Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I have noticed this anti intellectualism a fair bit in USA based shows and have always wondered whether it was actually true or not. The clique-ish nature of USA high school seems a rather sad reality. Honestly, from what i have read and seen, which is in no way enough, after the lack of a universal healthcare, the education system is probably the second thing i would change about your country. It just feels so foreign and unnecessary to me.
^^^ But at what price?
In the US nearly 40 million kids play organized team sports. They practice multiple times a week (sometimes late into the night), weekends, and are a part of stiff competition to win a coveted spot on the local travel team or private club.
Sports takes priority over all else. Kids (AND parents) who don't excel get disappointed and angry.
To keep with the demands placed on the athletes, parents are also enrolling their kids in pricey specialty camps for the summer, and some are taking their kids to sports psychologists to help them keep their emotions under control on the field.
Parents are addicted to watching her children play. They don't provide their kids quality family life. They just rush from practice to games and competitions, and actually live in fear of their kids' coaches, to the point of neglecting their kids' emotional health. They rather cancel appointments for their depressed kids so they wouldn't miss practice, otherwise their coach won't play them....
Unfortunately, the rest of the world won't catch up by any chance. If you look beyond the Olympics, you'll notice that no other country has ever won a single NFL world championship!
World championship in football. Are you trolling ?
You wonder? Well, other countries are not SO sport obsessed like the US.
U.S. culture came to elevate and glamorize sports to an unprecedented degree. Sports fans continue to fuel the overhyped worship of celebrity sports figures, so of course - everyone wants to be a hero, and this attitude somehow crowd out the airtime for kids who might otherwise aspire to be doctors, scientists, craftsmen, entrepreneurs and other jobs that will build our future.
American parents have become obsessed with their children being good at sports. For many of them, that means practice multiple times a week (sometimes late into the night), weekend games, and stiff competition to win a coveted spot on the local travel team or private club. So, instead of playing sports for fun, there is an emphasis on being good, because the star athlete gets all the attention
^^^ But at what price?
In the US nearly 40 million kids play organized team sports. They practice multiple times a week (sometimes late into the night), weekends, and are a part of stiff competition to win a coveted spot on the local travel team or private club.
Sports takes priority over all else. Kids (AND parents) who don't excel get disappointed and angry.
To keep with the demands placed on the athletes, parents are also enrolling their kids in pricey specialty camps for the summer, and some are taking their kids to sports psychologists to help them keep their emotions under control on the field.
Parents are addicted to watching her children play. They don't provide their kids quality family life. They just rush from practice to games and competitions, and actually live in fear of their kids' coaches, to the point of neglecting their kids' emotional health. They rather cancel appointments for their depressed kids so they wouldn't miss practice, otherwise their coach won't play them....
That is a culture and mentality that applies to upper-class or upper middle class families. In lower-income communities, sports teaches discipline and helps keep kids out of trouble. It also enlightens kids who had a rough childhood.
We are a sports powerhouse, large population, large delegation being sent to every game, women participate(which is very crucial), and are an industrialized, wealthy nation. The U.S has been coming in either first place or second in total medal haul for summer games. The exception is the 1988 games in Seoul, when we came in third place behind the Soviet Union and East Germany.
We tend to win in many sports, though in soccer, fencing, track and field we tend to be weaker.
Our biggest competitor is China, not Russia. The Chinese are giving us a run for our money in terms of medal count.
And we do not dominate soccer at all. On the flip side we leaders in American football and basketball.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.