Boosting participation in sport can generate a variety of socio-economic benefits. Sport can, and does, make a profound and positive impact on individuals, communities and wider society.
7. Employment Outlook
Besides helping children get active and healthy, sports participation can have other major benefits such as mental well-being and increased self-esteem.
Recently, a new study, “Sports at Work: Anticipated and Persistent Correlations of Participation in High School Athletics,” by Cornell behavioral science professor Kevin Kniffin found that sports can have a significant impact on employment outlook as well. According to the study, young people who played high school sports had a better career outlook and performed better in their jobs later in life.
8. Community Relations
Most teams and leagues have community-relations departments or charitable arms. This means that professional and collegiate athletes often spend time performing service in their communities.
In October of 2014, Boston Bruins hockey players visited a local children’s hospital for Halloween. They dressed up like characters from the Disney movie Frozen to help cheer up patients.
This is just one of many examples of teams and athletes supporting their communities.
9. Make-A-Wish
The Make-A-Wish Foundation isn’t the only charity of its kind, but it is probably one of the more visible. Make-A-Wish has partnered with many sports teams and athletes over the years to make dreams come true for young people with life-threatening illnesses.
One wish recently helped a young boy became a national phenomenon known as Bat kid. Miles Scott, a five-year-old leukemia patient from northern California, wished to be Bat kid, and Make-A-Wish made it happen. Miles spent a day “saving” San Francisco from bad guys, and the Giants even joined in.
Bat kid saved the Giants mascot, Lou Seal. Later, Miles was invited back to throw out the first pitch on Opening Day.
10. Honouring Heroes
Stadiums full of fans provide a great backdrop to honour true heroes.
On Veterans Day, 2016, NHL teams wore military-inspired jerseys and hosted pregame ceremonies to honour servicemen and women.
At the first New York Yankees home game following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, baseball helped a city and a nation begin the healing process and provided a platform to honour the city’s heroes.
11. Team and Player Foundation
Many professional athletes have foundations. There are hundreds, in fact, with causes ranging from promoting healthy lifestyles to diabetes awareness.
Most professional teams also have charitable arms that raise money to fund grants and community programs. In 2012, The Boston Globe reported that the Red Sox Foundation had raised over $52 million in 10 years.
12. Emotion
I know this sounds hokey, but one of the most positive things about sports is the pure, unadulterated joy that can result—for the players, coaches, fans and everyone involved.
Sports are emotional, and they can incite great passion. Sometimes it’s joyful, and other times it’s not. But anytime something can bring out that range of extreme, raw emotion in people, it’s a good thing.
Like Jim Valvano so movingly said in his 1993 ESPY speech, “…you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day.”
