Sports Structure and Power

1. Sports Structure and Power

2. I. Industrial Revolution and Sports • Authorities and business owners discouraged working class people from gathering. They felt they may begin to organize and this would be bad for owners. (Formation of Unions) • Ministers also used religious influence to prevent gathering and games because it was against the moral value of work and enforced the immorality of play and idleness.

3. II. Popular North American Sports Pre-1920 • Horse Racing, Boxing, Footraces, Baseball, Rowing and Wrestling • Local neighborhood events were often illegal and broken up. • Organized commercial events were allowed and benefitted those with power and influence.

4. III. Club Sports • Clubs were formed and sponsored sport participation • Club membership usually was limited to wealthy people in urban areas. • As sports activities became more organized they reinforced existing class distinctions in society. • The YMCA was formed as a club with less exclusive membership • US in 1851 • The YMCA helped change the religious belief that sports and exercise were anti-Christian.

5. IV. Sports as a social tool • Instead of defining sports as enjoyable diversions, the wealthy began to see them as social and political tools. • Sports could promote: • Economic productivity • National loyalty • Development of admirable character traits

6. Who are the most powerful people in Sports today? • List

7. V. The Wealthy assert their control • Wealthy people were the first to have time to play sports • They used sports to reinforce class distinctions • They influenced how sports were played and organized • Middle class followed along—trying to be like the wealthy

8. The Wealthy defined sports as consumer activities • You had to wear the proper attire • Use the proper equipment • Play in the proper facility

9. VI. Organized Sports • People with money and power saw organized sports as ways to train loyal, efficient and patriotic workers. • Sports emphasized teamwork, obedience to rules, planning, organization and production. • Sports could create workers who would tolerate stressful conditions, obey supervisors, and meet production goals through teamwork on assembly lines. • Americanized sports such as football, baseball and basketball were favored.

10. Organized Sports Reading

11. VII. Soccer • Soccer was extremely popular in European countries. • When immigrants came to the United States they could only play soccer in segregated ethnic groups. • When children went to public school, all ethnic groups were encouraged to excel in “American” sports and drop their passion for soccer. 1. WWI 1914-1919—you were now American, not European 2. Soccer was an example of you clinging to your native country and not being patriotic.

12. VIII. By 1920 major connections between sports and American culture were already established • Baseball was America’s pastime • In the 1960’s Football emerged as the dominant American sport • Emphasized strength, power, confrontation and strategy • Men played football and defended turf just as men defended America in 2 World Wars and now against the Soviet Union in the Cold War.

13. C. Recently soccer has seen growth in American youth. • It is still more international and really has no American identity even after such amazing things as the US Women’s Soccer World Cup Victory in 1999. • John Kerry a 2004 Presidential candidate actually avoided talking about being a former varsity soccer player at Yale due to losing potential voters.

14. Problems with Social Order • Who have you determinedare the most powerful people in sports today? • What do we do when people don’t fit into society’s version of order in Sport? • Jack Johnson