Comparative Studies

UK 

• Development of English Nation began a thousand years before USA
• Did not Have a Frontier to extend but gave expansion overseas.
• Sport helped to develop UK traditions influencing it over the empire
• Cricket reflected the British class system and English Values
• Influence of UK sport came from English Public Schools
• Taking part was more important then winning
• Dominated ethos (moral integrity and good sportsmanship)
• UK braced commercialism in late 20th century 
• Developed Fair Play and Sportsmanship

USA

• Development little more then 200 years old (young culture)
• History of Frontierism (Western expansion)
• Adopted Isolation to develop new sports, reject english sports
• Cricket didnt fit in because did not reflect values of UK
• Traditional Universities played impact on Sports
• Win Ethic ( Lombardianism and professionalism)
• Cult of manliness
• Commercialism in early 20th century

UK

• Population 62 million (high population density) Produce social interaction and communication
• Remote areas (no areas of genuine wilderness)
• One type of Climate (limiting potential for winter sport persuits)
• Motorways, Rail and air routes for international communication in UK and USA influencing professional Sport
• Railways facilitated organised sport expanding urban areas and countryside

USA

• 300 million with a low population density
• Large unpopulated areas of wilderness (great outdoors) 
• Large ranges of latitude and altitude (range of climate zone)
• Winter climate (mountain ranges) Winter olympic games
• Good travel for international communication same as UK
• Professional sports like baseball were helped by railway system

UK

• Monarch - head of State, Prime minister - head of government (which developed governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland)
• Decentralised through local government
• Professional sports are becoming increasingly commercialized but still controlled by Governing bodies
• Decentralisation is less evident in Governments national curriculum

USA

• Strong democratic Influence
• No hereditary class system
• Committed to a decentralised model of control - reflected in each state
• Decentralisation evident as there is no national curriculum - Government have little responsibility for sport (self funded)
• Capitalist economy  (encouraged Commercialisation of sport)
• Professional sport operates as a business to maximise profit

UK

• Amateur ethic was dominant during 19th and most of 20th century
• Participation was more important in 19th and 20th century
• Strong input through governing bodies (not to a business extent)
• Coverage in 1960's was avoided
• 1960s only 10 sports could be shown on 2 channels
• Was presented in a traditional Way
• Not as much sponsorship in 1960's much slowly accepted
• Class privilege presented the American dream from occurring            

USA

• Professional sports became commercial businesses
• Lombardian ethos created an image of entertainment
• Sport organised as a business for profit making
• Coverage was encouraged
• A great amount of Media
• Sport was presented as entertainment
• Big four embraced business opportunities
• Dream is the keystone to american Culture (Wealth)

• In later part of 20th Century - cricket and rugby changed to commercialised model
• Associated with the golden triangle (sport, media, sponsership)
•  Association football is the only UK sport that can match the big 4
• UK is copying the USA model

HOWEVER

• Companies have known to collapse under the Media finance
• Withdrawal of media finance can occur in the UK because of promotion and relegation 
• However in USA relegation is not part of professional sport scene.
• RFU is now a highly commercialised sport which had roots of public school system
• Cricket has adopted a 2020 version which has entertainment appeal 

• Opportunity -  chance to take part / achieve to highest standard    
• Provision - Conditions, equipment and facilities to take part                      
• Esteem - Confidence in participation and reaching highest level

UK

• The right to freedom 
• Working as part of a team (public schools)
• Mixed economy plays a greater role in team work then a capitalist economy
• Fair play over rides win at all costs
• However winning is more important now in professional due to commercial of sport
• Participation rather then competitive 
• Overcome discrimination (same as USA)

USA

• American dream (individuality/opportunity - equal)
• Small minority of wealthiest people in USA can dominate society
• Win at all costs
• Winning outcome important - but process to this more important

• Even most democratic system can not give fair and equal opportunity (class system and WASP domination - ethnic group) 
• WASP in USA was dominating culture
• In UK was based into social class with barriers (which are less now)
• UK and USA organisation and structure is less defined

UK 

• Curriculum subject up to age of 16 
• High status
• Determined by government
• Perceived as a essential education experience
• P.E has been placed to achieve high academic results

USA

• Daily P.E has been withdrawn in many states
• School board controls curriculum
• Individual states have control - strong teacher autonomy
• P.E considered limited educational value

Awards are given to schools who are delivering a high standard of p.e in Primary schools, secondary schools, and across the school sport partnership 

UK 

• Sports colleges (receiving additional funding to increase opportunities)
• School Sport partnerships (Bring together sport college with schools to increase participation)
• Professional development (Of teachers and coaches improving quality of lessons)
• Step into sport (young people 14-19 to be involved with sports leadership)
• Club links (Strengthen links between schools and sport clubs)
• Gifted and talented (Help young people with an ability to develop core skills)
• Sporting playgrounds (Primary school playgrounds promoting play)
• High quality physical education and school sport (how a school can improve the quality of p.e)

USA

• Physical education for process (Improve quality)
• Adapted physical programmes  (special needs)
• Title IX government legislation  (gender/equality)

UK

• Part of national curriculum - organised by schools
• Benefits: Cognitive challenge, Leadership, Environmental appreciation, physical challenge, social experiences
• Drawbacks: Expensive, may not be a local natural environment, health and safety, important lessons may be missed, teacher cover will be needed for missing lessons

