Extent of Sports Culture in American Education

Sports are a big part of my life. It has taught me how to face failures, to be dedicated, and to be disciplined. I have made friends and memories through sports, and I believe I will continue to reap its benefits later in life. However, growing up in China, sports education was at the very bottom of students’ priorities. My elementary school used to skip physical education classes because they wanted to cram another math class in. Students were not allowed to go outside and play during lunchtime because exercise was not as important as doing extra homework. Frankly, to many parents and teachers in China, sports was only a method of leisure and entertainment. Yes, playing soccer or basketball were fun, but they were no better than video games. In fact, my friends and I, in middle school were deemed as “bad students” simply because we played basketball.

However, in the United States, sport is a big part of education. There are many sport leagues between schools or even outside of school, and there are teams of Varsity, JV and thirds full of kids who love to play. Actually, joining a team sport as an afternoon activity was mandatory for freshmen and sophomores at my school. The whole sports culture is very developed, and it is considered by many parents that participating in a sport is a must. During Spring break, I spent two weeks at a friend’s house in the US. The first thing my friend’s parents asked him was not “how are the classes?” or “how are your grades?” They asked him “what’s your new bench max” and “how’s your team doing?” All around the family, football and basketball took more priority than schoolwork, and playing collegiate sports was their main goal. Although it did not surprise me, I was still amazed by how much of a cultural contrast there was between the US and China. 

Luckily, my parents supported me in doing what I loved, and for that I am very thankful. Currently China is putting more weight on sports in its education system, and I am glad to see more kids are able to not only get the exercise they need, but also benefit from the experience.