How Sports Run the World - Essay Example

How Sports Run the World Introduction It is impossible to comprehend the society adequately without acknowledging the place of sports. Sport is an international phenomenon and integral part of the society; it contributes to the growth of the economy. Sport is crucial part of the social and cultural fabric of numerous localities, regions, and countries, and many international spectacles have an association with sporting events. The commercial and social significance of the sports makes it a huge force of economic transformation in the modern world. The social and commercial benefits of the sports make every government around the globe to commit public resources to construct sporting infrastructure including stadiums. Sport is an indispensable social and economic tool in the contemporary world. Social Aspect of Sports Modern sports provide a common cultural and social currency between people of different backgrounds. Sporting events promote social integration and foster a sense of unity. Across the globe, the ball games and athletic competition activate a collective spirit that tends to enhance participation of different social groups (Hamermesh, Harley, and Jay 206). People take part in the sports as players, athletics, sponsors, media personalities, politicians, business people, and spectators. The participation of persons of varied backgrounds in the sporting events helps in bridging the cultural, as well as, ethnic divides (Jarvie 154). Similarly, sports promote cultural tolerance, non-discrimination, and social integration. In cases where politics, culture, national passions, and culture often divide people, sports facilitate the achievement of unity at local and international levels. The sporting events have the potential of fighting discrimination and raising the awareness about the rights of women and marginalized societies. Sporting events offer a platform that assists different fans to bond in pursuit of collective action to achieve strong sporting communities. Local, as well as, the international fans display strong allegiances to the sport teams and athletes. Such base of fans tends to provide a focus for intergenerational discussions and development of solidarity at the community, national, and international levels (Jarvie 165). Apart from the solidarity, sport is an indispensable tool for social mobilization targeting to empower different groups of people. In turn, the mobilization initiatives enhance participation of community for development and peace collaborations. The community action through sports improves the local environment in profound ways. For instance, the sport-based programs play a significant role in restoring peace in war-torn nations. Peace contributes to the creation of strong social and cultural fabric. Economic Value of Sports The significant investment by the national governments suggests that sports have large economic returns. The governments invest in stadiums, teams, and events due to the economic benefits associated with sporting events. Sporting leagues are big businesses, and wealthy individuals, as well as, powerful conglomerates buy and sell teams for many funds. Estimates indicate that many professional sports teams generate over $100 million annually (Santo and Mildner 53). Research shows that major sports have realized tremendous growth in revenue over the last two decades. Broadcasting of the sporting events through the television has resulted in increased advertising sales, sponsorship, and stadium naming rights (Jarvie 71). Teams and leagues are now business-minded; an aspect that has raised revenues. Thus, sporting is a vital part of the local and national economy and contributes significantly in terms of employment, economic activity, and spending. Sport contributes immensely to the betterment of the lives of individuals, society, and the economy. People secure employment as players, agents, sports marketers, and managers in some of the prosperous clubs, and earn a living. In the European Union, the sport-related jobs are approximately 2.12 percent of the total employment. Countries such as Germany, United Kingdom, Spain, and France have the highest numbers of employees in the sports industry. Statistics shows that Germany’s sports industry contributes about 27 percent of total jobs (European Commission 112). The United Kingdom and France have over 610,000 and 410,000 jobs in the sports industry respectively (European Commission 109-112). Notably, the number of the people employed in the sports industry is great, and makes an enormous contribution to the growth of the economy. Sports industry is enormous in the US, and range from $44 to $73 billion based on the aggregate demand and supply (Hamermesh, Harley, and Jay 226). The government at all levels offer the needed support in the sports industry due to the benefits that accompany the sporting events. In effect, the government understands that investing in sports in a worthwhile venture with huge economic returns. Likewise, the fans invest in sports by purchasing the tickets to watch various leagues and athletic competition. Annually, statistics indicates that over fifty percent of the US population participates in sports (Santo and Mildner 59). In turn, the participation generates a remarkable amount of economic output. Some industries realize great growth due to sporting events. Sports apparel industry, tourism, and media grow significantly because of sports. The consumption of footwear, sportswear, and other items boost the development and economy output of the apparel industry. Brands such as NIKE and Adidas have grown tremendously due to the heavy consumption of their products by the sports industry. Similarly, the tourism and hospitality industry grow during the major sporting events such as FIFA World Cup, Olympics, and International Association of Athletics Federations. Nations such as Germany, the US, and Italy are crucial destinations for the active sports holidays (Jarvie 341). Both the international and domestic tourism contributes immensely to the economy. The presence of the tourists benefits the hotel and restaurant sector. Likewise, the media benefits from buying the rights to air the sporting events and ball leagues. In England, the football is an important economic activity televised across the world. Many sports channels have emerged to televise and analyze sporting events due to a huge consumerism (Santo and Mildner 54). The development of the sectors mentioned above stimulates the economic growth. Conclusion Sport is an integral part of the society and presents both social and economic benefits. The social aspect of sports includes promoting integration and unity, cultural tolerance, and non-discrimination. The economic impacts of the sports are profound. Sports industry generates employment that boosts the growth of the economy. Industries such as tourism, media, and apparel have grown tremendously due to the sports. In this respect, the sports industry is crucial to the economy and the national government should invest greatly in it. Investing in sports industry has tremendous social and economic benefits. Works Cited European Commission. Study on the Contribution of Sport to Economic Growth and Employment in the EU. Web. 30th Nov. 2015 < http://ec.europa.eu/sport/library/studies/study-contribution-spors-economic-growth-final-rpt.pdf> Hamermesh, Daniel, Harley, Frazis, and Jay, Stewart. “Data Watch: The American Time Use Survey.” Journal of Economic Perspectives 19.1 (2005): 221-232. Print. Jarvie, Grant. Sport, Culture, and Society. London: Routledge, 2012. Print. Santo, Charles, and Mildner, Gerard. Sport and Public Policy: Social, Political, and Economic Perspectives. New York: Human Kinetics, 2010. Print. 33-53 Read More