I can think of two big reasons why sports, trivial and frustrating though they are, are so popular.
1) We need something to talk about at work and important topics, such as religion and politics, are too, well, important and emotionally charged to banter about around instant coffee machine.
2) Our instincts, developed over hundreds of thousands of generations of survival of the fittest demand an activity that (a) is zero-sum, as I imagine many of our paleolithic activities were, and (b) requires physical skills, such as running, jumping, and strength, that were also in demand during ancient times but just aren't necessary for survival in (most parts of) the modern world.
I bring this up because, as you can see in one of Natalie's recent posts, our son is right-handed. I'm happy that he won't have to contort his body while writing in a binder or notebook, and perhaps playing the guitar and driving a stick-shift will come naturally to him, and a whole host of other right-handed things will not drive him crazy as they have me. But I'm also sad that he won't have many of the benefits that come with being left-handed, and of course I care more about handedness as it relates to sports than to professional achievement. For some reason, I'm much more concerned about his ability to keep a runner close to first than I am his penchant for some branches of mathematics.
One more thought on sports and evolution: If conjecture (2) above is correct and we enjoy sports because they provide an arena for skills that were necessary in our evolutionary past, does that mean that some day in the far future people will gather in giant stadiums and watch competitors navigate traffic jams or check expiration dates on yogurt containers?
It's also possible that my entire premise is wrong and sports aren't really that popular. Maybe professional athletic organizations just do a really good job making the gullible among us (like me) think that sports are important enough to stay up past our bedtime to watch the fourth quarter. That would explain why everyone I work with went to a college that doesn't have a basketball team.
Anyhow, this is my first official blog post, so please leave your own theories about why (and if) we care about sports and any tips you have for teaching young children to switch hit.
5 comments:
Well sure,sports are good for kids. It teaches them team spirit,cooperation ,discipline and hones physical dexterity, etc. Also as we get older and have more free time we should practice ambidextrous writing and movements so it increases left brain/right brain functions.
Are sports popular? I hadn't realized.
Well if you ask Matt right now, there is nothing more important that sports, ehm I mean NBA basketball finals. And that innate drive to strut your manhood and show that you are the manliest man there is also got him injured yesterday playing church ball. So my opinion about sports right now is really tainted because it makes my hubby into zombied cripple. (he sprained his knee and tore his meniscus)
Ben, I would suggest the course of action put forth by Bill Cosby. Tell the child to take a lap if he does it wrong. This way he gets in great condition, and learns to switch hit. oh, and yes I am looking forward to drafting the two biggest busts in fantasy football and still having a chance come this fall! GO SPORTS!
Personally, I think sports give us an angry outlet. When we are frustrated from work, we can yell at the TV and throw the remote control at it because our teams are not playing well - instead of taking it out on our families. Your kids can learn so many new words and emotions by watching you and how to deal with frustration. You can learn to have family dinner around the T.V.
While you are eating dinner while watching sports, make sure your kids spend the time practicing eating their food with the opposite hand. Soon after they all learn to expertly cut their meat and spoon peas with their left and right hands, you can transfer this into the sporting world. Use your dinner time as practice, then you'll have the most talented kids in the world, and then they too can say, "I have something I should tell you. . . I am not left-handed! ha, ha!"
P.S. I really hope you caught my sarcasm, although I speak from childhood experience (not regarding the knives, though).
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