Leisure At The International Scale: SPORT

Cross Country RankCountryNo. Of Participants In Global Top 200GNI Per Capita (2007) US$ 1Kenya581,600 2Ethiopia USA1346,000 4Japan1233,800 5Morocco103,800 6France1033,800 7Spain933,700 8Portugal721,800 9UK635,300 10Russia614,600

Golf RankCountryNo. Of Participants In Global Top 200GNI Per Capita (2007) US$ 1USA9646,000 2UK2735,300 3Japan1633,800 4Australia1637,500 5Sweden1336,900 6South Africa510,600 7Argentina413,000 8Spain333,700 9Ireland245,600 10Germany234,400

Factors Affecting Participation In Sport There are many variations of sporting activity by nations. The USA, for example, is strong on Baseball, American Football, and Basketball. In contrast, Cricket is largely played in parts of the former British Empire. Galic Football and Hurling are played almost exclusively in Ireland. Australian Rules Football is played mostly in… (wait for it)… Australia. Global sports include REAL Football and Athletics.

Physical Factors A number of Physical Factors have an impact on sporting participation and success such as… Skiing and winter sports are associated with areas, such as the Alps, that have regular and reliable snow in winter. Coastal areas with large plunging breakers produce ideal conditions for surfing, such as Hawaii and California. Hilly areas can promote mountain biking, as in the case of Wales. Rivers and lakes promote fishing. It has been suggested that the increase in red blood cell concentration at high altitude favours long-distance runners in the high-altitude regions of Kenya and Ethiopia.

Human Factors Most sports take place in sporting venues, such as tennis courts, football pitches, and swimming pools. Thus, physical geographical factors might not be as important as human factors. There is a strong correlation between economic wealth and the provision of sporting facilities. Most golf courses are found in MEDC’s and NIC’s. An obvious exception to this is the large number of golf courses that may be located in LEDC’s for the benefit of tourists.

Political Factors The “Eastern Bloc” uses sports to show how successful the communist system is. The Emergent Nation Model for South-East Asia and Africa often uses organisations such as the police force and the army to develop its sporting talent. The American Model is based on competition and rewarding success.

Political Factors In the UK, the government has attempted to use sport to develop underprivileged areas and rural areas. In some LEDC’s, a lack of funding means that sports resources are limited. This is especially important in explaining variations in success in sport. Within the education system, boarding schools are often seen as having superior facilities to day schools (non-boarding).

Social Factors Some people cannot afford membership fees associated with certain sports. Golf clubs are generally expensive. Boxing is a sport generally associated with a working-class population. Polo is another sport that is largely the preserve of the wealthy.

Cultural Factors Low participation of Muslim women in Athletics and Swimming. The convention for Muslim women to remain robed means that successful Muslim athletes, such as the Moroccan middle-distance runner Hasna Benhassi, receive much criticism at home.

Activity How can various factors affect peoples’ participation in sport for those living in MEDC’s, NIC’s, and LEDC’s? (15 marks). Explain your answer commenting on Human, physical, political, social, and cultural reasons. (Maybe a table would be useful)