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What Is the
MAJOR
PURPOSE OF SPORTS?
by
James M. Petty
How many parents, school administrators, coaches,
participants or spectators understand the major purpose of sports?
D
ID YOU KNOW
that
more nations enter the
World Cu p soccer
competition than be–
long to the United Nations?
That a staggering one third
of all humanity watch the
Olympics and World Cup
soccer finals- large-
ly via television?
In the United
States more than
100,000
pcople
routinely
show up
every J anuary l in one city- Pasa–
dena, California, where I am writ–
ing-to watch a single event, the
American version of football, while
one third of the nation watches the
same game on television. Children
by the millions, worldwide, partici–
pate in various organized programs
for different sports. Sports are big.
With all the watching and play–
ing, though, how many ever ask
the question, "What is
the major purpose of
spor ts?"
Ask that question
and you'll receive
different responses.
Who hasn't heard
these answers–
usually given as
t
he
pu rpose of
sports: fun and en–
joyment, entertain–
ment, exercise and
physical fitness, chal–
lenge and the thrill
of winning, the
camaradc-
rie from belonging and contribut–
ing to a team.
These are all valid reasons, yet
there remains one purpose even
more important. Because this pur–
pose has been forgotten in too
many cases, we see a rising current
of bitter opposition to sports as
they are played today.
Battered Child Athlete
Today's unduc emphasis on win
-or-else competition understand–
ably draws fi re from many quar–
ters. Dr. Richard M. BaJI is on
the faculty at Rutgers University
College of Medicine and Dentist–
ry in New J ersey. He sums up the
problem: "A fierce competitive
spirit among grade school and
high school athletes may be get–
ting ou t of hand." The pressure of
being overly competitive affects,
among others, "peewee" swim–
mers on community and school
teams, high schoo l football
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players, and Little League !
baseball players. ln an
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