Ant_101_-_Sports_and_Race_Class

Final Essay – Conflict in Literature ENG 125 – Introduction to Literature Participation in Sporting Activities by Age/Class Sports today is a multi-billion dollar industry. No matter the age, race, sex, or class, a majority of Americans have an interest in at least one type of sport. From ticket sales, concessions, apparel, and equipment sales, there are so many aspects of sports today that generate revenue for many types of people and companies. From the owners of teams, athletic equipment companies, food companies, clothing companies, each of these groups try to capitalize on the sports craze in search of boosting the bottom-line profit. The sports and activities that people are interested in are influenced by many factors. Based on their age and socioeconomic status, the interests vary in large degrees. We will look at the different sports and review the participants based on age and class. We will also look at the attendance for these sports and compare the interests of the fans based on their age and class. There are many different sports that Americans participate in and are interested in today. These sports vary by many different factors and are not just the “main” sports that we think of. There are some sports that are more commercialized, including football, baseball, basketball, and hockey. These sports are the first that come to mind due to the popularity and success of the professional leagues that we have established in the United States, such as the National Football League, National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, and National Hockey League. These sports are certainly the largest and are the most mainstream. Because there is more access to these sports seeing that they are so popular, these sports are played and attended by people of all races, ages, and social class. Aside from the major professional sports, there are other sports that also are very popular. Soccer, although not as popular as the top major sports organizations, is a very popular sport for youths. Volleyball is another sport that is very popular among youth up through the high school/college age. There are countless more sports – tennis, golf, swimming, track/cross country – the list goes on. Each of these sports has a “professional league” or some type of championship, but they don’t have as much of an appeal as the main sports today. The type of championship can vary, some have tournaments throughout the year (golf), others are part of a larger event, such as the Olympics (swimming, volleyball, gymnastics). Children learn and participate in a wide variety of sports. At a younger age there is much more variety due to the amount of activities that children are involved in and the fact that it is significantly cheaper to participate in at these ages. Local leagues make it easy to have a number of teams and locations available for these competitions to happen. The most popular sports that children play at a young age include baseball/softball, basketball, and soccer. Each of these sports are team sports and contribute to the development of the child by being around others that are the same age and have the same talent level as them. More often than not, the emphasis on sports at this age is to learn the game and how to play – many leagues don’t keep score and have rules that force equal playing time for each participant. As children mature, they begin to be involved in many more sports. Starting in their early teens, they sports become more physically involved and more competitive. Football is a sport that many young males turn to. Basketball and baseball/softball also are sports that youth get very involved in. The reason for the increase in participation in football is because at this age a child’s body is getting stronger and able to be involved in a more contact related sport. Team sports are still very important at this age, but they begin to turn towards an emphasis on winning and less on the development of all players. Another reason for the increase in football at this age is the school program. Because of the amount of contact, football is a very expensive sport due to the equipment required in order to safely play the game. Sports like golf, tennis, wrestling, and track are also very popular for children at this age. The sports activities enjoyed by older people are significantly different than the sports activities enjoyed by the younger generations. Sports enjoyed at this age include many individual sports that are enjoyed by all levels including golf, tennis, and swimming. At this age, the emphasis is on the activity and the exercise aspect and not the competitive aspect. The sport turns more to individual at this point as people lead busy lives and are not interested in the organized activities and there really just aren’t that many available. The sport is more passion and hobby for someone. People do have a drive to compete, and there is no better competition than by doing it as an individual and having to rely on yourself. The sports that are played by the different age groups are directly related to the social class in which they fall into. Inner-city sports are more geared towards team sports because of the lesser cost of those sports per person. Families that fall into a higher social class are able to afford more equipment for some of the more expensive sports. This is not to say that someone cannot play a sport because of the class they fall into, it is more that their opportunities are limited because of the class they fall into. I will next look at the types of sports by class for each of the different age groups that I have previously discussed. Children in lower classes tend to play team sports. The cost for equipment is broken down by the entire team and not by one individual. Inner-city schools tend to be in lower class school districts, and there is less money available for extra-curricular activities. The sports that are played by middle class children are generally going