Over the years, we have become a very sports-based society. Dating all the way back to the first Olympics in Roman times, sports have evolved, to the point where things like the Superbowl and the World Series are like national holidays. We take a liking to a certain sport or two, root for certain teams, and then raise our children to be the same. It becomes an endless cycle, and although there’s nothing wrong with this, it’s become so common that it’s now like a norm--expectation for all children. When you meet someone new, his or her first question is usually “Do you play any sports?” instead of “Do you do any extracurriculars?” In school, we often argue if activities like gymnastics, dance, cheerleading, etc., are sports; however, we never argue if activities like football and baseball are arts. We may never really think about it this way, but asking these types of questions and thinking about the way we phrase them plays a role in how arts and sports are perceived. It can imply that one is superior to the other, when they’re both important and unique in their own ways. So then the question becomes, why are sports valued more than the arts in our society, and are we doing anything to change that standard?
To find the answer to these questions, I asked several teachers and students why they believe sports have become more valued and prevalent in our society, and the answers varied widely.
When I asked Ms. Markmanrud, a BHS visual arts teacher, she said, “I think [sports] has become the standard because there is a way to know that ‘you’re the best,’ and that you can prove it. Making varsity, getting the trophy or plaque, going to nationals, etc., all are a verified sense of accomplishment. All parents want their students to be the best, so they push for this, and the kids listen.”
This idea that sports bring out a competitive nature speaks to many, and became a theme in many of the interviews I conducted. Senior Justin Murphy agreed, saying, “Speaking for men, we are very physical and like to compete against each other and be rough, and sports allows for that. The arts don’t allow for this, and I think that is part of the reason they missed becoming the ‘standard.’”
There is also the argument, as Mrs. Rockenhauser, BHS band and performing arts teacher, said that, “Sports are popular because they’re popular. It becomes a cycle of one person or student doing a sport and then their friend wants to do it with them and that process drags everyone into one sport or another. It’s natural.” Freshman Lili Zanella agreed with this, saying, “I think that sports have become the standard because some of the more ‘popular’ people throughout history have been the ones supporting sports. They watch sports, cheer for their favorite teams, and some people even give money to the teams that they are more passionate about, increasing their popularity.”
The general push for sports over arts in society is often showcased in little, subtle ways all over the country. Take the COVID-19 pandemic, for example. This past fall and winter, there was a huge push to get athletes all over the country back on the field, rink, etc. They put a number of precautions in place and spent a significant amount of time, money, and effort making sure all different sports could get back out there. Even when there were outbreaks on certain teams, they took efforts to ensure that the games still happened, no matter what. However, we’re just now talking about Broadway opening back up, and musicians and dancers are just now being able to perform again. Only recently have performers finally been able to get back to some normalcy, and that’s with much more caution and restrictions put on them than many sports ever had. Artists have been stuck at home, forced to think outside of the box in order to keep their jobs and careers on track. Not to say that they haven’t made it work, because many of them have. Artists have released albums with recordings of people around the country, and some have held online performances so that they could continue doing what they love. They were able to get creative, but they did that all on their own. They didn’t have big companies spending millions of dollars so that they could get back to the way it “used to be.” As Ms. Pauer, BHS Academic Dean, said, “In general, you hear about the ‘starving artist’ but not the ‘starving athlete.’ Arts are not as well supported financially, so artists generally struggle for financial independence, whereas sports are well funded and generally aren’t ‘begging for money.’”
We’ve seen this same push in schools around the country. Arts programs are often getting their funding reduced or even cut over sports programs, even if there’s more kids involved in the arts programs. On average, schools spend about $302 per student a year on sports, but only $218 per student for a year in the arts. Ms. Markmanrud saw truth in this statistic, saying that she worries daily about her program being shut down or reduced in funding, and that while getting her masters in Art Education, “We were taught that you will have to prove that the arts are worth being funded and be able to show why that is. A huge part of my education was devoted to this, actually. We learned what to say and what not to say. We role played--it was crazy.” The reasons behind this could vary from opinionated parents and town members, to the number of kids involved in each program, to just the general belief and consensus that people would rather have sports over arts.
Here in Bow, we’re very fortunate to have strong and supported sports and arts programs, and most of the time both areas have access to any materials or equipment they may need. As Justin Murphy said, “For me, I have always had access to the resources I need, whether in sports or in the arts. Being at a school like BHS has been such a blessing, where I have been able to use a trombone, a bass, sets of skis, and other equipment that allows me to participate in sports and arts for almost no cost.”
However, that is not the case everywhere, as Mr. Fisk, BHS assistant principal, pointed out, saying, “I think we are lucky in Bow that there is great support for the arts, but it is true that in many other schools and school districts arts programs are among the first things to be cut.”
Now, after saying all of this, I don’t mean to take away any value in sports. They are equally important as the arts, worth no more and no less. For example, Mr. Fisk said, “I strongly believe that in schools, sports play an important and valuable role. All the skills and habits that come with competing are completely transferable to life outside of school.” Sports offer certain qualities that only they can offer, like a sense of competition, activeness, and that feeling of ‘you’re the best’ that Ms. Markmanrud mentioned earlier. And if you look even closer and pick both sports and arts apart to their core, you can also find many similarities. As Freshman Alden Betterly pointed out, “Sports and art are a lot more like each other then people originally think. Both artisans and players have to practice to improve their skill mentally and physically. They also both require teamwork, like on a soccer team or being an actor in a play or part of a band.” Some might even go so far as to describe certain sports as arts. Like Mr. Forbes, BHS baseball coach, who said, “It’s a dance. Pitcher vs. Hitter; Fielder vs. Baserunner; Bat vs. Ball.”
Overall, I found that we as a society consider sports the standard for many reasons, from how it’s embedded into our history, to its competitive nature, to just the simple fact that they’re enjoyable. And while all these things are true, it’s important to appreciate the factors that the arts bring, and what value they can bring to us and our society. Like freshman Juliette Tarsa, who is very involved in both sports and arts, said, “I feel very diverse in what I can do. Because of being in the arts and sports, I can pick and choose what I want to do in my future. I think it is beneficial to be involved in the arts and the sports so you can be able to have a bigger sense of skill and it will overall open more opportunities.” We need to take steps to include the arts in our lives. Normalize them. Don’t ask what sports someone plays; ask what extracurriculars they do. Everything and everyone deserves an equal chance, equal respect, equal representation. But that can only happen with a little change in perspective.