IDEAS:

 Becoming the best at something isn’t the point of doing it- earning a valuable skill is- not
everyone that plays football is going to end up becoming a Messi, Ronaldo or Beckham,
the vital thing is the sport provides essential health, mental etc benefits
 Sports like horse riding, fencing and golf aren’t open to everyone- only privileged to
wealth
 Everyone should be given an equal opportunity- about 90% of sports legends have rural
backgrounds, but most people living in poverty don’t have the opportunities to display
their skills, sports clubs mainly focus on profit maximizing, with ridiculously high
membership fees, and its unequal because not everyone gets the expert training
available to some
 People become sad if they don’t get picked on a team, but there should be contests for
everyone to take part, thus stressing on the importance of participation- it can motivate
people
 Governments should make free sports training so health benefits can be enjoyed by all
and reduce spending on healthcare
 ORIGINALLY DEVELOPED FOR ENTERTAINMENT WHY HAS IT MORPHED INTO AN
INDUSTRY BUILT ON GREED, SWEAT AND TEARS

We’ve all had that one moment at some point in our lives- watched that particularly
inspirational film about a sports legend, felt that rush of adrenaline coursing through our veins,
made up our minds to try that sport, and…

The spark fades away.

The excitement fades to the greyness of reality.

In other words, you weighed up the pros and cons and decided to wave it off as wishful
thinking. Trust me, I’ve been there. I’ve made all those excuses, the greatest being- “what’s the
point of trying if you’re not going to be anywhere near the best?”

Well, a hundred interviews, twenty documentaries, a ton of research and a million hours of
contemplation later, I can confidently tell you that I have the answer.

Doing a sport shouldn’t have to just be about becoming the best. Not everyone can become the
next Messi, Tendulkar or Tiger Woods- but don’t let that discourage you from playing. At worst,
you’d earn a few cuts, bruises, or funny stories- that surely doesn’t sound so bad.

Doing a sport should be about enjoying yourself, making new friends, learning a new skill or
even just reaping the health benefits. It should be about giving yourself a break.
Incidentally, the idea of “sport”, was originally developed as a form of entertainment. Children
would invent all sorts of games to play, and so would adults, spending their spare time
together, as a social activity.

On the contrary, nowadays, clubs, teams and the media have all decided to make sports about
maximizing profit. It’s an industry after all. The players are simply highly skilled pawns, paid
amazingly huge salaries to exist for the satisfaction of the public. The sport is no longer a game
to them. It’s a reputation to uphold, an audience to perform for, a match to be won.

Moreover, not all sports are as inexpensive as purchasing a racquet and shuttlecock. People
may have a passion for horse-riding, or fencing, or golf, but can’t pursue their dreams because
of the cost of a single lesson. Club membership rates are rising by the minute and there are
virtually no free-swimming centers. Even playing football is inflicting hardships on less well-off
families because of the expensive equipment. It's disheartening to learn that millions of
potential stars don’t have the opportunities to shine.

with governments worldwide taking the initiative to making playing sport a more positive
experience. Encouraging budding players, holding free-for-all tournaments and providing zero-
cost sports facilities, would not only even the playing field, but also reducing healthcare
spending, as more people play some kind of sport, and become healthy, wealthy and wise.