It has not been understood exactly that the sports sector affects the environment or not. The information regarding this matter is still incomplete. However, it is quite clear the sports sector has got a massive reach. It has a social platform that can be very useful in order to influence people such as the fans and those who watch sports with a lot of interest. By utilizing this reach and, sports can influence people regarding sustainability. According to the associate professor Brian McCullough of the sports management at the A & M University Texas, the organizations of sports should be very proactive regarding sustainability if they want to enhance their Business performance, want to attract new fans, or get love from their existing fans.
How is Climate Change affecting Sports? What can be expected in the future?
This one of the most repeatedly asked questions. If we take the sports analogy in this situation, there will be a loser and a winner. Climate change can significantly affect sports such as surfing and winter sports. These games or sports are conducted during the month of winters. Due to climate change, the winter month can be reduced a lot. This would ultimately make it tough to conduct events such as the Winter Olympics. It will be a massive loss for winter sports. Moreover, holding these events in various eligible cities would also be very challenging due to the chances of natural disasters.
If we talk about rain and cricket, the most affected countries are India and England. Australian Open 2020 was also impacted by the intense wildfires, which also cancelled the Baseball contests in Seattle. The hurricanes in the Eastern Seaboard and the Gulf are also a few examples of the changes affecting sports in different parts of the world, which is expected to continue.
Climate changes do impact sports as they get cancelled in order to ensure the safety of human life. However, it also affects the businesses and results in huge losses. Extended road games had to be played after Hurricane Harvey. At that time, the sports market of Houston was displaced, and it was not easy to host the games or to allow the fans to travel to the stadiums.
These examples clearly explain how climate changes can affect sports organizations financially and can destroy their businesses. These examples also show how participation and the way games are played in change due to climate change. During extreme heat, the game plan and the training period are different, while on the other hand, during other conditions, it is changed. This all explains that sports are vulnerable to the changes in the climate and it should always be prepared to confront these changes in order to operate smoothly.
Your Research Regarding The Sports And Environment:
As far as my research regarding the sports and environment is concerned, I have found out that most of the sports organizations have a limited view regarding the environment. They do not consider other external factors that cause pollution or impact the environment, such as transport, waste production, and food consumption.
I have also noticed that the upper management of these sports organizations does not support the teams in this regard. Due to this, they do not indulge in initiatives regarding sustainability.
We have also found out that the campaigns stated to make the fans aware of sustainability can be very useful and fruitful. It does have some positive impact on the fans by making them realize what they should do and what they should not in order to maintain sustainability while attending any of the events of sports.
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What should the sports body do considering the matter of sustainability?
The first thing they should do is to analyze the environmental impacts and then should make a plan of action in order to confront them effectively. One of the examples is of Seattle Marines, who conducted facility upgrades and Energy audits. Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Sounders, and Ohio State University Athletics Department are other examples of that.
Various sports clubs are using renewable energy in their stadiums which is the most effective way of avoiding the issues related to climate change.
In order to be successful in the movement of sustainability, it is essential to be innovative as it is not merely a destination but a whole journey.