Early American sports worked in tandem with a growing city environment to sensationalize this budding entertainment industry that was to come. Most sports, especially those popularized in this time period, arose from within cities. Growing city life around the early 1900’s was a massive motive for the great and swift rise of sports, with many different factors contributing to their success as a method of entertainment for the population. Card A, Riess The growing cities and industrial focus of this time also led people to have more free time and a greater need for entertainment, a factor that came into play more and more as time went on. Also, during these rising periods of urbanization, the United States population began to sharply increase. …show more content…
Eliminating ill practices around sports like betting would also create a cleaner sports environment able to facilitate better wellbeing in America as a whole.Card C, Riess In addition, the moral advantages of having sports within the city were sought by progressive reformers. Reformers also wanted to see public sports due to the fact that they, while bringing the population a way to enjoy themselves, were able to enhance the moral values of citizens, building character through team cooperation. Card D, Reiss Richard T. Ely, an early proponent of playgrounds and public parks, claimed, “Half the wrong-doings of rascals in the cities is due to the fact that they have no innocent outlet for their animal spirits.” Card M, Reiss Children have always needed an outlet to express and entertain themselves. Sports was a perfect solution for this, as keeping these young people focused on athletics was a great way to keep them out of trouble. This growing requirement to be occupied congruent with the blooming industrial cities is a powerful factor that allowed sports to