Have We Corrupted Sports?

[RANT]

I am not a fan of organized sports, especially team sports. As a matter of fact I hated gym in school.

I remember on a hot summer day the boys in the neighborhood would have an impromptu baseball game. Little League was well little, a couple of teams in town, it was maybe 4 or 6 weeks long and that was it. It grew from maybe 6 teams to around 15 teams and a month long season to the whole summer long season.

The kids played for fun. Not to win, although it was nice to win, they played for the fun of it. Anyone could be on the team.

Overtime that changed.

It became a 3 letter word… WIN!

It was put on a pedestal to be worship.

It was a path to fame, glory and unlimited riches.

Now you have to make the team, now you can be thrown off the team if you miss a game, now you can be thrown off the team if you don’t perform.

Now kids have dreams of fast cars, mansions, and a girl on both arms.

In general sports became a money making winning institution.

According to The Sports Journal “The Dallas Cowboys had the largest change in FCI [Fan Cost Index] with an increase of 163% beyond inflation since 1991” 

It has become the sport of billionaires and millionaire players.

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Now into today’s culture of win, win, win we add trans athletes.

Here is the testimony of a trans parent.

I had a child who did not smile.

[...]

I mean it was immediate. It was a total transformation. I now have a confident, a smiling, a happy daughter. She plays on a girl’s volleyball team. She has friendships. She’s a kid.

Transcript of Brandon Boulware testimony.

And a commenter on the YouTube video causes this post,

Great he loves his kids, shame he can't understand the unfair advantage his son has competing in female sport

The question is... do we as a nation think that it is right to deny his daughter from playing sports in school?

When I was growing up people said that sports builds…

• Team spirit,
• Leadership skills,
• Fairplay,
• Never give up,
• Great leveller,
• Focus,
• Process and result,
• Planning,
• Earnestness and sincerity,
• Observation and analysis,
• Life long friendships.

So when states ban trans athletes what they are saying is we don’t want trans children to learn those life  lessons and to develop friendships.

When the game is about winning then we can’t have any losers on the team.

When the game is about fun then everyone is welcome.

Should school sports be about winning? Or playing to have fun?

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Another example of money taking over sports...

When I graduated from UConn in 2011 I was voted on the Alumni Association after one year UConn did away with the Alumni Association and only had one alumni organization the Foundation. When I went to an Alumni Association event we never asked for money, when I went to one and only Foundation event there were people going around asking for donations.

The Foundation will not reveal where the money goes saying it is a private origination. I don't know about you but when I donate I want to know where the money is spent.