SPORT
EDITED BY NOAH POLL AND ALEX BOWLEY
The Grit of Cross Country by WENCHY LAI
Cross country is not a sport for the weak. It requires tenacity, discipline, and a genuine love for running. In my experience, cross country builds character and teaches athletes valuable lessons. One of the greatest lessons that the sport has taught me is that there are 2 great pains in life – the pain of discipline and the pain of regret. No matter how tired I am, there is no greater pain than dropping out of a race simply because I wanted to give up. Cross country teaches you grit: the ability to hold on when your legs are aching in fatigue, your lungs are gasping for more oxygen, and every part of your brain wants to quit. You look behind, and there are runners accelerating, ready to make the pass. You look in front of you, and the greenery in front never ends. You check your watch, and it feels like it’s been forever. Yet it’s only been 500 metres, you’re already panting, and you’re not even a quarter of the way there. You close your eyes for a second, breathing deeply into the air, which is a mixture of sweat, grass and mud, and tell yourself, “This is hell, but I love it. I signed up to be here, I’m ready to give it my all and finish this race on empty!”
Sidelined: How does social class act as a barrier to sport? by KIRAN MATHUR & illustrated by ANOUSHKA GULI
Every June an array of gaudy hats adorn Ascot Racecourse. Beneath them, flocks of women gather to discuss their new holistic yoga classes, their plans to refurbish the chalet in Val d’Isère, and their Regatta next month. For those who are unfamiliar with the customs of sports such as polo and sailing, it’s almost impossible to participate in this chitchat. As a result, certain sports are preserved for the elite. Despite the wholesome stories in films like The Blind Side and Million Dollar Baby, in our world, the sporting industry favours the rich. An Ofsted report found that 29% of the London 2012 Olympic team attended private school (“Going the extra mile: excellence in competitive school sport”, The National Archives). The men’s rugby union had the highest proportion of privately-educated athletes at 55%. Meanwhile, football was the most demographically representative sport, with 94% of all English Premier League players being educated at state-schools, with female football players at 97%. Why then, do rich people play different sports than the average person? A possible explanation comes from sociologist Thomas Wilson that stresses differences in cultural and economic capital between children taking up new sports (“The Paradox of Social Class and Sports Involvement: The Roles of Cultural and Economic Capital”, International Review for the Sociology of Sport). Cultural capital refers to an individual’s social assets, such as their education, style of speech, and dress. Economic capital refers to the amount of money or material assets an individual possesses. This study found that differences in cultural capital influence children’s involvement in sports more strongly than differences in economic capital do.
This was the first cross country race of the year. It was only week 4 of university at the time, so there were many fresh faces who were eager to run. As a secondyear club captain, I already ran the Parliament Hill racecourse last year, but I forgot how draining the course actually was. The season had gotten off to a brilliant start – there was a 30 minute delay because one of the marshalls had gotten lost. As you can imagine, this was fantastic for us since we had all just vigorously warmed up! The race atmosphere was a mixture of nerves and excitement. Not even the returning runners knew what to expect. Yet there were two conflicting things that were certain – pain and the incredible satisfaction you feel once you finish the race! The race got off to an unusual start. Men and women huddled together at the starting line, which was awkwardly situated on a muddy and grassy hill. We were told that the women’s race would be 5.6km, but there was an error with the course direction, causing all the women to run an extra 800m. While on the surface, an extra 800m doesn’t seem long, when you’re genuinely suffering, it makes a difference! To complicate matters, my shoelaces came off, but there’s no stopping when you have a competitive fire in your body. To say that the race was incredibly challenging is an understatement. We were met with a difficult course, ranging from several uphills, downhills, roads, grass, and mud. It was so tiring, and it felt like so many people were overtaking me throughout the race. Yet I pushed on, refusing to give up. I loved how rewarding it felt when completing something so strenuous. Once the race finished, the team congratulated each other, cooled down and took photos together. It was a heartwarming moment. I was so proud of every single member of the team. There is no better feeling than conquering a gruelling and unforgiving course with your teammates. We are all unified, experiencing the pain of discipline rather than the one of regret.
For example, the study found that children from households with high levels of cultural capital are less likely to engage in sports which focus on teamwork, risk-taking, and toughness, such as football or boxing. These are also known as ‘prole sports’. Moreover, the study noted differences in the purpose of sports for different households. Households of high cultural capital view expensive sports, those which involve a high cost of equipment and/or participation fees, as more desirable. Participation in these sports symbolises an elevated social standing. This explains how social class is a barrier to sport. For example, golf is a popular pastime amongst wealthy businessmen, as memberships to some golf-clubs can cost up to £50,000 per year and may still be by invitation-only. This is also why golf has become a more lucrative sport amongst the middle-class, who aim to climb the social ladder and play a few rounds with their boss or colleagues. The game is being distorted into a networking opportunity. Players morph into applicants, splurging on their best outfits for the ‘interview’. They make nervous small-talk about Mr Ramsbottom’s trip to Dubai, trying to hide the fact that they crammed Mr Ramsbottom’s entire CV on the tube-ride over. If this culture continues, first-years will be flocking to the greens to secure springs rather than joining actual sports societies. The optimistic view is that sport can unite people from different social standings. As Nelson Mandela put it, sports have “the power to unite people in a way that little else does”. (“Sport has the Power to Change the World”, The Global Goals). University provides students with the unique opportunity to try less accessible sports, such as golf, rowing or lacrosse, for the first time. They facilitate a connection between people who sign up to sweat, bleed, and fall on their faces together. They provide a place where people are seen as separate from their degree, career, political view, or financial status. They are simply part of a team.