<p>Music requires a lot of natural ability, too. You know that. And the fact that sports merit scholarships proves even more that sports are overvalued. You’re proving the point of the original poster.
He is saying that colleges value athletes too much (especially when athletics and music require equal amounts of practice, natural ability, and dedication.)</p>
<p>Sports requires more practice and dedication than music. Yeah, people practice music. But do they actually spend a whole month in the summer doing nothing but playing an instrument every day, stopping only for a short break for lunch? Do they play instruments until their whole bodies ache and they have bruises? Do they sing songs, knowing they could be pummelled at any moment and injured so badly they could never do it anymore? I’m not saying music isn’t good. But being on band is just not the same as being an athlete.</p>
<p>sports take absolutely no skill at all… ITs just a matter of how much you eat, how much muscle you have (like in football) and have fast you run…</p>
<p>Absolutely. athletes are too overrated. it’s unfair!</p>
<p>yeah seriously… if sports don’t require skill, and pay generally pay really well… why isn’t everyone and their cousin going out for the yankees?</p>
<p>What does sports have to do with academics which is the main goal in a college? I think that for the most part the employer is looking for a student that knows a lot about their major.
I think sports is overrated.</p>
<p>“Sports requires more practice and dedication than music. Yeah, people practice music. But do they actually spend a whole month in the summer doing nothing but playing an instrument every day, stopping only for a short break for lunch?”</p>
<p>Oh, so I didn’t practice my clarinet for four hours every single day of my Christmas break preparing for Area/State auditions the two years I made State (one of the years I just slacked off and the other I was preparing for Debate so I could make Nationals)? Did that not make my bottom lip bleed like crazy every day and my teeth feel like they were about to fall out? To be outstanding at anything, you must spend hours practicing your skills. </p>
<p>Athletes are NOT favored because they take more time/work or are doing something more difficult than anything else. They’re favored because they draw in a lot of money and attention.</p>
<p>::edit::</p>
<p>Shoot, and I forgot about marching practices! Try marching for 4 hours in 110 degree heat on artificial turf that makes it 10-15 degrees hotter…while constantly playing an instrument. Last year during a marching practice I got dehydrated and passed out. And it doesn’t exactly feel nice when a drum misses a turn and spins right into you. It sucks…especially when people act stupid and everyone has to run laps around the track for punishment.</p>
<p>“every single day during christmas break” ? thats great… try traveling 2000 miles across the country, having jet lag, and have three 2.5 hr practices within the first 24 hours of arriving</p>
<p>(not even mentioning the rest of the year)</p>
<p>Um…debate? I flew from Dallas to Philadelphia and had to get up at 6:00 the next morning and go debate the whole day. Then there’s waking up at 4:00 in the morning to drive two hours to debate, speak, and take tests at the Regional academic tournament </p>
<p>In band I drove 400 miles and then auditioned in front of a room full of the best clarinets in the state that same night. How about driving that same 400 miles to wake up the next day at 6:00 to practice for an hour and then go march in the state marching competition or state solo & ensemble?</p>
<p>I’ve done sports (volleyball and basketball…I’m 5’10) and I’ve done the other stuff. All of it’s difficult and draining. Athletes don’t have it any harder than anyone else.</p>
<p>yeah… no. are these volleyball and basketball teams year-round? are you one of the top athletes in your state? have you been playing volleyball/basketball for 8+ years? doing meaningless high school or w/e teams doesnt mean you know what it’s like to be a true athlete. i dont doubt it takes practice and time to be a decent musician, but the pain and dedication it takes to practice a sport (or multiple sports) 3-4+ hours 6 days a week all year through injuries, sickness, etc is just not matched by MOST high school/college musicians, debate teams, etc.</p>
<p>Most HS musicians didn’t put half as much time into it as I did, but they also were only decent to average. </p>
<p>Same thing applies to sports. I’ve been around sports my entire life. My brother was a great baseball player (if he had been a bit more dedicated he could have played college ball easily). I was at every practice and game he did (and was a pretty good baseball player myself since my dad coached the team and I helped with all of the boys’ practices)…it took a ton of work. </p>
