Free Argumentative Essays: Racial Barriers In Sports

Racial Barriers in Sport

As racial issues continue to be a talking point in sports, so do the barriers that come along with it. With a more diverse world of sports there is more of a chance for racism to occur. In this report I will be covering how society views sports, how demographics and economics affect sport selection and also racial discrimination. Racial issues can be so common that some can even think it’s normal for it to happen, but that needs to change.

The way society views sports can have a huge impact on the sport, and also the participation. If you take Basketball for instance which is over 80% black, people will always view it as a “black” sport because that's what they all see in the media. The way the media shows the sport urges people to think that it’s a “black” sport and that won't change until they present it in more of a open minded view. If you were to look at hockey or lacrosse which are both over 90% white, they are often referred to as a “white” sport. If people changed the way they think about certain sports then it would give kids of the close minded parents a chance to play a sport that they are less likely to play.

Where you live can play a huge role in the sport or sports you go into playing.

For example if you live in the southern United States you are less likely to play hockey or lacrosse, because the opportunities don’t exist. In the United States only 0.16% of the population registered to play hockey compared to canada which 16.6% of the population was registered for hockey in 2015. This is because of demographics, people in the USA don’t get the opportunity to play hockey because of their location, in the states they have a total of 1060 ice hockey arenas but in Canada there is 8300. This may be a factor in why there are less people in the states that play hockey but have more people that play basketball and football because there is more of an

opportunity.

Depending on a family's financial position they may not be able to afford to put their child in a more expensive and demanding sport. According to State of Working America, 48.5% of african american children under 13 live in poverty, more than 3 times the rate of white children. According to forbes, in 2011 the average white family has $111,164 in wealth holdings, compared to black and latino which have $8,900. This can also be a reason for unwanted sport selection. Families that cannot afford the expense of costly sports like ice hockey will not play them. And if families are really struggling, an extra seasonal sport may take a back seat as well. This might explain why more black and latino families put their children in basketball of baseball because its cheaper.

Racial discrimination has become a big problem in sports, it’s becoming so big that some people are starting to think its normal. During a rugby game in 2013 a Indigenous Australian player got called an ape by a 13 year old girl. Seeing a 13 year old girl call a Indigenous player an ape just shows that racism in some eyes is becoming normal. Racist comments can come from anyone and can be about anyone but it needs to stop. Racism in sports can have effect on athletes careers and also on