Athletics vs. The Arts

We Americans love our sports. Think about how many restaurants and bars in this country are devoted to sports fans. There are thousands of people who make their living coaching, scouting, administering, supporting and gambling on athletic contests. (That does not include those who get paid for playing games.) Our cities love having sports teams. In fact, many communities live with special taxes to entice and support professional sports teams.

In recent years we have watched as athletes have begun using drugs and other supplements to enhance their abilities to compete. It has become a contest to see who can get the best drugs and how can we keep the authorities from learning what drugs we are taking. This new kind of cheating has assaulted the record books in ways that we will never know.

Meanwhile, in our schools, we have football stadiums and gymnasiums built for thousands and auditoriums built for hundreds. We charge people to watch a basketball game and they pack the place, but offer a free choral concert and the auditorium is embarrassingly empty.

All of this is not caused by schools, however. It would be ridiculous to build an auditorium that will never be full. Schools are bound by the laws of economics just as businesses and families are. Athletics generates funds. The arts cost money. It is a sad reality that must be dealt with on at least three fronts.

1. First of all, our schools must elevate the importance and visibility of the arts. This must be done within the school and in the community. Steps must be taken to communicate to students that the arts are valuable. And then, schools must market the arts to their communities in the same way that they market the homecoming football game.
2. The media needs to cover arts activities and events in the same way that it covers athletics. My hunch is that there are at least as many students (probably more) involved in graphic arts, music, drama and dance in our schools than in all the sports combined. It is time that local newspapers covered the fall art show in the same way that it covered last week's basketball game.
3. Parents and community-minded people need to support the arts in school the way that sports gets supported. There need to be active groups of parents/adults who will advocate for arts-related programming. Auditoriums need to be filled for plays and recitals.

Only as we take the challenge to get personally involved and make a difference will a difference be made.