As the month of March comes to an end, so will the renowned March Madness.

As most know, March Madness–the annual National Collegiate Athletic Association basketball tournament–has had sports fans from all over the nation keeping up with the tournament rounds, rooting for their favorite teams still in contention. The March Madness bracket allows spectators to hypothesize the path teams will need to follow to make it to the Final Four and, ultimately, the Championship game.

While most people enjoy filling out brackets, many are just not fans of sports. Elkhart High School Arts & Communication teacher Ms. MacKenzie Andrews has created a unique way to involve both sports enthusiasts and non-sports enthusiasts alike.

“Connecting the athletic world with the art world is important,” insists Andrews. She asserts that art and athletics are often viewed at opposite sides of the spectrum. However, Andrews has fabricated a bracket system that pairs Elkhart High School student artwork from classes such as ceramics, painting, jewelry, drawing, and photography with a collegiate basketball team. This enables students to fill out their own bracket based on their basketball knowledge or their favorite art pieces. “A lot of times, art and athletics are two different sections,” explains Andrews. The creation of this bracket system has mixed the two worlds together.

It is important to let students know that art and athletics are more alike than they are led to believe, notes Andrews. And, the individual interests of a person are not an all-encompassing identity, despite people being labeled due to a particular interest. For example, the word athlete is rarely associated with someone who has interests outside of physical sports. In reality, an athlete could be a great soccer player as well as a talented musician. His or her ability isn’t limited to one category.

As a matter of fact, both art and athletics are immersive experiences of mind and body. The euphoric feeling an artist gets while painting can be incredibly similar to the feeling a basketball player has on the court. Hard work, dedication, passion, and practice are all necessary traits to excel in either field. Likewise, an artist needs to practice his or her drawing skills in order to improve–in the same way a volleyball player must practice his or her skills. Both art and athletics are physical activities that lead to the internal satisfaction of a person. 

The incorporation of art into March Madness can empower students to live outside the stereotypes. People must remember that they are multifaceted beings who should pursue their interests–whether it be in art, athletics…or both.