We like to deal with difficult controversies here at The Call, and one we’ve covered recently is the definition of a sport. It began with Ed Hoganson’s “The great debate: what is considered a sport?” in our Oct. 31, 2012 issue, continued with Lucy Waldemer’s “Letter to the Editor: Putting all sports on a level playing field” and was further explored by Kyle Rieger and Daniel Witt in their yes/no on whether or not marching band is a sport this past issue.

Now I’d like to weigh in. Before I start, I have to admit I’ve never played a team sport, nor am I invested in professional team sports.

Here’s where I do have a connection with the topic: dance. I’ve been a ballerina since I was 2 years old. I’ve been told ballet is wimpy, and I’ve been belittled for it more times than I can count. I’ve argued with these ignorant people until my tutu droops and my bun comes undone, but recently I’ve realized it doesn’t matter.

Deciding what is and isn’t a sport is the wrong focus. Instead, we should strive to respect everyone and their activities.

It doesn’t matter if you think marching band or swimming or dance isn’t a sport. That shouldn’t make a difference in how a participant in those activities is treated. Everybody works hard, and we should celebrate society’s diversity.

When we vehemently claim our activities are sports, we’re really looking for respect. One would never claim that writing is a sport, but it gets respect. So why do we belittle any athletic activity that isn’t a sport?

This is a documentary about a ballet company in Russia. I know it’s long, but I’d recommend watching at least part of it. The video will make you think twice about putting down someone’s passion just because it isn’t the most popular form of athleticism.