Emphasis on Athletics
By CONSTANCE LEGRAND ‘21
Sports have been an important element of human life for centuries. Their significance is depicted through not only their far-reaching past but also their various benefits: maintaining one’s fitness, boosting one’s mood and energy, and helping prevent disease. The Olympic Games, the first of which took place in 776BC, is a great example of athletics’ extensive history. However, the emphasis on athletics differs greatly by culture. At Milton, underclassmen are required to participate in a sport all three seasons, with a typical week involving four two-hour practices and two games. So, how do cultural, social, and academic differences impact Milton students’ experiences with athletics?
The United States is widely known for being an athletic powerhouse, winning the most Summer Olympic medals and second most Winter Olympic medals in the world. This feat is partly due to the American culture’s strong emphasis on youth participation in sports, an emphasis that is further depicted in the competitiveness of high school and college sports. With an abundance of sports programs available, it is very likely that the average American child will become involved in a sport. An interview with Zoe Garrett (III), a bi-varsity field hockey and ice hockey player from Duxbury, MA, reveals how sports have influenced her life. Zoe started playing hockey at the early age of three, and she now plays for both club and town teams. Although athletics are a large time commitment, she believes that the benefits largely outweigh the costs. Sports teams have allowed her to not only create many more friendships but also develop “basic life skills such as [working] with others and [managing] emotions.” Furthermore, since she often has games and late practices, she is forced to improve her time management. These skills demonstrate the importance of athletic involvement from a young age.
Having lived most of my life in Shanghai, China, a city that does not place much significance on athletics, I was surprised to find such a great emphasis on them at Milton. Although my urban environment or my parents’ lack of high athletic expectations of me might have been the culprit for my low athletic involvement, I wonder if the cultures I grew up with, Chinese and French, are the ones to blame. Seeking another opinion on the differing emphases of athletics between cultures, I discussed this issue with Sarah Cai (II), a Beijing born-and-raised student who attended international schools before Milton. Due to her parents' initial encouragement, Sarah started playing sports in third grade through biweekly commitments on the tennis courts or in the pool. In accordance with Zoe, Sarah believes that athletics have helped her form bonds with people she would not normally connect with, as well as teach her social skills and time management skills. However, Sarah noted that most Chinese parents, like her own, “emphasize academics more than anything else” and that “sports are always [perceived as] an extracurricular activity,” not a main focus. Therefore, Sarah never felt the need to excel in a sport, as her environment caused her to deem athletics as something of not the utmost priority. This ideology largely differs from that of Zoe’s and many other Americans, whose parents encouraged them to play sports from a very young age. From the two interviews, the different emphases on athletics between cultures become increasingly clear. But, how does this difference affect students on a larger scale?
According to a study from the International Journal of School and Cognitive Psychology, physical exercise is positively associated with increased brain-derived neurotrophic factors (BDNF). BDNF is a protein that promotes the production and survival of neurons, the basic working unit of the brain, that transmits information to other nerve cells and muscle by affecting their growth and maintenance. In short, the more sports or physical exercise one does, the more productive their brain is.
The role of athletics differs greatly between cultures; however, the benefit of athletics and physical exercise is universal: improved social skills and increased productivity.