Thursday, March 17, 2016

Travel Sports

Travel Sports...

When I was a kid, parents that could afford it, spent a few bucks a week on music lessons.  Today, basically no kids take music lessons.  Instead, parents spend thousands on travel sports.

It's got to eventually come full circle, right?

Eventually, grandparents (or, someone with the wisdom to know better) will say to their adult children, "HEY, why are you spending $5,000 a year on travel sports for your kids when the odds of them getting a college scholarship (that's the goal, right?) are about the same as winning the lottery. 

The arts are losing!  And losing badly.  And it's really sad.  The fact that graduation requirements have increased in the past decade has also had a negative impact.  RIGOR!

I do believe it will eventually come back around.  Things always do, it seems. 

But in the meantime, many kids who take (and LOVE)  music in 6th and 7th grade, opt out of music in 8th grade to get a head start on HS by taking Spanish and PE/Health for High School credit.  History has shown that once kids opt out of music classes, rarely do they return, and that is sad.  Music classes provide a release from the stress of daily life.  Choir classes often also involve NO homework!  A high school counselor said to me recently that she wished kids would strongly consider taking AT LEAST one class, if not two, that involve minimal homework.  Music is also like therapy.  It's soothing.  It relieves stress.  

Other counselors wish kids would stay in music to relieve stress.  And help with depression. 

If there was a chance that suicide rates would drop as a result of ALL KIDS taking music classes, would it be worthwhile then?  

Every kid needs to be a part of something.  A community.  A family (especially if home life isn't the greatest).  Taking all STEM and AP classes while not being a part of a group after school is dangerous!  Too stressful.  Constant travel and weekend sports is also very stressful.  Parents, please consider keeping your kids in arts and music classes at school.  You never know.  It might just be enough of a stress reliever to really help your child get through high school without mental health issues.