USA

• Summer camps - not organised by schools
• 3 types: State sponsored camps (less wealthy children), Camps sponsored by businesses, Commercial camps (extremely expensive)
• Benefits: Self discovery, new skills, Independence, active healthy lifestyle, knowledge, enrichment, cultural experiences, challenge 

UK

• Teachers, organise fixtures, local schools leagues
• organised as extra - curricular activities after school
• Take place on school fields 
• Free to watch 
• Sponsership not widespread
• P.E teacher in charge
• P.E not considered to be a high status in sport
• Scholarships are not very common
• Little media attention
• Participation more important
• Available to all children

USA

• National advisory body controls competition 
• takes place in evening to attract spectators
• Played in high school stadiums 
• Heavily rely on sponsership
• Best players awarded scholarships
•  media attention (large crowds)

UK

• 30% of young people are overweight
• 38% of adults overweight
• Fitness levels have reached an all time low
• Mass participation rates are higher in UK
• Reason for greater participation in UK may be due to the traditions of amateur commitment and team involvement
• Significant increase in gym membership in the UK

Strategies that promote Mass participation

• Sportsmatch (Clubs and faciliity organisations)
• Special interest groups (Groups that tend to not participate in sport)
• Sport England (Promotes Mass participation)
• National Governing Bodies (funding for young people to take up sport)
• Local Initiatives (Community sport providers for all abilities and age groups)

USA

• 15% of American 6-19 year olds are regarded as clinically obese
• 40 million people considered obese
• 75% of Americans are not reaching basic activity recommendations
• Gym and Jogging culture have been evident since 1950's
• In the USA the emphasis is placed on the individual or groups of friends to form a team

Strategies that promote mass participation

• Midnight leagues ( Sport during unsociable hours - Basketball)
• Inter - mural sports (Schools playing against one another)
• Intra-mural sports (recreational sports taking place within the high school - open to all students)
• Little league (Organisation of junior sports that take place)
• The Amateur Athletic Union (organisation of sport leagues and comps)

UK

• Association football, cricket, rugby union  and rugby league - have governing body schemas to develop talent
• Clubs have development teams to identify professional players
• Olympics performers are developed through the sports institutes of UK by UK sport
• UK sport - responsibilty of producing sporting excellence (they want to acheive 4th place at the olympics). They ensure that athletic performance have a professional focus
• Sport Institutes- provide support to elite performers. They have instigated the success of the olympic team
• There are 4 main ones: English institute of sport, Scottish Institute of sport, Welsh institute of sport, Sports institute of nothern ireland
• they provide: Coaching programmes, sport science and medicine, physiotherapy, nutrition advice, performance analysis, lifestyle advice.

USA

• Through the educational system
• Apart from baseball
• There is no American equivalant of UK sport
• USA government only provides a small amount of finacial support
• High school performer given schlorship grant
• College sport provides the progressive step into professional sport
• Big four make vast profits from sponsers and media interest
• Can be under qualified if good at sport
• Sport loses its educational value from win at all costs- more about finance
• Coachers and trainers make a high amount of money
• Student athlete does not get paid
• commit to as many as 50 hours of sport per week
• Pro draft system focuses on selecting best college players

USA

• Centrality (sporting positions with decision-making responsibilites) - It endorsed racial hierachy (eg. positions preserve of white mainstream players)
• Stacking (Practise of putting players belonging to ethnic minority into peripheral positions. These positions required considerable athleticism but minimal strategic influence)
• Tokenism (Hiring a small group of people from ethnic minority to give an impression of a non discriminatory opportunity policy
• White Flight (White players have withdrawn from basketball, increasingly being perceived to African Americans
• Glass Ceiling (Division between two layers of society- people below can see their ambition and where they wish to occupy

Origins: Boys played early forms (rounders) during colonial period. Played mainly by the youth of working class.

Nature: Bursts of action and quick sprinting (very little dead time) therefore satisfied the fast pace of American life. There are no drawn games

In Industry: Major league Baseball business is massive. 32 000 people per game attend (high commercial value)

Sport, Sponsership and Media: 

• Most popular game in USA
• First sport to attract media attention
• World series (major baseball competition) 

Origins: Adapted from English rugby. Comes from Ivy league colleges 

Nature: High impact collision game (aggressive) Helmets and padding as physical contact. There are no drawn games

In Industry: National Football League profit making industry.  NFL is more lucrative than the premiership football league

Sport, Sponsership and Media:

• Superbowl (viewing figures of 130 million- television commercial breaks costs 2.5 million 

Origins: Invented in America at YMCA training school (successful in high schools)

Nature: Fast game (play moves quickly) quick passing movements and frequent scoring. No drawn games

In industry: Teams make up 13% of franchised sport in America. National Basketball association is organised as a business cartel. 

Sport, Sponsership, Media: 

• Part of entertainment industry (media appeal)
• Commercial advertising fits easily into the many breaks
• Game of the inner city - popularity has been increased by midnight leagues

Origins: Adapted from icy hurly  and rules were unified by McGill university. Origins in the colleges (ice hockey national tournament for universities

Nature: High impact collision game (aggressive). High speeds, physical contact.  Hockey stick encourages violent play. No drawn games = Zero sum ethos

In industry: Popularity stimulated by Olympic gold medal success. Canadian teams relocated to america now 20 of the 26 teams are located in USA. Canadian players outnumber Americans. 

Sport, Sponsership and Media:

• Last to join big four- has developed spectator and media appeal
• Attractive to commercial sponsership