THE JOY OF SPORTS

 

For those who want to start their day on a positive note, I have a suggestion. As you rise out of bed, do not turn on the news to catch the latest 8 AM press conference from Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth. Do not go to a financial channel to learn how the stock market will open.

Instead, turn on ESPN’s Sport Center. Your mood will be improved after viewing the “Top 10” sports plays from the previous day. You will experience joy, awe, and admiration rather than apprehension, fear, and dread.

The plays range from performances by top professional athletes to a buzzer beater in a college lacrosse game to an impossible catch in a women’s high school softball game. The combination of athletic ability and unique circumstances that are inherent in many of the efforts are amazing. Years of training and dedication are needed to perform at the highest level. On full display is the amount of inborn athletic ability each athlete possesses. Last is the coming together of time, place, and good fortune required to produce the best athletic plays of the day.

Before I go any further, I must be truthful and disclose that I am a news and financial page junkie. On my iPad are five print newspapers and numerous newsletters that I read each day. During business hours, cable news, and the financial station, CNBC (often with the sound off) are on the screen in my office. When there is a news alert or major event in the stock market, I pay close attention.

Two sports related events on my schedule help to brighten my mood. First, every-other-day, I go to the WHS Wilfred R. Cameron Wellness Center for exercise. While working out, I only listen to sports talk shows. Second, in the evening, my go-to entertainment is viewing college and professional sports. I closely follow all of Pittsburgh’s teams (including University of Pittsburgh women’s volleyball) and have a few other favorites from my youth (including New York Knicks basketball). This spring has offered an abundance of choices with the NFL draft in Pittsburgh, an exciting Pirate team, and the Penguins and Knicks in the playoffs.

There are two sides to the “joy of sports” coin. One side is actual participation, and the other is enjoying sports as a spectator. The benefits of participating in athletic activity to improve physical and mental health are well known. It reduces anxiety, helps cardiovascular health, and weight management.

Emotionally, I clearly remember the sense of belonging and pleasure in meeting new friends on my 1963 Little League team, the “Discount City Giants.” My joy was over the moon when our high school 1968 cross country team went undefeated. Participation in sports taught me how to work with others and improved my self-esteem.

Pickleball has greatly increased the number of previously sedentary Americans who now participate in a sporting activity. According to Pickle Rage, a popular internet site, “By 2026. an estimated 20-30 million Americans have taken up pickleball, solidifying its spot as the fastest growing sport in the U.S for the fourth consecutive year.”

There are now over 10,724 dedicated pickleball courts. Once a sport found in older communities, pickleball now appeals across age groups, including Gen Z to millennials. The trend has made America heathier and happier.

Observers believe that pickleball has caught on quickly because the small court size and inexpensive equipment make it highly accessible. The learning curve is not difficult. Beginners are quickly able to participate. The low impact nature of the sport avoids serious injury. There is instant social appeal.

The advantages of watching sports as opposed to engaging in them has been the subject of only limited research. A study featured in the December, 2024 Frontiers in Psychology (a multidisciplinary journal that publishes advances in psychological research) took on the challenge. It explored the correlation between watching sports events and spectator behavior. The conclusion was that “the direct impact of watching sports events on subjective well-being was positive. Indirect effects were facilitated by the mediating roles of social interaction and emotional experience.”

A second study at the University of Chicago found that the brains of those who watch sports, including televised sports, “light up with neural activity.” In addition, dopamine levels increase and socialization at sporting events or at the neighborhood bar foster a sense of community. The study warns that spectators must be aware of the extremes, like over-eating, drinking, and gambling.

The joy of watching live sports has not been overlooked by the broadcast media industry. No other viewing choice offers the same massive real-time audiences and high advertising demand. The fragmentation of viewing caused by so many streaming choices disappears with in-demand live sports. According to Sports Business Journal, sports programming dominates the most watched television broadcasts. In 2024, 87 of the top 100 viewed programs were sports related.

The NFL exemplifies the “joy of sports” in America. Unlike professional baseball, basketball, and hockey, the fewer number of games gives the impression that “every game matters.” Football’s structure is perfectly suited for social gatherings and television, with built-in breaks that facilitate commercials and analysis.

When American culture is examined by historians centuries from now, I have no doubt that pickleball and the NFL will help define what gave us joy. I guarantee that Pete Hegseth’s press conferences will not make the cut.