As many know, playing a sport or being involved in the arts can have plenty of benefits. We have all seen at least one high school movie in which the main character joins either an athletic activity or a fine arts club, and their whole life turns around. The truly remarkable thing is that this is not a lie. The perks of being a part of these extracurriculars are numerous, which leaves the mind to wonder: is one better than the other?

The advantages of being in either sports or arts spill into several different criteria, making the answer only more difficult to find. However, because many of these activities happen within a school, academics maintain their status as the first priority of students and, thus, are the first test. According to The Guardian, sports are a great asset in helping players to learn how to focus on the task at hand rather than letting their mind wander. In addition, sports are also recommended for students because of their mood-enhancing properties. Athletes report being in a much better mental state after engaging in a physical activity, whether it be a run, practice, or a game. Being in such good spirits enables players to attack their papers and essays with a more positive mindset.

Despite these benefits, music appears to have a much more direct impact in academic achievement. Participating in any form of art requires a new level of thinking skills that trace into the scholastic portion of the lives of these students. They develop pattern recognition skills, create mental representations of the things and events they see, and become careful observers. Furthermore, playing an instrument has been proven to include even more upsides. Lutz Jäncke, a psychologist at the University of Zurich stated, “Learning to play a musical instrument has definite benefits and can increase IQ by seven points, in both children and adults.” Jäncke also mentioned that the portions of the brain that control hearing and memory become much more active with the introduction of an instrument. As if that were not enough, being musically able has been proven to aid students learning a foreign language, which is especially helpful for those in Spanish or French this year.

Of course, the two activities share common ground; both help increase attention and teach students important time management skills so they can balance everything in their schedule. Still, it would seem as if the arts takes round one.

As one can imagine, engaging in an athletic activity or an art program is not normally done for academic reasons. Most students find relief from their stressful lives within these extracurriculars. Round two: stress reliever. Both sports and fine arts provide a sanction, though they come in different forms. Athletes find comfort on the field, court, or track. Artistic students feel peace on stage, behind a camera, or in the theater. While the two seem to be going head-to-head, sports have just one fatal flaw. It has been proven that on-field violence can affect athletes’ lives off the playing field. “One study that comes to mind involved researchers using a standard questionnaire to measure levels of aggression among high school football players throughout the year. As the season went on, their scores rose. In a control group of non-football playing students, there were no such findings,” says psychologist and violence expert Brad Bushman of Ohio State University.

The effects of violent behavior are not as severe in high school as they are with professional players, but they are still present nevertheless. Not long ago, our freshman team launched themselves into a scuffle with Oxford after a player from each team got into a fight. The uproar was incredulous and unacceptable. On the other side of the spectrum are the arts, which have not been known to be the direct cause of riots or a commonplace of violence.

Despite their differences, both athletics and arts bring a plethora of benefits that are at the disposal for a variety of students. The fine arts do have a leverage on sports, but the final truth is simple: both contribute to the wellbeing of students at any age level. A world without either of these would affect so many lives, as sometimes, these activities are the highlight of someone’s day. If you’re a jock or drama geek, an athlete or musician, be grateful for the opportunities you have to enjoy these programs.