Why Sports and How it Affects You, Me, and This Planet of Ours.
It's easy to dive into a discussion about sports, or anything! But in order to have a meaningful conversation about any given topic, one has to know just WHAT they are talking about. So let's begin with the what.
“At their highest level, all competitive disciplines become vehicles for the expression of one's human potential”
Duncan Thorin Shields
What is sport?
A drug? A distraction? A unifying force? Something that transcends the human experience? Or a little bit of everything?
To answer this question objectively with a simple definition would be either inaccurate or a severe injustice, because sports is a very personal, yet public affair and every different discipline has its own set of challenges and rewards. Ask anyone on the street what sports means for them and you'll get very varied responses ranging from a form of exercise to a career or even a complete waste of time!
What sports should be
Below we'll be discussing the ideals of competitive discipline, although not always seen, and definitely never all there is to it.
1. Sports should be fun! Obvious, but sometimes overlooked when we analyse elite athletes. All legendary athletes are remembered because of how much ease and joy radiated from them while competing, just look at Usain Bolt, Ronaldinho, and Michael Jordan for starters. Without the enjoyment, the discipline ceases to be a sport.
2. Sports should be challenging. It wouldn't be called a discipline if it wasn't! Talent and good genes definitely play a role in how good an athlete gets, but what separates the elite from the semi-pro is the commitment, sacrifice, hard work, and hours upon hours of practice.
3. Sports should unite us. There's something about sports that just gets people together! Whether it's the World Cup, Olympics, or your local league, you're never alone! Competitors treat their opponents with respect, and there's always a spirit of unity in any type of competition.
4. Sports should be exciting! For you, me, and everyone involved! What makes playing, and watching, such an engaging and bonding experience is precisely due to exciting energy!
5. Sports should make you feel! Emotions are an integral part of sports; the jubilation, heartbreak, and tears of every kind are what drive the countless droves of fans to participate!
6. Sports should make you a better person. All the points above point towards self-improvement and improvement of the community, and that's the best part about sports; it improves us.
What sports shouldn't be
Of course, like all things human, it can be abused and misused.
1. Sports shouldn't be forced. Never force anyone to participate in sports if they won't enjoy it. It is lonely at the top, and sometimes, our sporting heroes lose their love for the Game (Phelps), but these ebbs are quite common for any committed athlete, even I've experienced it! Periods of frustration will most definitely arise, but it's the ones who deal with their problems that succeed - and I'm not talking about sports. The best professionals deal with this loss of purpose by either stepping back for a while or going at it even harder. It's a fact of life for the athlete, but a necessary one for improvement.
2. Sports should never be an excuse for negative behaviour. A true sportsperson shouldn't cheat, and yet we see it all the time. Be it through doping, match-fixing, or sabotage, it sadly happens even at the highest pinnacles of sport.
3. Sports should never be abused. Now this is something we see regularly in the financial side of sports; when sports committees sacrifice the wellbeing and enjoyment of athletes and fans alike for more financial gain. There have been crackdowns on organizations like FIFA, but corruption within still exists.
4. Sports should NEVER be for hobbyists. Annoying hobbyists using up precious space and equipment that the pros could be using pushes my buttons in all the wrong ways !!! Just kidding, I absolutely love hobbyists! Playing the sport for fun, meeting new people, forming groups and online forums, and not being pressured to perform at peak capacity is sports in its rawest, purest form; and it's beautiful. Sure you might not be the best, but you don't have to be! Sports is about expressing yourself, just don't go crazy with self-expression ;)
"Sportsmanship for me is when a guy walks off the court and you really can't tell whether he won or lost, when he carries himself with pride either way."
Jim Courier
Why I Play Sports
Oh i could go on and on and wax lyrical over all the amazing intricacies of why I Looove sports, but that discourse might take you to your deathbed before I'm halfway through. So I'll keep it short and sweet.
- Passion
- Love for the Game
- Socializing
- Fun
- Culture
- Learning
- Exercise
- Self-Improvement
- (Hopefully) Source of Income
When Sport Transcends Limitations
There are times when a sport, team, or athlete does something so absolutely phenomenal that the effects of their actions impact humanity for the better. Whether it be raising awareness, impossible fairytale stories, inspirational careers, ending civil wars, or opening diplomatic relationships between hostile countries, these moments change the world on a grand scale. There are also countless times when actions, whether unnoticed or generation defining, affect us on a personal level. And these little personal affectations are the reason why sports makes the planet Earth a better, and definitely more fun, place to be.
As to why YOU play (or don’t) sports, the answer is up to you. Share why YOU play down in the comments!
Stay Passionate!
images via public domain (Wikipedia), Jmex60 (Wikipedia), and Nick Webb (Flickr)
God Bless! :)