Megan Ruff

Mrs. Fogelson
First Year Composition D.E.
Compare and Contrast Essay
Arts v. Sports
Throughout the world, art and sports are constantly struggling for power and rights,
which seemingly always ends up with sports. Sports are set at a societal standard to be the
highest tier of the hierarchy, with art dwindling behind it. However, despite the funding cuts and
being undervalued, art still finds ways to thrive and survive, changing lives and the communities
in which they are in. While there are many options to take to improve an environment, utilizing
more art within a community is more effective in creating a positive change than sports, yet they
do not receive the same treatment or funding.
Sports is an effective and widely popular, as well and largely funded, resource in
communities that is used frequently. The physicality that sports requires does have benefits for
the constantly developing brains of the youth.

(Figure 1: Move Body,

Activate Brain. A childs brain after physical stimulation)
The movement in sports releases positive chemicals into the brain which allows it to develop and
benefit. Also, due to the positive endorphins that exercising releases to the brain, people who
partake in sports are more likely to be mentally and emotionally stable.
Among students who exercised 6 to 7 days a week, 25.1% felt sad for two weeks
or more in the past 12 months, compared to 35.7% of students who reported
exercising on 0 to 1 day. Of students who exercised 6-7 days, 15% reported
suicidal ideation, and 6.4% reported a suicide attempt in the past year, compared
to 24.6% and 10.3% of students who exercised 0-1 day, respectively (Aspen
Project Play).
This is a great benefit to athletes, especially those in their youth, and shows a positive impact.
Being on sports teams also benefits youth and their growing social skills. A survey that was

conducted discovered that approximately 65% of youth participate in sports to be with their
friends (Statistic Brain). Along with joining for friends, being on a team requires communication
and unity. While sports visibly has many benefits, arts shares many of these effects, and more,
yet do not receive the same gratuity or even funding that it needs.
While sports have many positive benefits that are in the best interest of youth, there are
many downfalls that have many negative effects. Not only does sports require a significant
amount of funding, they require investments from the players.

(Figure 2: Income
Impacts Sport Participation. Displays the dominant wealth groups within each sport). Many
youth from low-income households do not have access to sports they are interested in and do not
receive the developmental benefits of sports. Also, claims of diverse sports environments have
been found to be untrue. While there are degrees of every ethnicity participating in sports, white
participation has a considerably higher percentage of participation than any other race (Aspen
Project Play). Following behind these facts is the noticeable gender gap within sports (Aspen
Project Play). While there is a degree of diversity on sports teams, they are minor and not nearly
as varied as society needs. Due to the seemingly standard argument for the sports, cities are
spending more on developing complexes and areas where sports can take place. John Oliver, a
famous talk show host, addresses this problem, and reveals that these widely under-recognized
expenditures are huge, adding up to a whopping $12 billion in public funds for 51 new sports
facilities around the country between 2001 and 2010 (Harrop). This type of money being spent
is not handled efficiently due to the fact that low amounts of people within an area that cannot
utilize the complexes that they are given. Sports also cause preventable injuries to many of its
participants, including youth. Stanford Childrens Health reports that among children 14 and
younger who participate in recreational activities or sports, more than 3.5 million oobtain
injuries, some becoming serious or, in rare cases, lethal (Stanford Childrens Health). These
injuries make an increase in sports, rather than arts, a greater risk. While sports offers positive
potential change, the negative side effects it brings to a community are preventable and not worth
being made into a higher priority than the arts.

Art is proven to be beneficial to numerous communities by creating a constructive

advancement within the environment. Art has been proven to be psychologically effective and, as
it uses much more of the brain, it enhances learning within the youth. A survey in 2005 correlates
higher SAT scores with the amount of time a student has spent with art (Ruppert). This shows
that art is stimulating brain usage, as the right side of the brain thrives on art concepts, and is
being used to increase test scores. Because of the positive results, some areas have changed
STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) to STEAM (Science, technology,
engineering, arts, and mathematics) which also positively affects the economy (Stem to Steam).
Art is also used therapeutically and has been confirmed to affect the brain in numerous ways that
lead to positive effects. Art therapy can address: behavioral management, stress reduction,
develop interpersonal skills, increase self-esteem, increase self-awareness, emotional difficulties
related to disability or illness, trauma and loss, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), physical
problems, cognitive problems, and neurological problems (Art Therapy). This tool, being utilized
for therapeutic reasons, changes lives daily and addresses problems that are prominent in society.
Culture and diversity are widely integrated into art and must be present in order for it to thrive in
its intended manner. Art celebrates the styles of culture from around the world, drawing in a
larger audience. This also applies to the gender gap, as art is working on decreasing the gender
gap.

(Figure 3: Percentage of women in the arts). Having centers and festivals allows many people to
learn about art around the world and be with others who have varying backgrounds, while giving
equal opportunity to all ethnicities and genders to take interest and pride themselves on art. Art
has a higher potential for positive changes within a community and advance education and
diversity in rapid ways.
The comparison between sports and arts is similar, yet throughout the competition to
determine which is more important, art has deemed itself prominent but is not supported through

funding. Statistics also show that the attendance for arts in a number of regions, such as within
the Cuyahoga County in Ohio, have a higher tolerance for art than sports.

(Figure 4: 2014 Cuyahoga County Attendance for

Arts v. Major League Sports. Compares art attendence to sports attendence). Even though art is
increasing in levels of interest, and surpassing sports in some areas, art still does not receive the
recognition it deserves, and needs funding that is being unfairly and solely given to sports. Arts
used to be dominant, but after economic issues, programs are constantly shut down or neglected.
Both federal and state government appropriations to the arts have declined since the 2007-2009
economic recession (National Endowment for the Arts). This is hazardous to the development
of society and the funds sould be managed better to accommodate people for the better. While
sports are necessary and are useful to a community, art has more benefits and should receive
more funding in order to provide more benefits to society.
The changes that sports is able to make within a community, while existing, are not as
efficient or illuminating to the community as the ones that art offers. While sports does offer
some benefits for their cause, art displays better results and is a smarter route for any community.
Once a community places value over arts, they will begin to see a more progressive refinement
around them. The arts are the better choice for any community with effective results and proven
reasoning.

Sources
Harrop, Katelyn. 7 Things We Could Have Spent $12 Billion On Instead Of New Sports
Stadiums. Think Progress, 2015. Web. 1 May, 2016.
Litt, Steven. Cigarette tax helps arts achieve twice the attendance of pro sports in
Greater Cleveland: Cuyahoga Arts Tax Renewal (Analysis). Cleveland, 2015. Web. 1
May, 2016.
Ruppert, Sandra S. Critical Evidence: How the Arts Benefits Student Achievement.
National Assembly of States Arts Agencies, 2006. Web. 1 May, 2016.
Facts: Sports Activities and Children. The Aspen Institute Project Play, 2015. Web. 1
May, 2016.
How the United States Funds the Arts. National Endowment for the Arts, 2012. Web. 1 May,
2016.
Mental Illness Treated with Art Therapy. Art Therapy, 2007-2016. Web. 1 May, 2016.
Sports Injury Statistics. Stanford Childrens Health, 2016. Web. 1 May, 2016.
STEM to STEAM. STEM to STEAM, 2016. Web. 1 May, 2016.
Youth Sports Statistics. Statistic Play, 2016. Web. 1 May, 2016.