Sports have a huge influence on individuals, communities, and entire nations. They can unite people during times of adversity by giving them something positive to rally around. When disasters like 9/11 or Hurricane Katrina struck, sports events and teams helped lift peoples' spirits and promote healing. Athletes also often donate time and money to help communities recover from crises. The Olympics in particular can inspire hope in nations facing difficulties and bring people from different countries together.

1. The Influence of Sports in the World Today
Where would we be without sports? Across the
globe, there doesn't seem to be an industry as large
and influential as sports. Whether it's a game or our
favorite team we are following, we laugh, cry,
mourn, and celebrate with each score or each
player's movement. A simple game can put us on top
of the world, or make us feel like life as we know it
has ended. This is the only industry where the fans
actually feel like they lost when their team loses, or
feels like they won when their favorite team wins.
We create a bond so strong with athletes and teams
that it's beyond obsession. When discussing a game with fellow sports fan, we actually use the word
"we" when talking about the game that was played. We connect ourselves with the team so
unfathomable we say things like "we almost won the game last night." In this paper, I will show the
impact that sports and athletes have on the world today by providing examples of how individuals
and team efforts have brought joy to many people's lives who were struggling with adversity and
great loss.
Going deeper into the realm of sports, the players
themselves have a pretty powerful influence on fans,
especially the younger generation. Whether athletes
want the responsibility or not, it's something they have
to accept. In 1993, Nike ran a commercial featuring
Charles Barkley with the theme "I am not a role model.
I don't get paid to be a role model. I get paid to wreak
havoc on the basketball court." Technically Charles Barkley is correct. He doesn't get paid to be a
role model. The franchise he played for paid him to play basketball and help them win games. But
sports go deeper than that for fans. Kids were playing basketball in the backyard pretending to be
Barkley and Jordan. You see young players all the time imitating their favorite stars. I went to a high
school basketball game a few years ago up in my home town in Michigan and watched a kid before
the game grab the chalk and toss it up in the air like LeBron James does before every game. I asked
the gentleman next to me what that was all about, and he told me the kid does it before every game.
He watched his idol do it so he decided he would do the same.

2. Young athletes, regardless of the sport, typically choose their favorite pro players number when
picking out uniforms at the beginning of the season. When I was playing high school basketball, it
was always easy to realize who the best player on the opposite team was, because they usually wore
number twenty-three or thirty-two, because they wanted to be Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson.
Marketing departments realize this phenomenon, which is why they capitalize on millions of dollars
in jersey sales, shoe deals, and other apparel they sell with a player's logo or name on it.
Besides being a positive or negative influence on the court or field, players also gain public exposure
through various charity and volunteer work they perform. The NFL has a community outreach
program that they have in place to help give back to the fans. The Cleveland Browns invite local
service members to all home games and salute them in the "Hats Off to Our Heroes" program. They
also have partnerships with various organizations like the Cleveland food bank and the American
Red Cross. Offensive Lineman Joe Thomas has won the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for his
charitable donations and volunteer work that he's done. He's teamed with a non-profit organization
called "Shoes and Clothes for Kids" that raises money every year for underprivileged kids in the
Cleveland area. They provide new shoes and clothes so the kids have confidence going into the new
school year. The NFL is an organization that does more in communities than any other sports
league. The "Play 60" program is a huge charitable event that the players participate in to encourage
kids to be active for at least sixty minutes a day. When kids see their favorite players out running at
getting involved, they are more likely to get outside and play because their idols are doing it.
The Olympics are a great example of people rallying around sports. Every four years athletes from
all over the world gather and compete in numerous events. There are many third world countries
that are poor and underdeveloped, but the Olympics give them an opportunity to have an athlete
represent their country and give them hope and excitement, if only for a short time.
Jesse Owens went against all odds in 1936 and competed in the Olympics in Berlin. This was a time
when Hitler was charge, and was devastated to watch a black man defeat his Germans in the events.
One of the most memorable stories in Olympic history is the "Miracle On Ice". The 1980 USA hockey
team overcame all odds to defeat a Soviet team that was heavily favored. At this time, the USA was

3. not exactly a hockey powerhouse, so nobody expected much from this team. Russia and the United
States weren't on the greatest of terms throughout this decade, so this was a huge win for the team,
and the country. Most people don't even remember that this wasn't the championship game. The US
team still had to beat Finland to win the gold medal. But for Americans all over the country, beating
the Soviet team was the ultimate achievement. It was a game that almost didn't happen because
President Carter was considering boycotting the Olympics in Moscow, but they moved it to Lake
Placid and all of the events were able to take place, and everyone participated. This game was more
than a hockey game for many people. It meant representing your country on the biggest stage that
was nationally televised, and earning your place among the elite.
The Olympics allows us to become cultured with all the other participating countries. Through
media, we are able to learn about these athletes and where they came from. Americans fell in love
with Usain Bolt from Jamaica and he became a star overnight by becoming the fastest man in the
world. Canadian skier Sarah Burke won the hearts of everyone around the world with her beauty
and impeccable skiing ability. This is why the entire world mourned earlier this year with the news
of her death. The media brings these characters to life for us and allows us to create a connection
with the athletes regardless of what country they are from.
Every country around the world has their own issues they have to deal with on a day to day basis,
and the Olympics give them an opportunity to escape these everyday stresses and cheer for their
country's athletes. This leads me into my next topic of how much sports can influence a nation, a
country, or even a city. When a country faces adversity like the United States did on September
11th, 2001, the people go through various stages of feelings. Everyone across the nation went from
being scared, to sad, to mournful, to angry all through the course of one event.
September 11th marked the worst tragedy in American history, with nearly 3,000 people losing their
lives in a single act of terrorism. Americans all across the country watched in horror as the two
massive towers collapsed and engulfed New York City in smoke and debris. Many of our brothers
stepped up and helped one another, becoming heroes that day. Others lost their lives, their loved
ones, and their sense of security and freedom. But as we always do, Americans bonded together and
overcame adversity to not forget, but to put tragedy behind us and move forward with life. But what
are the things that help us do this? One that comes to mind is sports.
Just seven weeks after New York was devastated with the disaster, the World Series of Baseball took
place with the New York Yankees playing against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Yankees are a
team that is not liked or disliked. You either love them or you hate them if you are a baseball fan.
But for a short period of time in October and November of 2001, nearly every person in America
became a New York Yankees fan. I remember meeting a few gentlemen in a pub during game 1 of
the World Series. They were originally from Boston and were wearing Red Sox shirts, but much to
my surprise were rooting for the city of New York and the baseball team that they grew up hating.
To witness these men wearing their Boston attire and rooting for the Yankees gave me chills. It
made me realize that when it comes down to it, baseball is just a game. In the end, we are all
brothers and sisters and want what's best for one another.
The Yankees and Diamondbacks played arguably the most exciting World Series in MLB history. The
Diamondbacks ended up winning the series in seven games, but the series showed us that the city of
New York will overcome this adversity and get back to normalcy. For a brief moment, the Yankees
gave the city something to cheer for, instead of mourning over the devastation.
August 29th, 2005 marked the most devastating natural disaster in US history. Hurricane Katrina
became a category 3 storm as it worked its way across central Florida, Texas, Louisiana, and

