Sports: The Importance Of Diversity In Youth Sports

According to a recent study found in an ESPN article about youth sports, there are approximately 21.5 million kids from the age of six to seventeen (Kelley & Carchia) Which is a staggering number because according to the 2014 population estimate for the United States Census Bureau, Kansas has a population of roughly three million people (U.S. Census); the amount of youth kids involved in sports is seven times the population of Kansas. The sports these kids play bring together communities and neighbors of all genders, races, cultures, and ethnicities.
Many people also believe that sports instill values in kids that they cannot find elsewhere such as hard work, discipline, working with others, following rules, and respect. In many youth sports,

there are girls and boys playing on the same team; introducing a value early on that girls and boys are on an equal playing field. Race and religion are irrelevant to little kids playing a sport but they are playing with each other none the less. As those kids grow up together, they realize there are divisions in society due to how people look or what they believe in and these kids do not have judgements towards their peers because they grew up on a team together.
It is also professional sports that make a significant impact on a city or country. Many Kansas City Royals fans watched as their team had a wildly successful season and win the World Championship. On that team there are players from the United States, Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Venezuela. The players are white, Hispanic, and African American, a true melting pot of players. Those players were all added to the same team in one way or another and put together a championship team. At the victory parade, Mayor sly James said in his speech that there were near eight hundred thousand fans to watch it.
Sports in America date all the way back to colonial times when people were just colonizing the eastern coastal region. In America, a book for teachers to use, it says “The early settlers had little time for games or amusements. Nevertheless young people did spend some time at play. There were few items of luxury so the activities were simple with little or no equipment” (Bloom). The quote shows how sports have been a part of American life since colonization. In the same section of America, Bloom mentions that Native Americans had games they played as well growing up.
For many years sports were played mainly by boys and men, but different races played separately for the most part. Although for many years people were excluded from playing sports, there is a silver lining. As American society started to progress and socially move towards a more equal nation, different sports were used to help break barriers that previously held back groups of people. Some notable names of African American baseball players that played in the Negro League and then succeeded in the major leagues were Jackie Robinson and Buck O’Neil. These players proved that they could play, and outplay, white players in the major league; this gave African Americans young and old, a hope and pride that could not be found other places. Buck O’Neil left such a mark on the game and people during his time that the Kansas City Royals have a seat in his honor that is given out each game to a fan that is nominated due to their involvement in bettering their community.
For women, equality came a little later with Title IX in 1972 that made it illegal to discriminate women from having an opportunity equivalent to males in any education program funded by the Government. In its early years, the National Collegiate Athletic Association or NCAA, tried to argue that they did not need to support the legislature due to sports being a separate entity from the school because they were not being funded by the government (Bell). Despite some controversial years, the NCAA finally recognized women equally and created championships for intercollegiate sports. In the same article, Richard Bell discusses the growth in sports that women participate in:
College women’s athletic participation has increased from 15% in 1972 to 43% in 2001. High school girl’s athletic participation increased from 295,000 in 1971 to 2.8 million in 2002-2003, an increase of over 840%. In 2004, the average number of teams offered for females per college/university was 8.32, up from 2.50 per school in 1972 In 1981-82, women’s championships became a part of the NCAA program. Today, the NCAA sponsors forty women’s championships, thirty-eight men’s championships, and three combined championships in all three of its divisions. (Bell).
The prior quote demonstrates statistically how much of an impact the legislature made on girls around the nation.

The growth in diversity in sports is obvious today with all the possibilities that people have. African Americans truly have made significant strides in the sports world as they have many super stars in multiple sports that kids have to look up to such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Jamaal Charles, and Andrew McCutchen to name a few. Women have also made a huge impact with the WNBA and LPGA and multiple other leagues that they play in.
In a country where around 21.5 million kids play sports, it is no wonder that collegiate athletics are so popular. There are three divisions of the NCAA, they are separated by size of schools and division I is the biggest then division II then the third. According to statistics gathered by the NCAA, there are more than 460,000 Student-athletes across the divisions (NCAA). A little over half of those students receive a certain amount of aid on an athletic scholarship. Another wonderful thing that sports provide kids is an education; about 81 percent of those student-athletes

graduate.
Ronda Rousey is a female UFC fighter and has amazed millions with fighting skills. She is breaking gender barriers every time she 7steps in the ring. In the article Ronda Rousey: An inspiration for women everywhere, the author said “One of the biggest draws of the UFC today, Ronda Rousey has an unparalleled fan following across demographics” (Santhanam). The saying “you fight like a girl” has a different meaning due to her courage and unique individuality. Other inspirations to girls in today’s world is the United States women’s national soccer team as they are one of the best teams in the world; they won the most recent world cup, something the male team has never done.
Many sports bring kids together that are from all social classes. When it comes to college sports, it does not matter what someone’s background is because it is all based on how hard they worked and how talented they are at the game they play. A current freshman in college at the Air Force academy, Miles Alexander, discussed in a personal interview over email his experience in football. He mentioned a kid named Hythem, a Muslim that joined his team when he was in elementary school. The whole team learned more about the religion and the culture that comes with it. Miles also talked about his teammates currently at Air Force and said “Growing up the way that I did, I never would have thought that I would have close friends that experienced extreme poverty, having been homeless at certain points in their lives.” Since Alexander came from such an affluent background, living in the suburbs of Overland Park, Kansas, there was never a time that someone who lived in poverty to come into contact with Alexander in a social aspect.
Sports have been a part large part of American culture for an extensive time because of the love for competition and teamwork. It shows how sports are able to break down barriers and lead the fight to support equality in the nation. It is shown over and over again whether it be football, baseball, basketball or some other sport, it brings people together and helps people overcome societal struggles.
Sports in general are one of the most direct influences on the U.S. economy due to the millions of people that are interested in them. In the article Not Just a Game: The Impact of Sports on U.S. Economy, it states “The industry also contributes 456,000 Jobs with an average salary of $39,000 per job” (Burrow). These jobs range from the players, owners, referees, and video game designers. Another interesting look at how sports effect other industries, the article has a chart of multiple industries. Number wise, initially the industry creates 371, 816, directly creates 55,348 jobs, and indirectly creates around 27,000 jobs (Burrow). It is hard to wrap ones head around the vast impact a simple game can have a nation, but these numbers show the importance of sports to so many individuals.
The importance of sports to America is resounding.

It has an obvious impact on people in so many ways socially and economically. It was shown with Miles Alexander and how it brought together kids from complete opposite upbringings. The industry has helped many civil rights efforts like African Americans working to gain equal rights, or girls wanting an equal ground of opportunity to play sports. Economically speaking, it brings over ten billion dollars into the economy and benefitting hundreds of thousands of people (Burrow). That is why the sports industry is so significant to the nation because it brings together individuals from diverse cultures, races, ethnicities, and

genders.