Patriotism in American Athletics: A Cross Section of Society
I vividly remember being selected as a captain for my high-school lacrosse team during my senior year. It was a euphoric moment to say the least. Not only was I given the opportunity to lead my team in a metaphorical sense, but I was also given the great privilege of carrying the American flag when my team walked out before games. This euphoric moment that I experienced raised a question in my mind, why did carrying the flag make me feel so formidable, so connected? Furthermore, did this pride and loyalty I felt in my given sport extend beyond my experiences, does it reach beyond lacrosse, or even the sports themselves? I certainly believe so, I think that American sports can establish patriotism by fostering a sense of pride and community among athletes, fans, and society as a whole through various rituals such as flag walkouts, flyovers, and the national anthem.
Patriotism is apparent in the American sports world through a number of different rituals. The walking out of flags is a great example of patriotism shown from the lens of athletes. As someone who has walked out the American flag, I can say that the experience is surreal. Bearing the symbol of freedom makes one feel powerful. It creates a sense of pride for paying homage to those who have laid down their lives for the benefit of society. It makes you feel like the most American individual alive, within that moment.
However, shifting to the lens of the sports fans in the U.S. also provides some perspective into the community sense created by this patriotism, there are certain traditions like the playing of The Star-Spangled Banner, which is a guarantee at every major American sporting event, and even most sports events in general. All together, fans rise and take off their caps to show respect, many people place their hands over their hearts, seemingly trying to touch their soul, to connect to the feelings of patriotism experienced when the anthem is played.
There are also unique patriotic opportunities presented in many sporting events such as the witnessing of an Air Force flyover, a magical experience representing the power of the United States.
Observing one of these events is a staple memory in my mind and the minds of many American kids. At sporting events at which a flyover occurs, the common theme seems to be the look of awe plastered on the faces of kids all over the stadium.
These patriotic sporting events in the U.S. instill a sense of community via similar thoughts and feelings within citizens, “US adults recognize that sports teach love of country, competition as a way of life, respect for the military, and how to be American.” Rituals like stadium flyovers, the national anthem, and the walking out of the American flag, allow people to be brought together under the love for their country. The tall post at every stadium with the American flag strung up high, finalizes this stern connection between American sporting events and patriotism instilled by these sports. The ever present symbol serves as a constant reminder of what it means to be an American. When fans, coaches, players, and anyone at these sporting events look up and see the stars and stripes waving above them, they are filled with pride for the country that they are a part of.
The patriotic undertones that are ever present in American sports through rituals such as walking out the flag, singing The Star Spangled Banner, flyovers, and even just the presence of the flag post at every stadium, foster a sense of pride and community among fans, athletes and overall society, by bringing people together under a similar identity.
Works Cited
Knoester, C., & Davis, E. A. (2022). Patriotism, competition, nationalism, and respect for the military in US sports: Public recognition of American institutionalized sports nationalism. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 57(7), 1021-1043. https://doi.org/10.1177/10126902211048769