Sports

            

                          Sports, even on a local level, have an impact on individuals as well as the community. Whether that impact is good or not is what needs to be explored.
Financially speaking, sports, money, and people are all intertwined. People make up the   teams, athletes, the fans, and financial backers. If a community is hurting the sports take a hit. With schools, they are publicly funded sometimes the funds don’t reach to extra-
curricular academics especially in today’s economic climate.

                          In Chris Barzaks’ novel, One For Sorrow , Adam used cross-country as an escape of everyday, most likely it was keeping him focused and out of trouble. “But even though I wasn’t running for him anymore, I still thought of myself as a runner. I just wasn’t running around that cinder track in back of the school. I was running on my own from more than financial ruin, it could be said that he was running toward a future. Some youth don’t get that opportunity due to family or community status. Generally, sports take money. More often than not, the schools with the money, whether it is private or public backing, have the ability to put on a better sport program. The ability for uniforms, equipment, salary for coaching staff, upkeep of fields, etc. and in essence, a proud appeal to locals to come out and show their support, buying tickets, souvenirs, concession food, and possibly a donation to the program, etc. Typically, it then can generate “buzz” and draw outsiders, news coverage, scouts, which generate hotel and food sales, and so on. If a community doesn’t have the money, none of the latter may apply and ultimately cuts of some programs all together. Some schools have swim, tennis, archery, skiing and bowling where other schools may find those programs foreign.
              A student’s socialization process may be the way he identifies himself,   ultimately, who he becomes, an athlete, a coach, or a local athletic...