Sports in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sports in America - Essay Example The English settlers that settled in the northern part of America came with different types of games. These games were the major part of their culture. They were forms of recreation. Some of the games that they loved included wrestling, horse racing, bear baiting and cock fighting. The settlers also later introduced baseball. This game became exceptionally famous among the people, something that transformed it into professional sport. Leagues were organized and formalized. In early nineteen century, different types of sports emerged. Football emerged at this time. These games strengthen young men. It encouraged them to join combat life due to the exercise they went through as part of the game. Other types of games that came into existence were tennis, polo, rowing and bicycling. However, all these types of sport underwent different changes over time. Improvement of the rules was made and everyone was to follow them carefully. Despite all these changes, sports have gone through many c hallenges in America since the cold war to the early nineteen sixties. These challenges acted as the blocks that hindered these games from progressing. Many countries at this time used sports events to be the venues of rivalry. They used to show their superiority over other countries. Other challenges included cheating, violence and drugs. During the cold war, many countries used sports to show rivalry to the other countries. Sports were meant for entertainment to the spectators but many political leaders saw sports from a different perspective. To them, sports were a tool to show their superiority. Most Americans who participated in Olympics of 1950s became the major dominants in those games. They won many medals as compared to the other countries’ participants. During this time, Soviet Union did not participate in the Olympics. This made American the favorites in almost all the Olympic Games. There victory caused public concern referring to the international image of the Un ited States (Zirin, 396). The Soviet Union later joined the Olympics games. This caused a great threat to the American participants in the games. Russians won many medals that Americans were used to win. They dominated almost all the Olympic games of that time. The United States and the Soviet Union were not in good terms. They were great rivals in the world during the cold war. This rivalry extended to the sphere of sports that they both participated. Everyone was trying to be superior to the other. Russians defeated American in many games. Russian women defeated Americans in a great range. These made Americans think of other ways of improving their performance. Different leaders who were the heads of the games gave out many ideas. Americans needed to maximize their effectiveness and efficiency in all participations. More improved and modernized management was to be put in place. The whole organization that was heading the participation needed an enlargement and modernization. All these were done to ensure that they defeat the Soviet Union. Americans later defeated them, and it was something that taught Americans that democracy was better than communist system in producing better players (Zirin, 394). During the cold war, reporting sports was influenced by rivalry between the Americans and the Soviet Union. Sports’ reports were biased. Journalists from each country favored the athletes’ of their motherlands. Russian journalist undermined American