University Athletic Departments Should Receive the Same Amount of Funding as University Libraries

<University athletic departments should receive the same amount of funding as university libraries.>

It is often said that in order to prepare their students academically and help their graduates find jobs, many universities fund their libraries and other academic facilities at the expense of sports activities. However, I disagree with the point of view and I firmly believe that universities should invest an equal amount of money in both their students’ sports activities and school libraries. In this essay, I will present a couple of rationales to support my belief in depth and detail.

To begin with, sports activities play a pivotal role in promising student's physical `health. This is evidenced by a number of clinical studies that clearly show that, especially during one's twenties, a variety of physically active aerobic exercises such as cycling, swimming, and running build and strengthen bones, muscles, and joints. More importantly, habitual physical exercise has a positive influence on circulation of blood and reduces the risk of hypertension and diabetes. To illustrate this point, my cousin led a sedentary life by being glued to the computer for hours on end every day. Inevitably, he suffered from obesity as a result of his inactive lifestyle. However, he began to lose considerable weight after he joined a walkathon club in college and started walking for two hours every day for five months as his doctor suggested.

Furthermore, sports activities foster students’ social skills. This is because sports include wide variety of group activities such as soccer, football, and basketball that require collective effort and cooperation. That is, it goes without saying that group sport games are important for students to develop social skills. The best example of this is a soccer game. When participating in soccer games, students have the chance to learn how to cooperate and work as a team. They cheer for their teammates, pass the ball to one another...