Nowadays, in this growingly sedentary world, sports and exercising are being placed on increasingly high importance. Many countries are seen putting large amounts of funding toward the training of professional athletes competing in major international events, such as the Olympic. However, some citizens opine that such an expense allocation is illogical, and that the same money would be better served encouraging the future generation to participate in sports from a young age. In the following essay, I will discuss both views and give my own opinion.
On the one hand, putting money toward professional athletes is certainly understandable from a national perspective. They are the ones who have the highest chance of bringing back honor for the country, thus boosting citizen’s confidence in their own nation. After all, that the country can afford to train athletes for competitions is a positive sign of their country’s stability, in that the country has enough money and resources to give to what is not an emergency. Any victories that the athletes reap will become a source of pride for the normal people, announcing to them that their country still has outstanding talents who can compete on an international level. The patriotism that has been fortified by national pride and victories is something that inspires hope and loyalty in citizens, pushing them to work harder, contributing more to the country and the government. Moreover, victorious sports teams are also an ideal opening for foreign investment to pour into the country. Not all the expenses will be shouldered by the government, as teams and clubs nowadays all have their investors, domestic or oversea. Investors get their prestige and advertisement when the team plays, and the nation gains foreign resources that might not otherwise be available. Considering the above facts, the money that is used in this regard can be called an investment, albeit one whose returns are not immediately obvious.
On the other hand, it cannot be denied that grassroot sports are also important. They are the starting point of athleticism in society, and a major source of motivation for children all over the world to participate in sports, as well as offering the proper facilities for children to be active. Many sport centers became derelict because they did not receive appropriate funding, and because of that, local sports are much more limited. That is not to mention the sports that take up a large amount of resources to even participate in, like figure skating, which requires an ice-skating ring, harder to find in tropical countries. Most of the time, normal people are only able to approach any sports that are widely available to everyone due to local conditions and prices. The circumstances make it so sport choices are limited for low and middle-income families, thus also limiting the number of people interested in lesser known or harder to approach sports. Certainly, to be active, children only need a simple sport, however, the unfortunate limitations mean that those with talents and no background cannot properly shine. Furthermore, it means that a country’s choice for athletes becomes limited in certain sports, further decreasing the sport’s influence in society, which in return decreases the amount of people interested. It becomes a vicious circle, and that is not what is wanted for any sport. With governmental funding, local facilities can be more openly available and safer, thus opening up the opportunities for many more children. It also opens up the pool of candidates for national sport teams, letting talents be discovered and honed, fostering a better, healthier future generation.
Accounting for all the above facts, I personally am of the opinion that governmental funding for sports should be carefully split between professional and amateur sports. While professional players require careful honing in order to stand on an international level, they are not without background – all professional players once started from a grassroot team. To fund the amateur sports is to allow more children, more talents to join and aim for the highest honor. It is both a source of motivation and a tactical choice. The money that goes into funding amateur sport teams ensures that any players joining the national teams not only have talents, but also appropriate basic training from their previous team. And the professional players become the inspiration for another generation. This creates a positive spiral, calling more and more talented people to contribute to national pride.
In conclusion, while professional players are the face of a nation and the ultimate goal of many amateur players, the grassroot teams are the ‘roots’ of all talents, and the place to nurture amateur players into professionals. I believe that with a carefully balanced funding between the two categories, a country can achieve a positive cycle, creating more and more talented sport players as well as a healthier, more active generation.