4. Mississippi. The city below sea level, New Orleans, was hit the hardest by the storm. All in all, over
1,800 people lost their lives during the costliest hurricane in American history. The New Orleans
Saints Superdome was a key landmark that provided shelter and food for nearly 26,000 residents of
the city. In the aftermath of the hurricane, much of New Orleans was left under water, and many
people left without homes. While many people were spending energy and resources complaining
about the government and what should have been done to prevent this, the world of sports took
initiative to step up and help the people that were suffering. Peyton Manning and Eli Manning,
originally from the New Orleans area, used millions of dollars of their own money to load food and
supplies in a plane and personally deliver the goods to the people of Louisiana. NBA teams like the
Orlando Magic visited the area and met with survivors, signed autographs, and simply spent time
with the victims. Many NFL and NBA players spent the next few years building homes in the area
and donating time and resources to help rebuild New Orleans. Then four years later, the New
Orleans Saints went on to win the Super Bowl over the Indianapolis Colts. A team that had never
played in a Super Bowl or really ever had a successful track record of winning overcame all odds and
lifted a city to the highest peak of enjoyment in the sports world. That is something magical that only
sports can provide.
April 25th, 2011 was the most devastating tornado outbreak the US has seen in nearly a century.
322 people lost their lives, including 239 in the state of Alabama. The tornado ripped through the
University of Alabama campus and took students lives. Again, many athletes from every major sports
league came to the aid of the state and helped clean up and rebuild the cities affected by this storm.
This is very powerful because there isn't a professional sports team in this state, but in times like
this, we are all family and we are not prejudice to help any state anywhere in the US. The football
team went on to win the National Championship the next season. No matter what adversity we are
faced with, sports always lifts us up when all hope seems lost.
Watching the Japanese Soccer team win the championship over USA was bittersweet. After a
massive earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown at a power plant in Japan, the country seemed
to be on the brink of disaster. The storm claimed over 15,000 lives, making it one of the deadliest
disasters in the world. The Japanese soccer team brought hope back to their country and gave the
natives reason to cheer as they dominated the playoffs and won the championship in thrilling
fashion. As an American, I was obviously rooting for the USA team, but when Japan kicked the
winning goal in the shootout round, I could not be angry or upset. I felt joy for these girls who gave
everything they had to win a game that would show their country that this disaster was not going to
claim their lively hood. It was not going to define them. It was simply a hurdle that they must
overcome and they looked ahead to the future.
There are many obstacles in our daily lives that create adversity and cause stress. Sport has become
one of the greatest outlets for this stress, giving us something to get excited about. Some great
sports movies that come to mind are "Invincible" and "We Are Marshall". These movies depict the
struggles Americans go through, and how sports teams are there to lift our spirits when all hope
seems lost.

5. Invincible is a true story about Vince Papali, a common
man from Philadelphia who walked on to the Philadelphia
Eagles and made the team. His city was stricken by a poor
economy and a strike that was devastating the industrial
landscape of the area and workers. Papali's hard work and
determination to make a team that the city loved brought
everyone together and gave them something to cheer
about.
We Are Marshall is a movie based on the tragedy that struck the Thundering Herd football team
when the plane they were on crashed and killed everyone aboard, including 37 football players and 8
coaches. This was a community that lost sons, fathers, brothers, and husbands. Despite the tragedy,
the University came together and rallied to put a football team together the next year. Coaches from
other teams did everything they could do to help the young football team succeed. It was a great
story of people coming together and helping one another after a tragic event.
A sport can provide inspiration in our lives. No matter what sport you are a fan of, you can use it to
give you a sense of fulfillment and an escape from your everyday problems. There aren't many things
out there with this type of power. When times get tough, athletes and sports teams are always there
to lend a helping hand. Sports can make us forget about problems we have going on at home or at
work. We can be depressed about what we have going on in our personal lives and think that things
can't get much worse. Then our team will pull off a victory that seemed unimaginable and give us joy
and hope. It makes us forget about our personal problems. It also makes us believe that anything is
possible. If we work hard enough we can accomplish anything that we want in life. That's a pretty
powerful thing.