Lifestyle

It’s a MADD MADD world of Sports!

NY Weekly Staff

January 13, 2024
1:09 pm

By: Matthew Schinelli M.ED

For those who remember, ABC’s Wide World of Sports television show was a pinnacle of sports enthusiasm for the average American family. Part of the show’s popularity was based upon its iconic opening introduction that highlighted video sequences of incredible athletic feats and achievement combined with the words “Spanning the Globe to bring you the constant variety of sports; the thrill of victory and agony of defeat, the human drama of athletic competition“.

Talk about awe inspiring, and dramatic theatrics! For millions of fans watching each week, sports and athletes were shown as the all-powerful and even exclusive club of champions. Athletics seen on television was synonymous with “professional” sports, something average people simply would not or could not gain access to.

Fast forward to modern society where the era of sport is seen through the lens of “nothing is impossible” even for the common person to experience. Nike, Adidas and Reebok have opened the door by revolutionizing sports marketing. Today dozens of specialty active sports apparel companies push to blur the lines between pro sports and the average weekend warrior. The perfect expression that captures this transformation is Jerry Mcguire’s “Show me the money!”

The world we live in today fuses sports into fashion, food, finance and the very identity of a person. In many ways society has gone back in time to the period where Greeks and Romans based all of existence on sport. All of this has resulted in seniors and older adults seeking greater participation in extreme fitness activities, outdoor adventure challenges, and intense competitive sports.

Some believe that we are still only at the very start of a much longer road of opportunities for sports to drive society. The Olympic Games now offer the largest variety of events in history, college sports now allow for students to make millions, sports gambling has been legalized in many states, and battlegrounds for Pickleball fanatics have taken over parking lots, under utilized malls, and peaceful tennis courts.

Houston, do we have a problem? Yes we do, mostly because the standard is to embrace the pursuit of professionalism and perfectionism not the pleasure and joy associated with amateurism.

Amateur sports and recreational play is nearly non-existent as it once was. Youth sports are in a death spiral consumed with the pursuit of achievement rather than the drive to develop character, social engagement, and the bliss of childhood. As generational groups age, the “past” may truly be forgotten. The concept of play may become a distant and abstract relic of society.

Perhaps the only way to slow this trend and even reverse it lies with Baby Boomers and Gen X’ers. Maybe it’s time to advocate for a revitalization in movement games that aren’t designed to stomp out the competition, but rather embrace the joy of play itself.

It's a MADD MADD world of Sports! — Photo Credit: Fit and Fun Playscapes

This process could mimic and replicate the production and design models that board games have adopted for decades. Companies like Mattel, Hasbro, and Parker Brothers all evolved, and in some ways transformed to maintain their founding missions. Sport / Activity equipment production companies like Gopher, Wolverine, US Games, and Fit and Fun Playscapes could and should begin developing “throwback” activities that help foster older generations to connect with younger ones. Focus should be placed on the joy of movement, creating stronger social bonds, and multi-generational genuine exchanges.

National organizations like AARP could and should create grassroot movements that seek out the input from experts, it’s own members, and state governing bodies toward the end of influencing pro sports teams, universities, YMCA’s, and local parks & recreation centers to begin creating activity clubs that blend the interests and needs of multiple generations.

The past few years have proven that human beings require real interaction, in safe environments where all people have the opportunity to contribute and share. Movement is and will always be one of the most powerful ways to break down barriers while at the same time building lasting memories of joy. If society continues to strive for the perfection of professionalism rather than the joy of amateurism we might find ourselves allowing robots and virtual devices dictating most of our movement experiences.

Decades ago ABC’s Wide World of Sports television show might have captured the imagination of sport, but not at the expense of celebrating society’s appreciation for the power of play. Baby Boomers and Gen X’ers have the unique opportunity to help shape the future by not allowing the past to be forgotten.

It doesn’t have to be or become a Madd Madd world of sports! We encourage readers to circle back with their own thoughts and perspective.

Matthew Schinelli M.ED has served as a leading expert in the field of Inclusive Movement Services. Presently he serves as an inclusive Physical Education Teacher at Blue Ribbon awarded E.W. Chittum Elementary School for the Chesapeake Public Schools District. Additional background information includes having founded several companies that were awarded on the local, state, national and international level for their direct services in the area of inclusive movement. Matt has a unique expertise in helping both public and private entities enhance their movement offerings so that they can achieve more authentic Inclusive Movement experiences.