OPINION: Sports are significant to societies

Sports play a grand role in society, whether they bring people together or tear them apart. For example, the Wichita community bands together when basketball season comes around, making the basketball team here one of the university’s defining traits.

So, it is a bit strange that they are defined by the general masses as something that they don’t even pay attention to. In fact, as of 2019, ninety-five percent of Americans love and/or support sports teams.

However, on a much grander note, sports introduce athleticism and exercising to everyone. It shows the people — especially to children — physical activity and its importance to the body and the mind over the long run of a lifetime. In fact, physical activity would clearly not be the same or as thought-provoking if sports were not played on a grand scale. Games of baseball, basketball, football, hockey, soccer and other sports take a lot of strategy, more action and teamwork to play it.

Also, sports teach a couple of life lessons: the use of teamwork and the importance of competition. In life, there is teamwork to be done on many things, either working with a coworker on a job, helping a spouse raise a child or helping a student with their homework. The same goes for competition: crucial competition in several businesses, to have consumers buy a Chevy than a Ford, to have them shop at Wal-Mart than at Dillons, to have them buy an iPhone than an Android, to have them support the Shockers basketball team instead of the Jayhawks basketball team.

Sports will always be relevant, from today and down the line. Their implementation has helped craft the essence of many societies, teaches people the importance of exercise and teamwork and competition, and allows its fans to have something to be passionate about.