The world we live in today, in 2016, is characterized by globalization, multiculturalism and an expansion in the means of communication available to the average folk. Numerous new leisure activities have appeared in the past decade, such as video games, more advanced virtual reality and TV sets, and, why not, flying your “pet” drone outside. Consequently, have steadily fallen out of our weekly calendar.
But what does this mean for us? Well… a lack of physical activity and a sedentary lifestyle not only makes you fatter, destroys your bones and makes your circulation more difficult, but it also increases your chances of cardiac arrest and cancer. Participating in Sports is often the best way to focus our physical activity and get mentally disciplined to enter into a routine of training our body. Whether we’re talking about team sports, such as American football, baseball, basketball or soccer, or about individual ones, such as tennis, taking part in such activities, even at amateur level has a beneficial effect on our body and mind.
Nonetheless, globalization also had positive effects on the development of sport. First of all, the world mindset is now geared towards a healthier life obtained through proper diet and physical activities. Participating in a sport of any kind is cooler today than it was 20 years ago. And this has an enormous importance, especially for the younger of you out there.
Secondly, globalization has made sports accessible to everyone. Any person, no matter how old or young, from Afghanistan to New York, can easily watch the world’s major sporting events and follow the biggest teams. Recently, the story of a young Afghani soccer fan of Argentina’s Lionel Messi” hit the headlines. He was filmed and posted online while playing in his own Argentina “t-shirt” made out of a destroyed shopping bag. This shows just how far we have gone in terms of marketing and penetration of sports around the world.
Finally, the sports industry today is worth billions of dollars. This includes TV rights, merchandising, travel arrangements, investments in infrastructure (building new grounds and stadiums), as well as the sometimes-enormous sums of money paid by teams in order for them to get the stars of the day under contract.
All in all, contemporary society is characterized by both a more mature view on the phenomenon, with an increased awareness on the benefits of sports on our lives, in terms of health, but also by a more mercantile view, with sporting activities becoming more of an industry, rather than a leisure activity.