This was a great video about how the American model of privatization and consolidation of youth sports has led to not just less access to the non rich but also fewer elite athletes.
This was a great video about how the American model of privatization and consolidation of youth sports has led to not just less access to the non rich but also fewer elite athletes.
I don't know about anyone else but I have given up watching Olympics in our OTA broadcast channel. It don't matter if they are local (meaning within our time zones) or in this case Milan. The...
I don't know about anyone else but I have given up watching Olympics in our OTA broadcast channel. It don't matter if they are local (meaning within our time zones) or in this case Milan. The broadcasting is just terrible. It's rarely ever live and by the time you get to watch it, it's already over, full of commentary and commercials! I am done! I am hoping to watch hockey (not just Team USA but also others), but most probable I won't be able to do that either so I figure I will get the results after it's done, as said before, access to the sport is necessary. Without that, interest from the younger generation won't be there and impact is felt afterwards.
Or any of a number of sites that are just a search phrase away... When the choices are barely functional ad-supported sports OTA or overpriced ad-supported barely functional cable sports packages...
Or any of a number of sites that are just a search phrase away...
When the choices are barely functional ad-supported sports OTA or overpriced ad-supported barely functional cable sports packages (looking at you Sportsnet), well the only answer is to go over to your "friend's place"
Link without YouTube's Embedded Tracker This is fascinating, it's not just Winter Olympics, it's also Youth Hockey, Male Loneliness, and even nepotism. Basically, privatized capitalism without...
This is fascinating, it's not just Winter Olympics, it's also Youth Hockey, Male Loneliness, and even nepotism. Basically, privatized capitalism without restraint picks everyone's pockets. There are solutions offered, however, an absolute rarity in these kinds of essays and for that alone it's worth the 31 minute watch.
Seems like mostly a geography and culture thing to me. Just focusing on skiing, I feel like maybe it's a good thing that skiing is more expensive. There's a limited number of suitable mountains,...
Seems like mostly a geography and culture thing to me.
Just focusing on skiing, I feel like maybe it's a good thing that skiing is more expensive. There's a limited number of suitable mountains, and they're already pretty crowded. Mostly talking downhill skiing. There's a limited number of places that cross-country skiing is even possible. They mention an increase in median age of skiers, but it doesn't seem to be correcting for increase in median age of the population, which seems to make up for the majority of the effect. Looking at the cost, the $30,000 figure quoted for competitive skiers seems like it has to be mostly travel, given that equipment and passes are probably only several thousand. Is that even a problem? Maybe travel should be expensive, given its impacts on the environment. What is even the solution, here, subsidize travel for young skiers?
Maybe we have bigger problems to use our collective funds on. I'm all for subsidizing local youth sports because of the community aspect, but I'm struggling to see why we should care so much about winter sports specifically.
I think that winter sports are just the easiest ones to spot the class inequality that's inherent to the highest levels of any sport. The high cost and exclusivity of skiing being a good thing...
I think that winter sports are just the easiest ones to spot the class inequality that's inherent to the highest levels of any sport.
The high cost and exclusivity of skiing being a good thing depends on how you look at it. Is skiing a vacation activity or a sport? Should a ski resort cater to locals or to outsiders? Most importantly, why is skiing so expensive and who benefits from the high cost? It certainly isn't skiers or employees of the resorts. Is a ski pass $250 because the resort is trying to protect the ecosystem and give their staff a living wage or is it just because they know that you'll pay that much?
As for why we should care when we have bigger problems? At the risk of oversimplifying things and coming across as an idealist, sports used to teach you how to lose with dignity, how to work with people you may not like, how to face adversity, and how to win with grace. Not to mention the whole host of health benefits from making exercise a regular part of your life. Maybe more sports would eventually help smooth some of those out.
I guess the economics answer is that things that are limited in supply and high in demand should be expensive. That way those who really want to do it can, and those who don't prioritize it won't...
I guess the economics answer is that things that are limited in supply and high in demand should be expensive. That way those who really want to do it can, and those who don't prioritize it won't consider it worth it. There is an element of inequality with this thought, but I would say that it's more of a vacation than a right. I'd say the same thing about concert tickets. Limited availability of a recreational activity means it's ok to be niche and expensive. This isn't milk and bread.
Maybe you missed the last sentence of my previous comment? I'm all for doing sports and subsidizing them for kids. I just don't think they need to involve traveling to the mountains or building a bunch of giant freezers (ice rinks) in cities where it doesn't get very cold in the winter. Might make sense in some areas where you can learn to skate on a local pond in the winter, but I don't know if it's really needed to push winter sport culture if the climate isn't supporting it.
