American Sport Interests too Narrow

Beck Chambers, Staff Writer
June 5, 2018

Americans are sport enthusiasts, whether it’s the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, or Major League Baseball. Unfortunately, the scope of American sport interests remains narrow, and as a result, there are students who miss out on athletic opportunities they would otherwise discover to be more suitable to their individual attributes.

Here is a countdown of some of the most under appreciate sports that American high school students would be wise to consider.

7. Cricket: Cricket was brought to the American colonies by the British. Yet, our National Cricket team gets little attention. The squad is ranked among those in the International cricket championship (ICC) of league 3 after a 4th place finish in Uganda.

6. Badminton: The US national team does very well. The sport is played in the Olympics. In April, according to teamusa.org “3 Americans played in the VI Argentina International 2018, with all 3 placing in the top 4. The event is part of the Badminton World Federation Future Series.” These young players are not even in high school and are already showing dominance in the international stage.

5. Tennis: There have been many great American tennis players, from John McEnroe to Serena Williams.  Williams has won most grand slam single titles (23). Andy Roddick won Wimbolden in 2009 .

4. Curling. Traditionally a Norther European sport most common in Sweden and other Scandinavian countries, the USA mens’ curling team was able to come away with the gold in the Olympics at Pyeongchang.

3. Diving/Synchronized Swimming: Campolindo sent divers to the state championships this year, and USA women’s synchronized swim team includes current Campolindo students.

2. Cross country Skiing: The athletes who compete in this sport deserve the highest respect. The sport requires skill and endurance. In the recent winder Olympics, Americans were able to come away with the 1st  medal by an American women, the 1st gold by any gender, and the 1st medal of any color since Bill Koch took the silver at 30 kilometers in 1976, according to the LA Times.

1. Handball: The sport is European dominated. According to The Boston Globe “If you watch one game, it’s abundantly clear that the United States is stocked with potential talent.”