The Impact of Modern Sports on Society
Sports (or athletic activity) is any form of typically competitive physical activity that, through organized or casual competition, aim to utilize, develop or improve specific physical skill and ability while offering enjoyment to participants, and occasionally, spectators. The popularity of different sports across the world can attest to its universal appeal. Sports are often associated with a specific type of competition such as ice-skating, swimming, golf, tennis, basketball, football and horseback riding among others. However, despite the commonality of the term “sports”, sports can be divided further into three main subtopics: endurance sports, weightlifting and sprinting. Each subcategory has its own unique set of characteristics, rules and equipment.
Modern sports have evolved over the past century from earlier organized competitions and into the present day, where there are numerous different types of contests held, with increased competitiveness and an even greater desire to win. One of the first sports to really take off was the football, which was first played on a field and made “foul” by those players who did not want to share the prize money. This first sport gave birth to the very competitive world of modern sports where now, people spend millions of dollars in sports competition and contests. A good example is professional baseball, which is widely considered one of the most competitive sports in the world today.
Later during the Renaissance, games like archery and wrestling developed. These sports developed from earlier physical education and bodybuilding methods and were soon used for religious and political purposes. With the coming of the industrial revolution, sports started to develop for the mass market and from there it gradually moved into professional competitions. However, the development of sports led to an ethical debate surrounding the possibility of using sports for competitive advantage, and also an argument concerning the physical nature of human beings and how they should respond to hard work. During the late renaissance and the early 18th century, there were a growing concern and demand for sports and athletic events for both spiritual and physical development.
There are many famous names who played a major role in popularizing sports throughout the European continent. These included the football and rugby prodigies. The most well-known of these sports personalities is that of William Shakespeare, who wrote many plays and pieces of literature about the game of rugby. Another renaissance sports personality is the goalkeeper, Robert Edward “Bob” Larwood who played soccer for Yorkshire Rhinos, England and Scotland. However, the greatest British sports personality of all time would be Football player, John Charles “Jock” Leach.
Today, there are innumerable athletes engaged in a variety of different sports activities. Most notably, there are a number of world and Olympic champions in several different sports including track and field, swimming, basketball, softball, table tennis and rowing. Although sports have always been important in any society, there has been much more development and focus on individual sports that further brings individuals together as a group. Sports have played a huge role not only in the development of sports that can be participation in, but also the social change that has come about as a result of sports. Sports have brought people together and helped them rise above the normal constraints of their lives.
It is obvious sports play a huge role in the modern society and they have influenced not only the way we play sports, but also the way in which society views them. In the early part of the 20th century, sports were almost entirely dominated by men; however, since then, there has been an equal amount of female participation. This has led to a significant amount of change in how society views the female gender.