DeLand, FL
Everyone enjoys sports, from watching the games live at the stadiums, to watching it with friends and family. Sports generate around 700 billion U.S. dollars which equates to around 1% of the global GDP. In particular, Americans enjoy sports, watching it for hours at a time.
The four major professional sports in the United States account for about one-tenth of one percent of national economic activity (as measured by gross domestic product, or GDP). However, in other countries in the world, people view sports as a “waste of time.” They believe that watching sports provides little to no scientific knowledge and that there are no professional careers in this industry (from a STEM perspective).
All of those assumptions are wrong. Science is the backbone for sports as it causes improvements to the athletes' technical ability. From hitting a home run, to the launch angle of a throw, every little detail and technique involved in sports requires science and math.
Many careers relate to science and sports. One example includes an exercise physiologist, someone who studies how the fitness impact's someones body in order to enable their patients to improve their health. Just one more example of the many career paths out there includes a sports psychologist, who helps athletic patients better perform with the mental demands of their sport.
A real life story in which science positively impacted sports was through technology. In 2018, the National Football League (NFL) implemented a new helmet using high-geared technology. At that time, there were numerous concussions, so the NFL decided to implement newer technology with the help of science. This new helmet was designed and saved the mental well-being of many athletes across the world.
This story is just one of many that science and math are connected to sports. Science and math are actually applicable to a lot more than meets the eye. The STEM field is present in our everyday lives even if we don't think it is. For example, if you enjoy cooking, measuring all the necessary ingredients takes mathematical calculation. This is just one of thousands, if not millions, of ways that math and science appear in our daily life.
Be a good sport and register for some STEME events!
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