to be the same, but there are more opportunities for them to get involved in other sports at an early age. Golf is one sport that, while it can be enjoyed by anyone no matter their class, is played more by those in the middle and upper class because of the costs involved with playing the sport. Swimming is another sport that is played more by the middle or upper class and much more than the lower class. Children in these classes have more opportunities to watch and learn the sport because of the means available to them, where as the lower class are introduced to those sports which are most popular and are thus more available to everyone. High school and college age sports vary widely. There is a large divide for some sports and no divide for others. Because youth at this age are able to work and earn money, they can use that money towards their sport of choice and are less reliant on the financial resources available to them by their parents or guardians. Again, team sports are popular and most sports are played through a school organization. Higher level schools, like a high school/college, have more funds available to them than an elementary school and are able to subsidize some of the cost for those sports. Team sports are the sports that people are most interested in and what draw the biggest crowds at this age, and because of this even a school with a negative financial situation is able to generate some money through these sports to offset the cost. High school sports are generally the last time a player will play in a team or organized sport, regardless of their class. Of course everyone, if they have the talent, can participate in collegiate athletics, but the percentage is very small for the number of athletes that continue to play in college vs. the number of those that end their organized sports career. Older people tend to play the individual sport and as we discussed, those sports tend to be for hobby. Obviously the upper and middle class is able to participate in these sports because they have the financial ability to purchase equipment. Because these sports are individual sports, the person must usually pay to participate – examples being golf tee times and having to be a member somewhere to enjoy swimming laps for a hobby or playing pickup basketball. Also, those that are more financial stable are able to spend more time away from work to participate in these activities. Those in the lower class tend to work more often and are not always able to enjoy these activities as those in the higher classes. They have more important things that they need to spend their money on and don’t have the disposable income available to them. In addition to physically participating, people of all ages enjoy watching others compete at the highest level. We discussed the professional leagues that we currently have today. Those leagues generate so much money each year, and that is solely because of the costs paid by spectators to watch these sports. There are so many hidden costs towards attending professional sporting events. Not only do you have the cost of the ticket, which can range from $40 - $300 depending on the sport, there are costs associated with parking, concessions, and souvenirs. Again, like the sports that are played by the different ages and classes, there is also a big gap in what sports these groups attend based on their age and class. Children tend to be most interested in the elite professional leagues at a young age, regardless of their social class. Sports are so big today, you cannot turn on the television and see advertisement for a certain sport or that includes a sports celebrity endorsing a product. Children are very impressionable at a young age and those that they see the most of they want to emulate and be like. Children like to have clothing and attire for their favorite team, and that is one thing you can obtain anywhere. Also, because those professional leagues are so important, children are at the mercy here of watching and attending what their parents are interested in. That is why so many children like the “popular” sports because that is what their parents are interested in and those are the sports and teams they are exposed to. High school and college age kids begin to branch out from their parents and develop their own interests. They have more latitude to choose what they want to attend and what they are interested in, and they have more freedom than they did when they were young and were dependent on their parents. The major sports continue to be a large draw for this age group, regardless of class. It only makes sense that whatever the most popular sports that are played by a certain age group, that they would also be the most popular sports that a certain age group or class would be interested in and choose to spend their money on. Older people tend to be interested in a wide variety of sports and their income plays a part in that. Those with the most disposable income are able to spend that income on attending the sports of their choice. And because sports are generally expensive to attend, those in the higher income brackets have the ability to go to those sports that they choose. They can afford all of those hidden costs that are associated with attending sporting events and are able to buy the gear that goes along with going to the games. Those in lower classes often are unable to attend sporting events for the same reasons they are unable to participate in those sports – a lack of finances. They are left often times with watching the events on TV and those avenues that are less costly. Sports are so big in this country. From the moment a child can walk, many people try to get their child involved in their favorite sport or even get them involved in sports period. Not only do sports provide a child with a “team” feeling, it is also good physical exercise for the child References 1.) http://amandashome.com/road.html 2.) http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ug97/quilt/walker.html