Who doesn’t love a good sports game? The sports industry is huge. Whether they follow the National Football League, the National Hockey League, the National Basketball League or the Major League Baseball teams, a sports fan is easy to find. With the Super Bowl coming up and hockey and basketball seasons in full swing, there seems to be chatter about our favorite teams everywhere. Most recently, anyone with social media, regardless of your personal sports followings, saw the Patriots won the AFC championship, putting them in the Super Bowl. Hockey fans are watching as the Las Vegas Golden Knights play their inaugural season. In the NBA, the Warriors are showing their dominance. Over the years different teams and players have become celebrities and almost like gods. While at first, this doesn’t seem like it would have any serious pros or cons, the deification of athletes has an effect on more than what meets the eye.
Let’s start with a pro of the growing sports industry. With the growth of the industry, as well as the growth of related industries such as media, there is endless opportunity for careers. Whether it’s on social media, videography, management, athletics, physical therapy or even a custodian at the arenas, the growing sports industry needs a lot of people to fuel its success. Since the sports industry relies on more than some athletes and coaches, there is potential for even a security guard to benefit from the industry. It’s also an industry that has room for career growth. For example, someone striving to be an announcer can start out announcing for local sports teams, then minor leagues then eventually major leagues and maybe even have their own show on TV or the radio.
The con, however, is that the industry is getting too big. Many kids are growing up admiring these stars on their favorite teams. Unfortunately, not everyone can be Michael Jordan. That’s not to say we should deter children from playing sports with the dreams of being a star player. There should be an understanding that only one percent of people in NCAA basketball will be pulled into the NBA, so not everyone can be a star or even get the chance to come close. Sports should still be played and enjoyed but the hopes of becoming a millionaire sports star shouldn’t be so prevalent. Also with so much attention being placed on sports and trying to make it into that one percent, there’s less focus on academics and other skills. Of course, to play in the NCAA in college as well as most high school regulations, there are requirements to meet as far as academics are concerned, but that still tends to come second to schoolwork.
Sports are a huge and entertaining industry in the United States. As with all industries, there’s pros and cons. Children should enjoy sports but there should be less deification of the athletes. It’s setting unrealistic standards for aspiring athletes. Instead, if we focus on the numerous skill sets necessary to run the industry, people could expand into new fields while still being connected to the sports industry.
