Woodlake Valley Middle School student looks at the pros and cons of extracurricular activities competing for students attention and time
By Teresa Kerwin
Woodlake Valley Middle School
WOODLAKE – In the academic world, sports and music do not often intermingle. Usually, students are firmly athletes or musicians, with very few that do both activities in middle school. Many people think sports are better than other hobbies because sports keep you active and healthy. However, are there reasons that choir and band could be just as enjoyable and beneficial?
Joseph Ramirez is a 8th grade student at Woodlake Valley Middle School. Joseph has a great point when it comes to sports vs. band/choir. He has participated in both choir and sports but stopped playing sports when it came to the point of a serious injury. Joseph was outside playing soccer with his cousin and the ball came towards him and hit him right in the face and broke his nose.
Ever since the accident he won’t play soccer again, but he said he would play again once he gets into high school or college. To occupy his time he participates in choir. He is the only boy in the elective and so far no other boy as joined. He believes it’s because “a lot of guys don’t really like singing and that it doesn’t really get their attention but I like to sing so it got my attention. I think that boys think choir is only for girls so they won’t join because they don’t want to get bullied or anything.”
Different types of music can help you get through problems, such as break ups or a difficult situation. According to “10 Healthy Benefits of Music” they say it “Improves people’s moods, studies have shown that listening to music benefits overall well-being, helps regulate emotions, and creates happiness and relaxation in everyday life. It reduces stress.” We asked Joseph if singing, music, or choir helped you through anything in your past or in the present.
“Certain music got me through some stuff that has happened, but not me personally singing,” he said.
Joseph is a supporter of band, choir and sports, but says there are downsides to what he loves. He feels choir is way too stressful for him, he says that “you have to be able to memorize things” and that’s very hard to do at sometimes, although he doesn’t let the stress get to him. He enjoys it too much. Joseph will be sticking with choir for the time being, but will join sports once he’s in high school or college.
Josiah Moore is a 8th grader at Woodlake Valley Middle School who thinks sports are cool and awesome. He and his family enjoy playing sports together. His father and mother used to play sports when they were younger, too. His mother played basketball in high school, and his father played baseball in middle school. Josiah sometimes dislikes sports because you have to practice everyday for long periods of time and sometimes it gets to be too much.
Josiah also participates in band. He states that if you want to make friends, band would be the place to go because making friends is very easy when you have something in common. Something he dislikes about band is that the concerts are late at night and sometimes it’s hard to get up in the morning for school.
Overall, though performing music and playing sports are two very different activities. Neither group had anything negative to say about the other side. They both seem to respect the work that goes into what they do.
Teresa Kathleen Kerwin is an 8th grader at Woodlake Valley Middle School who is currently enrolled in a journalism class and interested in publishing articles in the newspaper.
