There can be a focus on the negatives of sports at times. Selfish athletes, unsportsmanlike conduct, and more seem to get harped on more and more. But there are a ton of positive impacts that sports have here in the United States.
Economic Impact
Like it or not, sports pull in billions each year. While it is easy to see the revenues that these leagues are pulling in, it is the impact that they have on their cities and states that really matters.
Teams – such as the Chicago Cubs and their $600 million contribution to the city – generate hundreds of millions in revenue for the city. Areas with sports teams tend to have burgeoning restaurants and entertainment scenes, making the cities healthier financially.
More Jobs
Likewise, having strong sports teams means more jobs in the city. That equates to jobs within these organizations but also in the aforementioned restaurant and entertainment scenes.
The impact was apparent for Cleveland. When superstar basketball player LeBron James left town, revenues for not just the team but the city dropped by hundreds of millions. That is the impact that sports can have.
National Unity
Just about every sport has its national events. For some, it is the Olympic Games. For others, such as soccer, it is the World Cup. Whatever the event is, sports have been shown to bring people together in support of their country.
Those two events in particular have been known to get quite raucous as patrons cheer their teams on to championship glory.
Role Models
Like it or not, if you were to ask a lot of young children who their role model is, they would likely say a sports star. That can be a good thing, particularly for children who come from broken homes or don’t have that role model in their lives.
Many athletes perform charity work and advocate for charitable groups. Others know their status as role models and embrace being someone who is to be looked up to in a positive way.