Activities that were once a common right of passage risk becoming the preserve of the affluent and ultratalented.
For years, basketball obsessives have followed the exploits of Bronny James, the oldest son of NBA star LeBron James and an impressive athlete in his own right. LeBron has said he wants to end his career playing next to his son, a somewhat far-fetched idea that has nevertheless fueled speculation that teams will draft Bronny to recruit his still formidable father.
The perverse dynamics of social media, which favor astounding highlights or embarrassing failures, likely encourage the development of a spectator mentality among young people. Most children are not destined for athletic greatness, and if your idea of basketball is shaped by a video of Bronny James dunking followed by a clip of someone tripping over his shoelaces, you might reasonably conclude that actually playing is a bad idea unless you’re already really good.
Meanwhile, many affluent families have embraced boutique sports that require specialized, and expensive, equipment and facilities, often as a way of burnishing college resumes. As the now-infamous Varsity Blues sting operation revealed, activities such as water polo, rowing, and sailing have become back doors into prestigious universities. No offense to sailing enthusiasts, but a sport that requires access to a boat is unlikely to foster a broad culture of athletic participation.
The consequences of this decline are likely to be profound and long-lasting. Children who never play on a team will be less active for the rest of their lives and less comfortable navigating physical spaces. The recent spike in pedestrian deaths suggests that this could have deadly consequences, to say nothing of the U.S.’s struggles with obesity, which contributes to everything from declining life expectancy to reduced military readiness.
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