The Empowering Ability of Sport: This I Believe

This week’s post again involves a slight variation; one which is more personalized yet provides an overall explanation for the reason behind my chosen blog topic of sports. The entry is inspired by the This I Believe (their logo is displayed on the left) national media project, which is based on a radio series by renowned American radio broadcast journalist Edward Murrow. The series aimed “to point to the common meeting grounds of beliefs, which is the essence of brotherhood and the floor of our civilization” during a time of potential atomic warfare, increasing consumerism, and moral decadence. Today, the project has gained significant momentum and evolved into one that promotes written expression of individual core beliefs. In the spirit of This I Believe, I would like to say that many of the principles by which I lead my life by have been acquired over a variety of experiences, but most notably through my exposure to athletics.

The rush I experience from sport is unparalleled. Some have likened me to the testosterone charged, borderline rowdy men present at sporting events. I grew up playing sports and have been competing internationally since the third grade. Whether derived from an emphatic kill, an ace serve, or simply the roar of the crowd, that fleeting yet powerful charge of emotion I receive from sport, has yet to be matched. This passion is a virtually indescribable feeling; it cannot be quantified or weighed, but it is undeniably real. According to Street and Smith’s Sports Business Journal, passion is the driving force of the $194.64 billion dollar sports industry. It is the reason why fans spend hundreds of dollars on their USC gear, arrive at games as if they had just swum in a pool of cardinal and gold, or travel nationwide to witness their Trojans fight on in a sporting event.

It was through sport that I discovered my true potential. I had been relatively idle for half a year, simply breeding anger and contempt, till I saw a sign for the annual Manila Polo Club Tennis Championship Tournament. I set a goal for myself–to be the new champion for the tournament in August, a good six months away. I had not touched a tennis racket in years, and when tournament time had arrived; I was nervous but well prepared from months of rigorous, daily training. I ended up qualifying for the finals, which is where I faced defeat. I was sad to be the runner up, but the fact that I had qualified after a five year hiatus was very uplifting. It was the first tie in a long time that I had set a non-immediate goal for myself and achieved it for the most part. I did it by myself too; there was no teacher hounding me, no grades, and no parents. It was then that I became truly aware of the empowering ability of sport. It has provided me with a better understanding of the relationship between dedication and achieving results and led me to believe in the fantastic capabilities that sport evokes from we human beings both physically and mentally.

These beliefs have influenced my career path and aspirations. Like athletics, I find journalism empowering as it involves not only being aware of global affairs, but also the responsibility of accurately and objectively informing the public. Blame it on my curious nature, but I relish being in the know. However, reading or merely listening to the news does not suffice. Only through first-hand experience is one truly appreciative of the gravity of a news situation, which is why the journalist is of utmost importance as he/she sheds light on such events to those of us that are not present. In other words, it is poles apart to hear about the World Cup finals and the infamous Zidane head butt (shown on the right), and another experience to be one of the thousands of screaming fans in the arena witnessing arguably one of the greatest sporting events. However, since not all of us are fortunate enough to attend such an event, the journalist brings this news to the forefront serving as a liaison between the events and the people. So this is why I choose journalism, and why I believe in sport, both have that awesome ability to empower.

2012 Olympics Recruitment: Height is Might

The 2012 Summer Olympics is a well anticipated event for which nations across the world are intensively training. Great Britain has taken unique measures in order to ensure it has the best possible teams representing it in the upcoming games, particularly for the sports of volleyball, basketball, and handball. The process known as systematic talent identification for tall athletic individuals has been initiated in the host city, London. Females that are 5’11” or above and males that are 6’3” or above are being encouraged to register and undergo the screening process to perhaps become a competitor in 2012.

UK Sports, a high performance sports agency, has commenced this innovative program encouraging these segmented individuals to participate, provided that they are considerably athletic and have participated in sport before. According to Chelsea Warr, UK Sport talent identification lead officer, “statistics show that typically around 1% of those that set out to become an Olympian actually make it. But in order to maximize our chances ahead of London 2012, we're asking people to take on that challenge and it can start here today, simply by visiting our website." Due to the fact, that the most prestigious international athletic event will be held in London, the region wishes to produce more winners and also display an improvement in the various athletics teams, most notably in the sports aforementioned.

Systematic talent identification has proven to be successful in basketball recruitment. Members of the Dinka tribe in Africa are often procured to play the game of hoops professionally because they are on average the tallest tribe in the world. Houston Rocket's center Dikembe Mutombo initially came to America to pursue an education as he had received a medical scholarship. However, due to his height of 7’2”, coaches advised and goaded him to alter his career path. Mutombo was then molded into a center, and now enjoys a successful career as a professional athlete. South Korea has also enjoyed the success of this innovative strategy by transferring ready-made athletes to sports such as hockey and handball that better suit their physical assets. This tactic paid off as the South Koreans grabbed the gold and silver in handball, and a silver in hockey. According to the Scottish Athletic Organization, the island country “moved from 15 to 5 in the Olympic medal table between the Sydney and Athens Games, largely as a result of a targeted and systematic talent identification programs.” It usually takes approximately six to eight years to produce an elite athlete able to perform on the grand athletic stage of the Olympics, however if the athlete has already been involved in a high performance sport, this time span can be cut in half. The Sports Journalist Association writes, “so we’re now trawling through around 1,200 world class athletes we have funded who didn’t quite make it in their chosen sport, to find suitable candidates for a quick transfer. If another sport suits, their Olympic dream may well not be over.”

Systematic talent identification is not limited to individuals that are tall, but extends to those that have the physical characteristics that are ideal for a certain sport. While I must admit that “talent identification” is an avant garde and seemingly promising approach to recruitment for Olympic success, the message being conveyed by UK Sports is downright discouraging for those with other physical qualities. The specific program stipulates the recruitment of only tall individuals, therefore projecting a disheartening message to persons whom may not be of a lofty stature. This program may shatter the dreams of many young aspiring athletes, some of whom may actually possess the skill and talent required to perform in elite sporting events, but simply lack the height. In fact, a number of athletes are vertically challenged, yet still cross over to become professionals. Mugsy Bogues, shown on the left, was a mere 5’3”, however this point guard managed to defy critics and maximized the utility of his small stature. He was easily the fastest player in the NBA at the time, and he also established himself as a superb stealer and passer. Physical limitations can be offset and overcome by skill and dedication, therefore the selection process should not be based on height, but talent.