I agree that skiing in particular is a hard one. Many mountains definitely feel too crowded as is. Maybe some destination resorts could bump prices on adult weekend tickets even more (lol) and...
I agree that skiing in particular is a hard one. Many mountains definitely feel too crowded as is. Maybe some destination resorts could bump prices on adult weekend tickets even more (lol) and subsidize youth passes + ski school though.
Ice skating feels a lot more tractable for us to improve participation at least. And our medaling there this year will hopefully help
This was a great video about how the American model of privatization and consolidation of youth sports has led to not just less access to the non rich but also fewer elite athletes.
I don't know about anyone else but I have given up watching Olympics in our OTA broadcast channel. It don't matter if they are local (meaning within our time zones) or in this case Milan. The broadcasting is just terrible. It's rarely ever live and by the time you get to watch it, it's already over, full of commentary and commercials! I am done! I am hoping to watch hockey (not just Team USA but also others), but most probable I won't be able to do that either so I figure I will get the results after it's done, as said before, access to the sport is necessary. Without that, interest from the younger generation won't be there and impact is felt afterwards.
Feel free to get a VPN and watch hockey with us on CBC Gem.
Or any of a number of sites that are just a search phrase away...
When the choices are barely functional ad-supported sports OTA or overpriced ad-supported barely functional cable sports packages (looking at you Sportsnet), well the only answer is to go over to your "friend's place"
Link without YouTube's Embedded Tracker
This is fascinating, it's not just Winter Olympics, it's also Youth Hockey, Male Loneliness, and even nepotism. Basically, privatized capitalism without restraint picks everyone's pockets. There are solutions offered, however, an absolute rarity in these kinds of essays and for that alone it's worth the 31 minute watch.
Seems like mostly a geography and culture thing to me.
Just focusing on skiing, I feel like maybe it's a good thing that skiing is more expensive. There's a limited number of suitable mountains, and they're already pretty crowded. Mostly talking downhill skiing. There's a limited number of places that cross-country skiing is even possible. They mention an increase in median age of skiers, but it doesn't seem to be correcting for increase in median age of the population, which seems to make up for the majority of the effect. Looking at the cost, the $30,000 figure quoted for competitive skiers seems like it has to be mostly travel, given that equipment and passes are probably only several thousand. Is that even a problem? Maybe travel should be expensive, given its impacts on the environment. What is even the solution, here, subsidize travel for young skiers?
Maybe we have bigger problems to use our collective funds on. I'm all for subsidizing local youth sports because of the community aspect, but I'm struggling to see why we should care so much about winter sports specifically.
I think that winter sports are just the easiest ones to spot the class inequality that's inherent to the highest levels of any sport.
The high cost and exclusivity of skiing being a good thing depends on how you look at it. Is skiing a vacation activity or a sport? Should a ski resort cater to locals or to outsiders? Most importantly, why is skiing so expensive and who benefits from the high cost? It certainly isn't skiers or employees of the resorts. Is a ski pass $250 because the resort is trying to protect the ecosystem and give their staff a living wage or is it just because they know that you'll pay that much?
As for why we should care when we have bigger problems? At the risk of oversimplifying things and coming across as an idealist, sports used to teach you how to lose with dignity, how to work with people you may not like, how to face adversity, and how to win with grace. Not to mention the whole host of health benefits from making exercise a regular part of your life. Maybe more sports would eventually help smooth some of those out.
I guess the economics answer is that things that are limited in supply and high in demand should be expensive. That way those who really want to do it can, and those who don't prioritize it won't consider it worth it. There is an element of inequality with this thought, but I would say that it's more of a vacation than a right. I'd say the same thing about concert tickets. Limited availability of a recreational activity means it's ok to be niche and expensive. This isn't milk and bread.
Maybe you missed the last sentence of my previous comment? I'm all for doing sports and subsidizing them for kids. I just don't think they need to involve traveling to the mountains or building a bunch of giant freezers (ice rinks) in cities where it doesn't get very cold in the winter. Might make sense in some areas where you can learn to skate on a local pond in the winter, but I don't know if it's really needed to push winter sport culture if the climate isn't supporting it.
I agree that skiing in particular is a hard one. Many mountains definitely feel too crowded as is. Maybe some destination resorts could bump prices on adult weekend tickets even more (lol) and subsidize youth passes + ski school though.
Ice skating feels a lot more tractable for us to improve participation at least. And our medaling there this year will hopefully help