In high school, it can feel like you only have two choices; either the arts or the sports, but why do we need to choose? Why should we confine ourselves to just one way of learning?

Art and sports both teach us the same things. In the article “Football or music? What’s the best K-12 investment?” John Gerdy the writer, states, “There are several areas- students engagement; development of positive character traits such as self discipline, teamwork and personal responsibility; and capacity to bring people together to build communities- in which both football and music have similar positive impacts.”

So why, if they both have the same positive impacts, does only one make it into education? In the article, “Fine Arts should be spared from school districts’ budget cuts,” by Dave Dickenson. Dickenson states “Sport programs are often cut or downsized when school districts need money, but cutting these types of programs usually results in the outcry from the community and oftentimes becomes a rallying point in a school board election.”

Money is a major factor in any decision, especially when choosing which programs stay in a school. Having a community that relies heavily on sports is most affected by this, but the arts are just as important as sports are. They both teach you similar things in life like student engagement, self discipline, teamwork and personal responsibility. Sports and the arts go hand in hand.

Dickenson also states, “Elimination of art classes usually receives even less emotion from community members.”

Why? Dickenson says, “The community often feels that a ‘successful’ football or basketball program is the identity of the community and cutting those programs is like cutting the heart of the community itself.”

Sports are often a huge part of a community, it brings people together and it teaches young kids many things that they need to learn, but the arts do the exact same thing.

Many kids need the arts to make sure that they have a creative outlet to let out all of their feelings. Without the fine arts programs many kids would fall through the cracks and not have a way to express themselves.

Now most of these fine art programs are getting cut in an elementary school level according to Dickenson.

Kids grow up with no creative outlet from a young age, they don’t know how to creatively express themselves growing up and rely on sports to help them.

Whether it helps them make friends, helps them stay on routine and help them learn several crucial things that will help them all throughout life.

So why choose between the arts or sports? You shouldn’t have to. Both of them teach self discipline, teamwork and personal responsibility.

Sports have a way of bringing people together, the same way a choir concert does. Cutting the fine arts programs at an elementary school level is a huge mistake.

Not allowing kids to express their creative side at a young age can be detrimental for these young kids growing up.

Schools need both the fine arts and sports for the kids to properly grow up.