THE GREAT QATSPY® The Quapaw Aviation Tactical Sportswear Performance Yukon Outfitters The Yellowstone Papers
By: Charles W. Boatright
How Sports Have Improved All Our Lives– Some Commentators Critical of Sports, Football in Particular Don’t Understand its Positive Impact
One of my most enjoyments about writing articles on history, sports, health, and fitness is the research required to produce an article based on facts and hard data; and not just my opinion. You want to maintain your credibility and provide people with information that will improve their lives and social well-being.
People, when they either discuss or offer their views on sports, sometimes present their views on sports as being purely as a form of entertainment. Sports as an entertainment element of our lives is just one small component of sports. Sports are a vital part of our health, fitness, and social well-being, not just for the athlete alone, but for all of us, even as spectators. Sports should be a major part of all our lives for the aforementioned reasons of health, fitness, and social well-being.
Here’s why sports are important to us, especially as we age- To participate in sports requires health and fitness that provide a need for staying in shape. Staying in shape helps us to avoid the ravages of aging that occur if we don’t maintain an active lifestyle . In the above feature image, I’m shown at a Mississippi State Game on November 12, 2022, where the Bulldogs were playing none other than No. 1 Georgia. Sports isn’t just my business, but a vital part of my health and fitness, as being involved in sports since I could remember has helped me maintain my health and fitness, even today at age 65.
To make my point on how sports has drastically improved all our lives, I would like to single out just two sports that had a huge, positive impact on our lives that we don’t often consider. I’m just going to focus on the sport of NASCAR and the sport of Football in this article.
Let’s take the Sport of NASCAR in regards to our automobiles-
NASCAR has had an enormous impact on safety and performance of our automobiles driving on a daily basis.
NASCAR In the Area of SAFETY– Seat belts, crumple zone technology, vehicle frames safety, air bags, tires technology, safety glass, aerodynamic designs for safer handling, computer analysis of the vehicle status, barricade technology on our highways and interstates, energy dissipators, pavement surfaces, and anti-rollover technology.
Here’s a personal note- My Toyota 4-Runner tire light came on yesterday. I took my air gauge and started checking the air pressure in all my tires. The right rear tire was low on pressure. That computer analysis was a great benefit for me in the driving that I do for my sportswear and performance business, THE QATSPY® .
These are just a few safety factors that NASCAR has brought to the automobile industry that has improved safety for millions of us that drive on a daily or weekly basis. If seat belts are used, your ability to survive a vehicle crash significantly improves astronomically; PLEASE DO A WALK AROUND & BUCKLE UP!
NASCAR In the Area of PERFORMANCE– I already mentioned tire safety that has improved enormously in performance in traction and providing a great ride. Oil Technology- Turbocharged engines run hotter and oil has improved for engine performance where we are getting better performance with better and cleaner fuel economy. Anti-Lock brakes, power steering, transmission performance in gear ratios. The biggest is engine performance where a 4- cylinder turbocharged engine can provide the same performance of a 6- cylinder.
Benefits of Football
Now let’s look at Football that has been played since 1869, that’s four (4) years after the American Civil War ended. Let’s focus on how Football has advanced the field of Medicine and Physical Fitness that we all have access to:
Medical– Orthopedic surgery and rehabilitation- Arthroscopic procedures, knee and hip surgeries that can be performed as outpatients. I have had both knees done 4- times and a hip replacement from an injury I had in the U.S. Army. Back surgery and rehabilitation, Physical therapy techniques, Training techniques to prevent injuries, diet to improve players performance and health, Neurological techniques to prevent concussions, and medical sportswear for protection and performance.
If you are going to have a medical emergency, a baseball or a football stadium has the best response to get you stabilized and on your way to the hospital. Medical procedures developed for football have benefited all of us every time we see our doctor or have to go to the hospital.
Just like World War I created a need and demand for reconstructive surgery that caused the medical field to develop the field of Esthetic surgery, or plastic surgery. This field of Plastic Surgery addressed the facial and head injuries from WWI. This caused disfigurement for both soldiers and Marines along the western front during what was called trench warfare. What World War I did for the need of plastic surgery, Football did for sports medicine and its advancements.
Fitness and Diet– The technology and advanced training have improved performance on the field and in the gym and physical rehab across the country. The NFL teams’ fitness regimens have transitioned to high schools and college level. No time in the history of the world have we seen athletic performance on the level or scale that we have witnessed in the past decade. This same health and fitness is available to us as we age. I depend on my health and fitness in the modeling I do for my sportswear and performance business.
This fitness and diet that the NFL teams have developed has gained the awareness of people in their mid 40’s, 50’s, and even in their 60’s to be conscious of their health and fitness. I watch my diet and weight like a hawk. This has allowed people to reassess aging, where people are more active and living longer without the negative impact or restriction of aging. People over the age of 60 are rethinking their lifestyle by participating in some form of sport, fitness, and also attending sporting events that have huge benefits for people’s psyche, social well-being.
It has been proven that even being a spectator at a sporting event has a huge impact on the emotional and mental health of people and allows them to engage with others of all ages. Outside of the weather being a major part of our conversations, the conversation about sports can bring complete strangers together even if they root for different teams. This is the social well-being that I was explaining in this article on the importance of sports.
NOTE: As important as sports is to athletes and spectators alike, weather is to aviators that is a part of their preflight procedures to read weather forecasts and weather bulletins before takeoff. We take thunderstorms just as seriously as we do tornado watches. Wind shear in a thunderstorm cell can make for a bad day in aviation.
I listen to WJTV-12 weather team here in Jackson, Mississippi every morning before going to the hangar. Their weather forecast gives me an overview of the weather that I need. I depend on Chief Meteorologist Ken South, and his staff of Meteorologists– Gracie Dencausse, Brianna Medina, Jake Dalton and Scottlin Williams that is now in Alabama, along with Jacob Lanier now in Kansas, and John Conway in Maryland for my weather updates overview. I don’t want to leave out my favorite news anchorperson, Margaret Ann Carter now in North Carolina.
One other thing that sports does, it makes you think younger and keep up with statistics that help stimulate the neurological component of our health and fitness. I go back to an age-ravaging disease of Parkinson’s and how fitness and sports is a great therapy for maintaining muscular control, especially with yoga, boxing bag workout, and ping-pong. To sum it up, Sports either as a participant or spectator is vital to our social well-being.
Even at age 65, I did an AB Challenge after our photoshoot back in October of 2022 for our TOP ACE- U.S. NAVY FIGHTER WEAPONS SCHOOL Collection. Below is my AB Challenge:
