In this post, I’m going to discuss the important role parents (as well as family) often play—both intentionally and unintentionally—when it comes to the sports vs. the arts debate.

Family

Family poses a unique dilemma since they can:

1. Undermine any burgeoning interest in art by giving the impression it is silly or unworthy of serious study,
2. Never expose children to the value of the arts,
3. Encourage the arts but in a diminished capacity as a “mere” hobby or
4. Nurture the arts in their children as both a hobby and viable career opportunity.

In my district, many parents have limited exposure to the arts. So, for them, it is a classic case of ignorance—not knowing any differently. When they were children they were not educated about the value of the arts and/or never exposed to its career potential (often a key concern). Therefore, a lack of parent education perpetuates the cycle of ignorance.

On some level, the arts require an educated appreciation in meaning and value: in description, interpretation and analysis. as well as hands-on application. Of course, this doesn’t prevent people from liking what they like; however, it does keep them from a broader knowledge and deeper understanding. Certainly, the so-called “cultured” art world hasn’t helped the general population’s attitude concerning the importance of the arts when it celebrates bizarreness and incoherence as a right. Should it really surprise us when people look at a piece of art and say, “My three-year old could do that!”

Contrast this with sports… There is a low point of entry: you play with friends in context of casual, low-pressure spare time. The fear of looking silly is short-lived because the average skill level to do well is much more easily within reach. (Please don’t misunderstand…I’m not speaking of the skill level to play collegiate or professional sports just in the neighborhood.)

For many families (particularly those of urban youth), sports involvement finds a broad and welcome atmosphere. Many parents (not to mention coaches, guidance counselors and teachers) push students into sports early on because sports are a widely acknowledged and acceptable gateway to college scholarships and, of course, the coffers of the pro sports teams. And, while these may be reasonable goals (especially for a parent who has no means of funding a four-year college education), there are reasons to be concerned. I find the following commentary from an online article called Race and Sport to be a sobering point to end this post on:

While this may be true for black kids who devote extraordinary amounts of time, and expend prodigal amounts of energy honing skills and capacities that allow them to ultimately realize their dream of becoming professional athletes, one must ask why so many see this path as a realistic occupational goal given the odds against succeeding at it, and the odds for succeeding in other careers? Indeed, the large base of aspirants necessary to produce the disproportionate number of black athletes that we see today in our major sports is recognized as a social problem in that the development of other non-athletic skills, leading to more realistic career options, are being neglected (Ashe, 1977). Indeed, while blacks make up 77% of the NBA, 64% of the WNBA, and 65% of the NFL, they are only 4.2% of our physicians, 2.7% of our lawyers, and 2.2% of our civil engineers (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1997). The point is that striving to become a professional athlete is a risky proposition for any person since it often requires many years of total dedication that often is associated with a failure to develop knowledge and skill in other areas. The vast majority of aspirants never see a professional pay day, and are ill equipped to do other things. But for a variety of reasons, blacks have become more vulnerable to the carrot that is held out, and the great success of black athletes is accompanied by too many forgotten youth who not only have no contract, but no direction.

In my next post, I’ll touch upon what I had to say to my students about pop culture and its influences in our discussion of sports versus the arts.