At every level, sports has an effect on youth that very few things can be capable of having. This is because sports can let these youth channel their youthful energy towards achieving specific goals in their lives.
Getting involved in sports changes lives in several ways, and most times, these changes end up shaping how these youth live out the rest of their lives.
There have been instances where people with questionable habits dropped them after taking up a sport.
NBA star Dennis Rodman is a good example here. He was thrown out of his house as a teenager by his mother and, as a result, lived on the streets for a while.
He got mixed up with some bad company, but sports helped him stay in line, and he made a name for himself. Many other sporting icons have similar stories about how their involvement in sports shaped their lives.
Similarly, sports provides youth with viable means of income. Many sports stars today have been able to lift themselves and their families out of poverty using their sports skills.
Argentine football star Carlos Tevez revealed that he spent part of the salary he earned during his career to set his family up, securing numerous properties for them.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s father worked a low-level job, but through sports, he has become one of the best-paid athletes in history.
Similarly, LeBron James was raised by a single teenage mother before his athletic ability earned him a place among the NBA’s leading earners of all time.
Only last week, French tennis player Leolia Jeanjean qualified for the third round of the French Open. She earned winnings of around £107,000, more money than she had ever earned in the sports up to that point. This is an example of how sports can change lives.
One peculiar thing about how far-reaching the impact of sports is is that the financial gain from sports is felt not just by the players but also by fans and followers.
For example, sports betting has become quite widespread all over the world, with companies like BetKing, iLot Nigeria, Bet9ja, Bet365, Betfair and the likes providing sports betting services to their customers.
With the right combination of luck and know-how, fans who are interested in Sports Betting in Nigeria can make quite a lot of money from betting on sporting events.
Considering the effect and impact sports has had on giving youth a direction in their lives and also putting food on their tables, it is easy to infer that sports has played a major role in empowering youth worldwide.