The Effect of Sport on Society
Sport involves physical activity, often with components of agility and skill as its main focus, and with different aspects of competition typically operating as official or unofficial and governed by institutions of some kind. Sport can include games such as golf and tennis; contact sports such as rugby and boxing; and activities that incorporate martial arts, gymnastics and other strong non-contact sports. The development of sport can be traced back to the start of recorded history and can be traced through many cultures and countries in all parts of the world. Today there are numerous different types of sport, including football, hockey, golf and horse racing; though these sports are predominantly regarded as being English based.
Sport is a powerful agent and powerful engine for social change. It has been used as an instrument of social change throughout the history of sport and should not be ignored in today’s world. The positive benefits sport can have on physical health and mental vitality far outweigh any negatives and the sporting activities undertaken are usually acknowledged as benefiting everyone involved, including children and parents. This is another reason why sport should be encouraged and supported by people at all ages, in all areas and by people from a wide range of different cultures and social strata.
Sport enables us to confront our fears and to overcome obstacles in a safe and controlled manner. This helps to build up the self-esteem of those involved as well as providing an outlet for competitiveness and the motivation to maintain or improve physical dexterity. Those who play sports are generally regarded as being more physically adept than those who do not. This is because sports teach us the importance of working as a team, of working as an individual and of working in a synchronised and focused manner. Those skills learned during sport can then be applied in the workplace and can prove to be an excellent training tool for management as it teaches organisation and leadership skills, conflict resolution, trust building and team-building.
