Athletics and sports square off

In the seventh grade, I had the pleasure of devoting hours of my gym periods toward stoking a lifelong passion for what were deemed “lifetime sports,” those that guaranteed participation even as I grew older. Among these included bowling, ping pong, and shuffleboard.

A sprite, young thing now, as I age I won’t be able to keep up the running regime I currently put my body through. At that time, however, thanks to the seventh grade, I’ll be able to fall back on my shuffleboard skills. Timeless.

I’ve come a long way since my ping pong table days, now though. Upon enrolling in high school, I entered the world of varsity athletics. While they may also fall under the name of varsity sports, I’ve come to notice a distinct difference between sports and athletics.

While one seems defined as recreation or pastime, the other conjures up images of feats of physical prowess, requiring both skill and stamina. There’s a reason noblesvilleschools.com lists a tab “Athletics,” instead of “Sports.” Call it Sports and suddenly it might be time for me to dust off those seventh grade shuffleboard skills.

There is no denying it though, that whatever they are, sports or athletics, students are becoming more active. Take for example the current referendum appearing in public forums around town this past month. What I thought was just a little public service announcement by the athletic director interrupting our cross country banquet is much, much more. Included in the proposal for tax spending is a push to increase or enhance classroom space. This includes the NHSMC physical education and health class area, or wing if you will.

According to the numbers provided at these public forums, physical education enrollment at the Main Campus increased by nearly forty percent in between this school year and last. Forty percent. That’s 254 more students enrolled in P.E. classes—that’s including optional classes like Aerobics or Advanced Physical Conditioning—for first semester than last year. Compare that with 13. That’s how much the enrollment grew between the previous two years. I look at that and see just how many more students have decided to embrace an active lifestyle, and therefore how much more attention should be paid to increasing that classroom space as this trend continues.

I’m throwing around words like “referendum” and phrases like “active lifestyle.” Perhaps I’m beginning to sound like a little public service announcement. But I am, after all, blessed with the knowledge of lifetime sports skills, thanks to my middle school gym teachers. For that, and for learning the difference between athletics and sports, and the chance Noblesville is giving other students like me to learn the same, I am eternally grateful. Put that on the end of your tetherball rope and hit it.