Sports as a career is something few people ever achieve. The majority of people in the sporting world don’t earn the large wages of its biggest stars. In the USA, it’s important to encourage people to enter sports as a career. In this essay, I will investigate why the education system should do more to encourage people to enter the sporting world.
To start with, the general promotion of sport needs addressing. There’s a serious obesity crisis in America today, as well as in much of the Western world. By promoting sports, it would increase the number of people joining in with sport. It would help to tackle the increasing obesity levels throughout the country, which are expected to rise in the coming decades. More accessibility would encourage people to see if they can make sports into a career.
Another reason why sports as a career should receive more promotion is to increase the profile of less well-known sports, such as badminton, volleyball, and swimming. In the USA, the four main sports are ice hockey, baseball, basketball, and football. Too much emphasis is placed on these four sports. Young people should know there are opportunities in sport elsewhere. They need to know they can make a career in sports, and promoting sports as a viable career option would make becoming a professional seem like a less lofty goal.
Some people have argued promoting sports as a career involves taking too much of a chance. They say it can lead to academic neglect. Although making sport into a career does involve taking risks, the same can be said for practically any career today. If someone wants to become a scientist, they have to take a risk by neglecting subjects not directly related to their chosen scientific field. Life is about taking risks.
Sport teaches a range of physical and mental values which can be used to inspire future generations. Only by making it into a profession people can access and communicate these values effectively. Values like mental strength, the importance of fitness, and working together as a team are important for any young person no matter what background.
The importance of role models in society has always been a factor in responsible child rearing. In the 21st century, the media often speak about the lack of responsible role models for children. Combine this with a large amount of children growing up in families with only one parent and their development is skewed. More professional sports personnel, in various positions, would increase the number of role models and improve child development.
In conclusion, promoting sports as a career is a positive idea for children from all walks of life. There’s a need for more role models to promote positive values. Only by making a career in sports seem like an achievable goal can new role models really have an effect on wider society. Tackling the obesity problem is another issue and only by placing more emphasis on fitness can the current statistical trends change.