<p>I played basketball first in summer leagues and then when I got in 7th grade athletics I picked up Volleyball as well. Before I entered HS I had to make the choice between music and sports, though, so I never got to the point where I had to put in more than 3 hours practice after school three times a week and 2 at home just about every day for sports. I was very good for that level, but obviously not the best in the state. </p>
<p>My brother, however, continued baseball and basketball into HS and was named to district teams (the actual school team wasn’t that great, so he couldn’t have been named for state ones) until he broke a finger in basketball and then got three teeth knocked out after returning from the finger thing. He figured he needed to stop before he lost limbs, lol.</p>
<p>I know how much energy it takes for sports, music, and debate. They’re all very different, but all require a ton of time, effort, and talent to become one of the best at. It’s just ignorant to deny that.</p>
<p>yeah you kind of just proved the point you DON’T know how much energy it takes for sports.</p>
<p>Wow…totally missed the point. I know what it takes to be good, therefore, can imagine how much extra it takes to be awesome. I’m sorry that I forget sometimes that I have to spell out every single thought for some people on this site to understand.</p>
<p>::edit::</p>
<p>And the reason I didn’t decide to stick with sports was because there are pretty much no opportunities for girls in athletics to be outstanding in my area. The only sport people here care about is football, which is why our team won state two years ago and has a darn good shot at winning it again this year. I know guys that got full scholarships for football…and I know how much they put into it.</p>
<p>okay i’m done, this isn’t going anywhere. it’s so irritating to hear people bash athletes, say how easy it is (which if it’s so easy and pays extremely well, i don’t see why you all aren’t playing for the yankess), how music and what have you requires just as much pain and dedication, etc.</p>
<p>and also… i don’t understand what you’re saying. plenty of people train on their own, excel in their area/state, and that’s not even the point: if you need to be recognized in order to be satisfied, then sports obviously isn’t for you because I know with my primary sports for instance, swimming and XC, there is little to no recognition even when you win states (which we did)</p>
<p>I haven’t bashed them! I’m saying that they aren’t Greek Gods that are so much more amazing than professional level musicians and the such.</p>
<p>I’m glad that those guys got scholarships because they weren’t going to college otherwise (and to schools like UT Austin, Kansas State, MS State, Georgia State, Oklahoma State, and others I’m forgetting). Some of their HS friends that weren’t as good are now in jail for robbing and murdering a guy! They deserve those scholarships! My mom also deserved her tennis scholarship she got to go to college on. She wouldn’t have been able to go otherwise. Stop acting like athletes are victims and everyone hates them (obviously I don’t considering my own mother was one of them). </p>
<p>But to deny that musicians and debaters who win national cometitions didn’t work as hard (if not harder in some instances) is downright ignorant.</p>
<p>And no recognition for sports? My town had friggin parades (yes, plural) for our football players when they won state. Not to mention the thousands that showed up for every game no matter how far they had to drive to get there…even at Texas Stadium (where the Cowboys play)…and bonfires, rallies, and whatnot for the other sports teams that got one or two games away from state.</p>
<p>yeah… men’s football, basketball, and baseball are obviously much different from other sports that require no less dedication</p>
<p>When did I say any sport didn’t require a ton of work? I’ve only defended the fact that to be great at <em>anything,</em> you must work your tail off.</p>
<p>when did i say you said that?</p>
<p>they’re much different in that they get tons of recognition, while other sports get little to none</p>
<p>Oh, my fault. I misread “obviously much different from other sports that require no less dedication.” That and the whole bashing athletes comment seemed like you were saying that.</p>
<p>Personally, I find sports like swimming/diving, figure skating, gymnastics, etc much more interesting than football and stuff…probably because they aren’t as popular and aren’t available in my area. Those are the only sports I watch in the Olympics. I love them.</p>