendship plays a powerful role in young people’s passion for sports. Plus, you have the release of endorphins through exercise and the general fun and excitement that comes from sports. Again, both powerful motivators.

The arts don’t offer such camaraderie since, even in a classroom setting, you are there to work and not socialize. By the time kids get older, they expect a certain level of verisimilitude from their artwork. Unfortunately, that takes time and effort. While sports certainly has its challenges, those with average skill can play and enjoy themselves. So, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying one is essentially harder than the other. A professional athlete gets paid huge sums of money because their talent is unique and their is a huge market ready to pay to see that talent in action. (But, more on that in a later post.)

Thus, the pull of friendship and all that it entails can pull young people away from participating in the arts, both short- and long-term.

In my next post, I’ll address the powerful role of parents in this discussion. I’ll look to post tonight or tomorrow.