Controversial Issue: Balancing Extra Curriculars

The theme that I keep finding time and again when working on assignments for MUS 214 that ask us to share our own personal opinions is that Elementary School is a forum for students to have a very diverse education where they are exposed to many different things. Some topics are mandatory for students to learn, some are considered extra, or extra curricular activities.

I believe that in our society that young children are asked to play sports at a far too early age. I think that children of 8 or younger should not be put into sports so quickly. I believe that the pressure to win in sports is instilled in our youth at much too young of an age. Now that I have said that...

I think that with our young learners Extra Curricular activities should be presented to our children so that they can choose for themselves what they want to try or don't want to try. I think that this should be  this way for sports and other activities like say, orchestra, or plays.

I think that the best way, but not the easiest, to encourage students to try anything that they might life in a sports driven society is to not masculinize sports. Boys in particular are pushed too much to play sports and turned away from music and art because its not masculine enough. This in turn discourages girls from sports and causes them to think that sports are for boys, which is wrong. I think this is where the problem lies and needs to be put to rest. Boys, and girls should not be encouraged to try something based on gender. Elementary school is the first place where gender roles should be discouraged and in turn kids should be encouraged to try whatever they think would make them happy, no matter what it is. We the people raising our children need to remember that it's their life to find their passions and happiness. Our guidance should not consist of making them play a sport instead of playing music, or acting, or joining art clubs. I feel as though where the pressure on young people in sports is too much I think that the chance to create in the arts is exactly the opposite for the young person - relaxing and therapeutic.