Unorganized sports: characteristics and implications

¶ … People

There are two types of people in the world: those who play organized sports, and those who participate in sports for recreation. Both groups appreciate fresh air and exercise, and both groups of people enjoy some healthy competition. However, a person's approach to playing sports largely reflects their approach to life. People who participate in organized sports tend to be more intensely competitive; more team-oriented; more prone to making commitments; and more tolerant of structure and authority. On the other hand, people who play sports recreationally are self-motivated individualists: they may fear commitment and structured environments. While they may occasionally participate in a casual game of baseball or basketball with friends, in general they would prefer to not work with an established team, either through their job, school, or community. People who play sports just for fun are also more passive and less passionate in their approach to sports than those who play with an organized team. Therefore, people who participate in organized sports and people who play sports recreationally have different lifestyles, different personalities, and different approaches to life.

People who play organized sports usually join teams that belong to their schools, their offices, or their communities. Because of this, they will tend to be more patriotic, more able to rally behind a cause. The team spirit that arises through organized sports is similar to the team spirit of nationalism. Therefore, people who play organized sports may demonstrate tendencies toward nationalism or even fanaticism. They enjoy being members of a team because it permits them to rally with their teammates against a common enemy.

People who play sports recreationally would tend to be more mistrustful of social institutions in general. Sports teams are organized groups of people devoted to a common cause: teams are essentially social, even political institutions. Therefore, people who play sports recreationally do so because of a general mistrust of structure, hierarchy, and authority.

Team players enjoy the friendships and camaraderie that results from working with a cohesive group. They feel inspired and motivated by their teammates and perhaps cannot discover such passion on their own. People who play sports recreationally, on the other hand, tend to be more self-motivated. They don't need set practice times or meetings to play sports; they just phone up a couple of friends for a casual game. If a few weeks go by without playing, the person will not care. He or she could discover some other form of exercise or social activity. People who play organized sports would probably go crazy or just be plain lazy without the structure of the team.