Sports had been in existence since the Olympics started in 776 BC, which is more than 2500 years now. Games of all nature were played but boxing was the favorite game. The players were naked at that time. Since then a lot have changed and games are now international, and the torch moves to various countries.
So if sports were sacred from that time, and billions are spent on sports and teams, more than millions are spent on sport merchandising, and adverts are paid and players are bought and so on, why is it hard for people to take up that major in sports and exercise science? By people I mean the sports people, the parents, the schools and so on.
Everyone will remember the first game they won a trophy in, but the fact remains that taking a major in sports is not heard of in our countries. People still focus on medicine, dentistry, law, business. Why is it so?
I feel that studying sports is important to the country, we need people that know this business, as it’s a multi-billion-dollar business. We have Gyms, sports equipment shops, sport food shops, sport clothing shops, sport clubs, sport etc., and all of this industry needs people that know the ins and outs of it.
The universities around the world all have this major, some of the universities even restrict the programme as it requires athletes to enter it, one is required to show sporting activity since young age. Many sports scholarships also exist, as most universities have teams in almost every branch of sports, and they need people to play in those teams; these people will be chosen for their track records in playing the game before being given the scholarship.
Sports and exercise science as a programme can cater for all types of sports (including tennis and golf) and at time it has sports medicine too. Some of the majors in this programme are as follows:
- Sports performance (based on anatomy, biomechanics, nutrition and physiology, fitness assessment and exercise prescription)
- Coaching
- Exercise Science and Nutrition
- Health and Physical Education
- Management
- Outdoor Education
- Old age sports
- Plus, other majors in this degree that are coming up every year
Thus, students need to start thinking of it, if they are keen athletes.