Observing history through sports: The importance and relevance of sports within a culture
From the dawn of history to the 21st century, sports have been a pillar of human social, cultural and spiritual life.
From the early rise of competitive sport in Mesopotamia and Egypt to the Olympics in Greece and now to the multi-billion-dollar franchises that have captivated the world over the course of the past century and a half, sports have always thrived.
In the United States, sports have been of utmost importance to the culture, especially since the early 1900s. With the rise of professional sports such as Major League Baseball, the National Football League and the National Basketball Association, American sports have been a catalyst for cultural change.
According to Arkansas State University, “the sports world finds itself in the spotlight of cultural attitude shifts.” Athletes like Jackie Robinson and Muhammad Ali, among countless others had athletic careers which led to change within society. Men like these inspired an entire generation of athletes.
Although the previous examples are more recent, they are not the first instance of athletes using sports to change culture. One of the earliest examples was in ancient Egypt when sports were central to social and spiritual life during times of peace.
Yale University Press mentions “sport was throughout Egyptian history a central part of the most important of royal festivals, celebrating the jubilee.” With Pharaohs being considered the protectors of the people and seen as deities, they would participate in sports such as running, wrestling, swimming and hunting to prove their physical qualifications as godlike rulers.
We see this again with the rise of the Olympic Games founded in 776 B.C. in Greece which lasted until the fourth century A.D., a period of nearly 1,200 years of celebration in sport over multiple civilizations. This is about 11 times as long as organized sport has been in the U.S. and over four times as long as the existence of the U.S. as a nation.
According to the International Olympic Committee, “the Olympic Games were the sporting, social and cultural highlight of the ancient Greek calendar for almost 12 centuries.” With 40,000-plus spectators at its height and massive arenas built to house these competitions, I think that it’s safe to say that the Olympic Games were the peak of sports in human history to this point, especially since they are still played today.
I could ramble on and on about all the different points in history when sports heavily impacted culture and society. From the medieval European states to the Vikings to the Aztecs of ancient Central America, there are countless examples of sports being a massive part of cultures around the globe from the foundation of civilization.
Jumping ahead in time about 5,000 years, Liberty University students can visibly see how sports play an important role in the school’s culture. With many events year-round to choose from, Liberty students indulge in sports frequently.
Between Club and NCAA sports, there are dozens of games or athletic events weekly for students to attend. Students particularly love football, basketball and hockey, all of which seem to boost students’ love for the school and add to Liberty’s motto of training champions for Christ in a notable way.
All in all, I believe that sports have been a keystone of culture since their beginning thousands of years ago. Sports are here to stay.
Bessire is the special assignments reporter for the Liberty Champion. Follow him on X