Why Do Sports Matter Now More Than Ever?

As everyone already knows, it’s been another intense past couple of days (and last six months obviously) in the sports world in response to the many on going issues in our country.

And over the last couple of years, a divide has formed about whether or not professional athletes should continue to use their platforms to speak out about social injustice.

That has now come to a head, with cancellations happening across the sports landscape in response to ongoing social justice issues.

Wednesday night Dominic Smith delivered one of the most genuine and emotional post-game press conferences ever in regards to his feelings on these injustices.

Something Dom said which really stuck with me personally, were his comments on getting involved in the community.

“If you give your time” he said, “that’s the only way we can change.”

That sentiment spoke volumes (among other passionate statements from him) because it echoes what players across sports have been trying to highlight for some time — that creating awareness is only the real catalysts for progress.

This emotional night was followed up with a powerful on-field display of solidarity between the Mets and Marlins the next day before cancelling the game.

Now I know there are also a lot of folks who feel that athletes shouldn’t be “muddying the water” between sports and real-world issues, because sports are supposed to be their “escape” from these realities.

While I understand that sports are entertainment and acknowledge that most athletes are paid handsomely to do their jobs, it should not excuse the fact that sports are a powerful tool that can bring people together and be a platform for change.

And whether people like it or not, that “line” between sports and real-life has been muddied, and it’s not going to be redrawn anytime soon.

Before some people angrily exit this article, let me at least explain where I’m coming from on this.

For awhile, I was one of those people who felt like we should just “keep politics out of sports.”

Only looking at things through my lens, I was not thinking about the lessons I’ve learned from sports.

But the more I began to actually really think about it from another perspective, the more I realized that just because I can’t relate to something, does not mean that I should not be willing to listen.

Many athletes are speaking up because they’ve had first-hand experiences with these issues, and instead of simply staying quiet, they’ve chosen to use their platform to create awareness and better our communities — something we should be applauding instead of trying to tear down.

Sports are also quite literally my livelihood, and the things that happen within this industry actually impact on me — so if I’m able to understand and accept what players are trying to accomplish, then so can the rest of the “stick to sports” crowd.

I made the choice to turn my passion it into a career, but it’s because of how highly I believe in the power of sports — and the impact they can have on our lives.

It doesn’t matter how old you are or what sport you like, but I would venture to guess that most of us fell in love with them because they made us feel inspired.

Why else would we lose our minds over watching something that we have no control over, by people we have never met, yet we feel like we’ve known them our whole lives?

Because that’s the power sport will always have, to inspire and unite people like few other things can.

We use sports as a way to teach children to deal with life –by preaching hard work, resiliency, and teamwork in order to succeed, right?

If that is the case — which I believe with every fiber of my being that sports do teach us these important lessons — then why are we still upset about athletes using their platforms to try to create change?

If you support a player on the field, then you should at least try and listen to what they have to say off of it — and people who simply want better for their community, their families, or their country shouldn’t be ridiculed for this and will not be ignored any longer.

Jackie Robinson once said that “a life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives,” and with today being Jackie Day, it’s important to remember why sports matter now more than ever.

Like when Robinson courageously broke the color barrier in 1947, the impact of todays’ athletes taking a stand for social justice will be felt for years to come, with sports being a driving force to progress.

Let’s continue to listen, and be the best teammates for one another that we can be.