Why Do We Love Sports?

It's a really simple question, yet maybe not so obvious sometimes. Why is it sports are so popular with people across the world from all walks of life and cultures? You could simply say it's a matter of entertainment, but I think the connection runs much deeper.

Many of us as children play or consume sports in some capacity, and if you did not that's perfectly fine, maybe you felt more of a passion for the arts such as music or theater - the points articulated in this piece transcend multiple disciplines.

Sports boils down to three crucial concepts - defying the odds and overcoming adversity, teamwork, and sportsmanship. You could make the point well what about a sport like tennis, is that not a solo endeavor? Well as the old adage goes, it takes a village to raise a child, and nothing of enormous achievement is ever achieved alone. People behind the scenes like a coach, a parent, or maybe a friend play a crucial role in the development of an individuals journey.

Children look up to athletes as role models because they represent extraordinary achievement in a craft that takes immense skill to achieve mastery in. People idolize players like Michael Jordan or Tom Brady because they are perfect examples of individuals who defied the odds by overcoming adversity. Jordan was cut from the high school basketball team, while Brady was drafted in the sixth round 199th overall. Both became six time winners of championships - who wouldn't aspire to achieve such success in their life? It's a testament to the notion stated by Winston Churchill, "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." The key point because it's worth restating, "failure is not fatal," is the mantra these athletes represent.

Similarly, teamwork is another quintessential pillar of sports. Take for example the Miracle of the 1980 Olympics. Nobody believed in the USA hockey team, as they were composed of a bunch of college age athletes who were going to face off against a seasoned group of Russians who were older, stronger, and more skilled. Nobody on the planet thought it would be possible for Team USA to defeat the Russians, but they did. To understand their victory is not too hard, Team USA fought as a team. Whether you work in business, medicine, or education teamwork elevates everyone. Sports teach us early on how important it is to work together, because we can achieve so much more compared to if we worked separately.

At some point our favorite team is considered an underdog or people count us out and neglect to believe we can accomplish anything. Teamwork is fundamental to our society because it helps us build confidence off each other so that as a collective we can accomplish feats we would otherwise struggle to overcome alone.

Perhaps the most important aspect of sports is the idea of class and respect. When I was in middle school I went to watch a high school hockey championship. The game went into overtime and the team I was rooting for ultimately lost as a player on the opposition netted a shot from the slot that found its way into the back of the net. As he danced across the ice in celebration, the captain of the losing team took the game winning puck out of the net and skated it over to his rival who scored the goal and congratulated him on his victory. Similarly, Dak Prescott, the quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, suffered a season ending injury against the Giants in a contract year. Jason Garrett, the offensive coordinator for the Giants was previously the Head Coach of the Cowboys, and yet he came out onto the field to wish his former player the best. Off the field Dak has lost his mother to colon cancer and his older brother to suicide - to which he publicly came out to say he went through a bit of depression and lack of motivation. His vulnerability off the field and his leadership on the field has earned him vast respect from everyone. Both these stories are but a small example of the sportsmanship that sports produces - it brings out the best in all of us whether we win or lose competition fosters respect.

In the highly politicized world we live in today, I feel it's important to remember the reasons outlined above dictate why we love sports so much. We strive to attain mastery of a skill and beat the odds. We all want to be a part of a team that's larger than us. We all should be able to show class and respect in circumstances of defeat or hardship. Everyone is entitled to their opinions and can pick how they would like to make their voice heard. It's no secret many have opted to stop watching sports due to the political nature being adopted, but I want to remind people politics aside, sports should unite us and bring individuals together in an effort to inspire us to become the best version of ourselves.