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John R. Gerdy, the founder of the nonprofit educational organization Music for Everyone, argued in a recent Education Week Commentary that arts programs provide more educational value than

football for schools.

Gerdy conducted a return-on-investment analysis “of the effectiveness as educational tools of football and music,” seeking to identify which provides “students with learning experiences most

build community—in which both football and music have similar positive impacts. There is little, if any, difference, for example, between the sacrifices made, lessons learned, and effort

required as a sports-team member whose goal is winning games and a band member who is working to achieve a particular “sound.”

However, Gerdy quickly concluded that one had more educational value than the other:

But from there, the similarities mostly end. When considering the broadest impact on education over the longest period of time, music programs are far superior to football programs in return

on dollars invested. Consider music’s pluses: the capacity to be a lifelong participatory-learning activity (football, for all but a select few, ends after high school); the fact that music

is a universal language (football is uniquely American); its gender inclusiveness; a far lower cost-per-student ratio; the potential it offers as an essential platform for international and

interdisciplinary studies; and its effectiveness in strengthening the brain’s neural activity and development (versus the possibility, if not the likelihood, of sustaining brain trauma).

Finally, the effectiveness of sports as an educational tool has been steadily diminishing as athletic programs have become more about the end result--winning--and less about the process

(learning).

It’s worth noting that many of Gerdy’s critiques about football don’t necessarily apply to other sports. Had he compared basketball, swimming, track, golf, or tennis to arts programs, the

“lifelong participatory-learning activity” and “sustaining brain trauma” arguments would both go out the window. Likewise, while winning undoubtedly commands a great deal of attention for

any athlete, it’s not as though coaches forgo teaching proper techniques for their respective sports. Allen Iverson’s “practice” rant need not apply to a majority of high school sports

teams.

Gerdy also left out one critical detail about football—and all sports, for that matter: the beneficial impact of physical activity. Study after study found a positive correlation between

physical activity and academic success, and with a number of schools cutting back on physical education and/or recess, after-school sports may be students’ best chance of obtaining the

recommended amount of daily physical activity. A 2012 study published online in the journal Pediatrics suggested getting students involved with team sports was the most effective way to

prevent childhood obesity.

If and when schools are forced to choose between sports and arts programs, dropping either will have negative ramifications for some students. While arts programs may provide schools with

the more educational bang for the buck, sports—including football—likewise help engender lifelong lessons in those who participate.

Education Week. Related Tags: School Funding Sports Music Education

A version of this news article first appeared in the Schooled in Sports blog.