Everybody watches some form of sports. People who cannot get into traditional sports, often find themselves watching esports tournaments because that is what they grew up with and that is what they can identify with. And therein lies the question, why are sports so important for us?
Is it because they are competitive? Well, yes, we all like competing from time to time. Sports have been rooted in society for a long time and with that in mind, let us see why we like them so much and even more, why are they important to us?
Sports Bring People Together
Sports are by nature competitive, where individuals or teams compete against each other for whichever the prize, whether an award or simply a record or medal. However, sports are about so much more.
Sports bring people together. Team sports are a very good example of that. A team must learn how to work together, despite the differences between the players.
Not only are the players brought together, but so are the fans. Fans from all over the world cheer for a single club, a single athlete and some of them find their loved ones through such a shared passion.
Sports are not just about competition, but also about camaraderie and friendship.
Culture and Development
The thing with sports is that they affect and can influence the development of an entire culture in a country. Consider Jackie Robison and what his acceptance and career in baseball did for the United States, a country which at that time had a very serious problem with racism. When one person and sports can reshape a culture which had been problematic up to that point, then you can only imagine what sports do in other countries, as well.
Sports can be used to raise awareness for various problems in society and culture. From racism to homophobia, not to mention things that are prevalent, like non-efficient addressing of a global pandemic.
Fun, Fun and More Fun
The thing with sports is that they are actually fun. Some people enjoy golf, which is a very slow sport, not to mention cricket, where matches can last for days. Soccer can be exciting, but also boring, depending on how the teams play. Tennis can be exciting with thrilling shots, but it can also be a baseline battle until one of the two players makes a mistake, or another hits a remarkable shot.
Sports are very much entertaining. Choose a sport, from slow sports to extreme sports, there is something for everybody and people can find what they enjoy.
Money, Sports Bring Money
If you like sports, then you will have noticed that not everything in sports is about the competition. A lot of it is about the money, which most people find out when they hear of how much a player costs when the transfer windows open. Sports are used to advertise everything and anything, from sports betting companies to airline companies, clothes, IT and whoever has the money to put their brand name on a jersey or ad-space in a venue.
Sports are important to us, for reasons of passion, entertainment, economy, culture and whatever people find important. They will be here to stay, so try and figure out what they mean to you.