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Erik Unger
Dr. Amy Baker
Sport in Society
21 April 2014
Can Sports Make a Difference?
For the past several months, we as a class have looked at how sports, and the people
involved in sports, can make a difference internationally, nationally, and now locally. Without a
doubt, we have seen many different ways that sports can change society, whether it has been for
better or worse, but for this paper, the question is asked if a sport manager alone can change
society. I think the best way to answer that question is simply yes, one person, a single sport
manger can change society. There are many ways to change society. It could be reaching out and
helping a single person, or it can involve changing the culture of a nation. Now, even though I
said a single person can change society, I dont believe they can always necessarily do it by
themselves. Sometimes an idea is so large, and goal so lofty, that the person behind the idea
needs a little help. Despite that help, it is the person behind the idea, the one spearheading the
change, that has helped affect society. With that said, there are a few good examples of people
changing society on their own, or perhaps leading the way for change.
The first person I am going to talk about, while not a sport manager, used sports as a
platform in an attempt to change society. In 1965, South Africa had been chosen to host the
Rugby World Cup, and only a year before, Nelson Mandela had been sworn in as the countrys
first black president. A country that was known for its discrimination and prejudice was facing
the possibility of riots and uprising, but according to Mandela, Sport has the power to change

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the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else
does and he used that power to bring the people of South Africa a little closer together. To
better understand how Mandela did this, you first have to realize that rugby was a predominantly
white sport. Secondly, The South African team, the Springboks, had only one black member on
their team. And last, the black community of South Africa hated the team, and viewed their green
jerseys as a symbol of apartheid. In order to reach out to the people of South Africa, in an
attempt to unite its people, Mandela shocked the crowd by walking out on the field in a green
Springbok jersey. Soon, the entire crown, both black and white, were chanting Nelson! and
cheering on the team. It was a big step, and an even larger risk, but Mandela, truly alone,
changed the society of South Africa and brought its people a little closer together, if only for a
short time.
While Mandela is a great example of a single person using sports to change society, there
are many great examples of individuals coming together for a cause, and there is no better
example than using sports in youth development to affect society in a positive way. Possibly one
of the greatest ways sports can affect and change society is through youth development, and it
can often times be the most difficult due to funding and other barriers. In 2010, Northeaster
University held a panel titled Sports Making a Difference in the World: A Social Entrepreneurial
Approach. The panel focused on the individuals who had started programs across the globe to
reach out to kids. While these individuals were the ones that responded to the need and initiated
development, it is also mentioned the teams they setup within the organization to reach their
goals. This is a great example that even though multiple people are involved, all it takes is one
person with the initiative and drive to bring about change.

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I have talked about how one person can affect change, how individuals can lead others to
bring about change, but there is also the possibility of a group leading individuals to bring about
change, and the Special Olympics is a great example of this type of individual bringing about
change. The Special Olympics, offers a plethora of way that individuals can can help change
society. According the the Special Olympics website, there are 220 worldwide locations,
donations, and many different ways to volunteer such as volunteering at many various events or
even volunteering as a coach or trainer. These opportunities allow individuals to become
involved with the lives of the athletes taking part in the Special Olympics, in effect changing the
lives of these athletes.
The question for this paper was if a single individual, particularly a sport manager, can
change society. I think it is safe so that their are many ways an individual can use sports to help
change society for the better. Even as a sport manager, whether the job is all about changing
society or not, we can see there are ways to use the position in sports to affect change. It can be
as simple as making a statement, such as Mandela walking on to the field in a jersey that
represented hate to blacks in South Africa, or it can be more complex, such as creating an
organization and leading a team to bring about change with limited resources. The fact is,
everyone can bring about a positive change in society, whether they are involved in the sport
industry or not. To demonstrate the power of sport and society, the rest of Mandelas quote puts it
perfectly. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where
where one there was only despair. It is more powerful than government in breaking down racial
barriers.

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References
Busbee, J. (2013, December 5). Nelson Mandela: Sport has the power to change the world.
Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved from http://www.sports.yahoo.com
Northeastern University: Sport in Society. (2010, November 15). Panel: Sports Making a
Difference in the World: A Social Entrepreneurial Approach. Retrieved from
http://www.northeastern.edu
Special Olympics. Changing Attitudes. Retrieved from http://www.specialolympics.org