Bringing America Together Through Global Sports

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of watching the UEFA European Championship match between England and Spain at a sports bar in Philadelphia. The crowd was moderately engaged, with occasional cheers and boos when a goal was saved or scored. However, that evening, I saw videos of the streets of Spain filled with music and cheers celebrating their victory. Although there was enthusiasm in the bar, it made me wonder how our nation would react if we won an international tournament of that magnitude.

The United States is well-known for its diverse and popular sports culture. Becoming a professional athlete is a normalized and attainable endeavor for many Americans. We have baseball, hockey, basketball, and American football—sports widely followed by most Americans. Yet when the Celtics win the finals, the whole nation doesn't react like Spain did; it's just the city of Boston and adjoining areas in New England.

In Spain, the love for soccer unites the entire country. When the national team wins, it becomes a nationwide celebration, transcending regional differences and creating a shared sense of pride and joy. Similarly, in India, cricket is more than a sport; it's a religion that brings people together, regardless of their background or location. The streets erupt in celebration when their national team secures a victory, and the entire country revels in the glory of their athletes.

I realized that no sport in the U.S. competes internationally unites and captivates our population the way soccer does in Spain or the way cricket does in India. Everyone in the U.S. follows their own club sports teams in their respective sports of choice, yet none of us are ever as excited about the U.S. national teams performing internationally as we are about our favorite NFL team playing in the playoffs.

This lack of a unifying sport is not due to a lack of talent or interest in international competitions. The U.S. has world-class athletes in various sports, and our teams often perform admirably on the global stage. However, the fragmented nature of our sports fandom means that these achievements do not generate the same level of national enthusiasm.

Consider the Olympic Games, one of the few events where the U.S. comes together to support its athletes. The pride and excitement we feel during the Olympics demonstrate our potential for national unity through sports. Yet, this fervor fades once the games are over, and we return to our fragmented allegiances to different sports and teams.

I believe we, as a nation, should invest more in sports that are played internationally to unite us. We are a population obsessed with sports, yet we cannot come together for any specific sport on the international stage. We did decently in the previous World Cup, but at the end of the day, nobody had high expectations for our team. Why do we settle for that? We should harness the pride we have for our American sports and use it to project America onto the international podium of athletics.

Investing in sports like soccer and promoting them at the grassroots level could help cultivate a sense of national pride and unity. Encouraging our youth to participate in internationally popular sports and supporting our national teams with the same enthusiasm we reserve for our club teams can elevate our presence on the global stage.

Imagine the impact of a unified American fanbase rallying behind our national teams, celebrating their victories with the same passion we show for our local heroes. It would not only boost our athletes' morale but also strengthen our national identity and bring us closer as a nation.

The potential for American athletics on the global podium is immense. By embracing sports that foster national unity and investing in their growth, we can create a future where the United States is celebrated not just for its domestic sports but also for its achievements on the world stage.

by Harman Kohli