When asked about the difference between Participants and Spectators, I really have little trouble discerning the two at an obvious level. Sure, one person plays the sport, and the other watches the sport. Pretty simple stuff. But on a much deeper, passionate level, one can begin to see how the two are very much alike. To participate in a sport, especially if it is on the professional level, one must be in the top echelon of his/her skill level in that sport, and must be able to compete on a daily basis with some of the top athletes in the world. Now I'm not saying this is the norm for every sports league in the world, but in a very basic sense of the term, all professional sports leagues ARE competitive. Every person on that field, rink, or course must have that special set of skills, endurance, and passion for the game to be able to compete with his/her competitors and prove that they should be making a living off of their skill set and ability. Now for every professional game, there needs to be a crowd, and in that crowd, you will find fans. Sports fans, of course, are not your typical, out of the box, jaded fan of any activity or hobby. Sports fanatics are a different breed by far. Body paint, fight songs, war chants, mascots, homemade signs, and even crazy pregame rituals are almost never seen at movie premieres, wine tastings, or musical gatherings. Now I'm not saying these things don't happen at other "fan-based" gatherings, but one will usually find these at a sporting event. Sports fans have the same (if not more) passion than the athletes out there playing their hearts out. Fans put their hearts and souls into cheering for their favorite players, teams, and even colleges (where I believe the passion for both the players and fans is by far at its highest level). These fans are almost always athletes themselves; not playing at the professional or collegiate levels of course, but at an amateur level where the passion and sportsmanship fits the skill level and intensity of the players. Sport is one of the few things in this world that is not racist, bias, or sexist when it is at its purest form. All fans of sport can participate in sport if they want, and if that isn't for them, then they can choose to watch and cheer, and every single person who does those things fits into the category of a sports fan. Sure, at some levels there may be more on the line in terms of money and lively-hood, but a sports fan is a sports fan no matter who they are. And in this sense, a sports spectator is anyone watching a sport and feeling passionate about the outcome, whether they are on the sideline, in the bleachers, or even on the field.
The article that I read regarding Participants versus Spectators (pg. 37-) is a good piece of writing that really helped me gain some knowledge and information on this important aspect of sport. If I was to choose this topic for a future essay, I know that I would take some of the detailed sections on participant levels, social class, and sports spectators and really embellish my point through them. The article will really help me get my thesis across and prove interesting topics that will allow the reader to gain a full perspective on the world of sports spectator-ship, participation, and recreational activity. Hopefully, by using this source, I will encourage the reader, if they don't already, to begin to participate in a sport that they have always been curious in trying, or in the very least, go see a sporting event first hand, and become a sports fan.
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