Should sport be something you play or something you watch?
By John Welford
@indexer (4852)
Leicester, England
October 18, 2015 4:24am CST
I understand that American football is only played in colleges and by professional leagues - who presumably recruit from the colleges. The national sport is hardly played at all at an amateur level.
This is in marked contrast to how the national sport of football (soccer) is played in the UK - every weekend you will find the parks full of matches being played between amateur teams that are organised into a plethora of leagues, all under the aegis of the Football Association - and there are leagues for both mens and womens teams.
In other words, football in the UK is a sport in which thousands of people participate competitively on a regular basis. American football, on the other hand, is played by a relative handful of players but watched by millions.
From the point of staying healthy and enjoying a physical activity, should we not be encouraging as many people as possible to take part in sport, as opposed to giving free rein to media and sports businesses to make many millions of dollars from the revenues to be gained from the watchers of the tiny number of millionaires who actually get to play the game?
8 people like this
9 responses
@WorDazza (15830)
• Manchester, England
19 Oct 15
I think there are a number of issues why American Football isn't played at amateur level. First of all the cost of safety equipment could be prohibitive for the players and clubs and secondly there does seem to be a large number of officials required to referee one game. Again this would be a prohibitive cost for amateur clubs when you consider a UK football referees fee for junior football games is approx £20 - £25 per game.
3 people like this
@indexer (4852)
• Leicester, England
21 Oct 15
I therefore find it extraordinary that you can have a national sport that hardly anyone plays. It does not seem to be the case with the American national summer sport, namely baseball, which seems to have leagues for all ages all over the place.
2 people like this
@WorDazza (15830)
• Manchester, England
21 Oct 15
@indexer Maybe it's more to do with the fact that American Football is a very technical sport and may be more fun to watch than it is to play. I've never played it but I can imagine it's a very frustrating game for players. The constant changing of the entire team depending upon whether you're attacking or defending, the action happening in few second bursts interspersed with periods of inactivity. I would find that very frustrating.
2 people like this
@anushreem (333)
• Mumbai, India
18 Oct 15
I completely agree to your thought. Instead of spending heavily on tournaments that money should be used to build recreational hubs where people can come and play at a very minimal cost. I know how important physical activitiy is for a healthy body and I suppport such initiatives.
3 people like this
@celticeagle (168126)
• Boise, Idaho
18 Oct 15
I don't do any kind of sports. Not co-ordinated and not interested. It would be great to not have such flamboyant tournaments and use the money for what you have stated.
2 people like this
@ptrikha_2 (47062)
• India
4 Feb 18
Yes but heavy school curriculum, increasing tendency of parents and kids to use social media sites and general internet and TV is making people lethargic and not so keen on sports. In India, earlier, parks and grounds were filled with kids playing cricket. Yet that has become lesser now.
It is a cause of worry. However, if people are keenly watching some sports on TV, in future their kids might be more willing to take up the sports.
@BACONSTRIPSXXX (14351)
• West Haven, Connecticut
21 Oct 15
Both! I like to watch football and basketball but I dont realy enjoy playing football unless its tackle in the snow
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (220068)
• Walnut Creek, California
19 Oct 15
When I was growing up in Chicago (Illinois, USA), we played touch football almost every day after school. When it snowed or the ground was wet and soft, we'd play tackle with no pads. I never played organized football. I don't see kids doing this much any more. More of them are playing with their electronic devices during their free time.
2 people like this
@lanamia (15)
• Zagreb, Croatia (Hrvatska)
18 Oct 15
It is healthy to play some sport, but we are not all sport type.
I am not, for sure.
@poehere (15123)
• French Polynesia
18 Oct 15
I know in the US they have many sports teams for kids. My grandson and grand daughter played soccer for years. My grandson still plays flag football today. I have always encouraged my daughter to play a sport and she encourages her children to do the same.
1 person likes this
