I know that the answer is ‘scholarships’ for college, but like, why? I’m in the UK and even schools that have a big reputation for sport are nowhere near as intense as the states. Reading parenting subs atm talking about signing up 5 year olds for specific sports so that they’ll have a shot of making the team in high school. That just feels insane to me.
In: Other
I think part of it is how the leagues are set up. The US sports teams do have minor league teams sometimes (baseball, hockey, soccer, basketball). However, these teams are almost always stuck in their minor league status, no promotion or relegation. There is travel club sports for kids, but my personal experience is that it is very common for travel teams to have NO affiliation with a pro or semi-pro team at all.
Is there some recruiting from those lower leagues, sure. But usually, they would recruit from the top division one schools. Those d1 schools? They are recruiting from some top high schools, or in some sports like soccer they are often recruiting from watching the travel club teams. And to get on these club teams? You have to try out every year. So if you start a sport in high school you are very unlikely to make any of the teams that are competitive. It is not impossible of course, just more difficult.
I think the why it is the way it is in the US for college and high school sports is because of the difference in how professional leagues are set up. Beyond that explanation, for college sports it is definitely about money and how much that sport can bring into the school. The school needs it to be a big deal to bring in money to invest in more sports equipment and facilities. If there are good sports teams everybody knows about the school and you can recruit more people for the academics part as well.
Also to whoever it was that made the comment you referred to in your post, if you sign your kid up for one sport at 5 years old with the goal of making that specific high school team, you suck. Let them try a bunch of different things. At 5, kids are supposed to try things out and then pick what they like later. Even if you started training a kid at 5 in one sport, there is no guarantee they will like it, or even be that good at it. The most likely thing to happen is that they get burned out of that activity.
They foster a strong sense of community since, unlike professional sports, you usually have strong affiliation with the teams. In regards to professional sports, anyone can like any team, but usually, location is what inspires people to follow a team. However, that’s the most connection they’ll have to the team – Fandom and location.
However, for high school and college sports, the fans are made up of the students and the local community. Local restaurants will run fundraisers for school athletic programs or offer discounts to current students if the team wins. Sports on this level are also supported by other groups of students like cheerleaders, drill team, marching band, pep squad, bleacher creature groups, etc. Literally dozens, hundreds of people are directly involved with athletic teams at the high school and college level.
It’s much more involved, and the players are people you know and interact with on an almost daily basis. These aren’t people you just see on t.v. They’re your friends, family, students, and lovers. A good team can highlight a school and draw in support for educational funding, extracurricular activities, and new facilities. It’s the most authentically American exhibition of community and unity. They’re not just sports teams, they’re a representation of so much more.
Because when these teams win, we all win. We all feel the glory. Yes, the team is responsible, but we were all there, all of us work for and hoping for the same thing. We’re not just sitting as a fan who has very little impact and reward from the outcome. As I said, a great team benefit the entire school.
I could be wrong but I think it might have something to do with a significantly higher number of people in the USA not going to college/uni as opposed to outside the USA college/uni being part of a right of passage into adulthood.
I’m right now in a place that’s 4 hrs from the closest NFL team, yet it’s in a state with 2 NFL teams.
There’s a lot of parts of the US like this, many hours away from any professional-tier sports. Local leagues and college/university leagues are much closer and more accessible (cheaper tickets) with stadiums that accommodate larger crowds because of bleacher seating.
On Friday nights, there might not be anything by else to do a half hour radius except go to your local HS or college football gamez
Latest Answers