Sport – Merit or Not?

By Radical Rhymes

I have come to accept that society is based on truths and fictions, and that some of the fictions are not easy to challenge. One that many people don’t like to acknowledge is that sport is not always about merit. It should be, shouldn’t it? After all, if you can run or jump or throw faster or further than someone else that should be it. But it isn’t.

Looking around we can see that socioeconomic factors are strongly correlated with sporting success and achievements. When population and other variables are considered the picture we are presented with looks very different: Olympic medals: An alternative table – with US 15th – BBC News

Some sports have historically been the preserve of minority ethnic groups and/or poorer or working-class people. Boxing, football and athletics have perhaps been more ‘democratic’ in terms of participation and spectatorship. They have required less specialist facilities and equipment.

Other sports, like polo, golf and sailing might have a wider appeal than previously, given media coverage etc., but they are not as easy to access. They are expensive to participate in and beyond the means of most people. I hesitate to make too many sweeping statements about sport without engaging in far reaching research, but these are common sense observations.

One sport that seems to be pushing the notion of wider participation is cricket, in the UK at least. However, my perception is that from a slight shift away from upper- and middle-class domination of the sport which occurred in the 1970s, there has been a sharp swing back to elitism.

My son was nominated for a prestigious regional tournament recently, and he was the only state school kid involved. The rest all went to public schools. This represents the new reality of cricket in this country. If you want to play cricket professionally your odds are significantly higher if you attend a private educational institution.

On the one hand this reflects the reality that these kids have access to the best facilities and resources, including coaching, on the other it is an artifact of the sale of school playing fields that the Conservatives facilitated in the 1980s. Cricket is becoming the preserve of those who can afford it once again. It is a key example of sporting social closure, whatever the ECB and other authorities claim.

On top of that you also see a strong current of nepotism. If you are the offspring of a professional cricketer your chances of being pushed and promoted are also much higher than otherwise. The same tournament saw several famous sons included in it. Sometimes class and nepotism go hand in hand as sporting success and financial rewards are frequently synonymous.

I can’t talk with any authority about the positions of countries outside the UK, nor really about sports beyond cricket, but within these parameters I can say with great confidence that merit is only one consideration where sporting prowess and achievement are concerned.

And things look set to deteriorate further unless something is done. Freddie Flintoff is taking a stand and trying to raise awareness about these issues. I sincerely hope he succeeds.

Radical Rhymes is a professional artist working with a range of media – predominantly animal/human portraits and landscapes – including, most recently, hand painted furniture. You can see his work on Instagram Radicalrhymes1969 or on Twitter @RhymesRadical.

For commissions, please contact him on Twitter via Direct Message or by email at: radicalrhymes@outlook.com His work is also available to buy on Etsy

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