Sport History CH4

Chapter Overview

  • Focus on the rise of modern sport from 1850-1870.

Key Chapter Objectives

  • Understand factors shaping modern sport.

  • Examine the role of social class in sports clubs.

  • Analyze the development of rationalized recreation and sports.

  • Consider the impact of nationalism and team sports.

  • Discuss early intercollegiate contests and the Civil War's influence on sporting experiences.

Characteristics of Modern Sport

  • Secularism

  • Equality

  • Bureaucracy

  • Specialization

  • Rationalism

  • Quantification and quest for records

  • Commercialization followed the emergence of modern sport.

Media's Influence on Modern Sport

  • Role of newspapers and journals in reporting scores and advocating for reform.

  • Manuals provided guidance on sports, rules, and equipment.

  • Notable publications: The Book of Sports (1834), Athletic Sports for Boys (1866), New Gymnastics for Men, Women, and Children (1862).

Urbanism and Organized Sport

  • Urban evolution significantly influenced the development of organized sports.

  • Improvements in transport (railroad) and communication (telegraph) fostered sport’s growth.

Subcommunities in Sport

  • Sports clubs often segregated by wealth, gender, and race.

  • Clubs served as exclusivity badges for male members.

Examples of Subcommunities

  • Yachting: Notable figure, John Cox Stevens.

  • Rowing: Pre-Civil War popularity, e.g., Josh Ward.

  • Racket Sports.

The Sporting Fraternity

  • Known as "The Fancy."

  • Contrast to class-driven clubs; centered on camaraderie through drinking and gambling.

  • Included working-class men and ethnic minorities.

Effects of the Sporting Fraternity

  • Focus on profit and victory over the health aspects of sport.

  • Underground activities (e.g., boxing) emerged, leading to broader competitions.

Growth of Sports Clubs

  • Rise of gymnastics and organized bodies; prominence of YMCA and YMHA.

  • Emphasis on Muscular Christianity and Judaism through sports.

Team Sports Emergence

  • Baseball evolved from bat-and-ball games.

  • Cricket was first major team sport in America, lost favor to baseball in the 1850s.

Early Baseball Rules

  • Underhand pitches with specific rules evolving over time, e.g., 3 strikes = out, 9 balls = walk.

Intercollegiate Sport Development

  • First intercollegiate event: Yale vs. Harvard crew race (1852).

  • Rise of commercialism in sports through railroads.

  • Introduction of professional coaching and structured events over time.

Civil War’s Impact on Sporting Experiences

  • Soldiers engaged in leisure sports like baseball during downtime.

  • Continued sport participation post-war; emphasis on training for robust military.

  • Land-grant colleges developed structured sports programs subsequently.