Game Changer
Sports Editor Camille Marinof, LVI, unpacks how sport can be an escape from poverty.
Camille Marinof
Sports Editor, 2025
Photography by Adelaide Derome
Sports Editor, 2025
Seven hundred million people are estimated to earn less than £1.68 per day. For many, the dream to escape this perpetual cycle of poverty seems out of reach. However, sports can become a bridge to this dream which may appear so far away, as it offers a plethora of opportunities for the youth who are born into a seemingly inescapable trap of poverty. Stories of those who have achieved this serve to inspire generations upon generations of skillful, hopeful, and talented children.
Sports offers various job opportunities. The extremely talented can thrive in sports, earning them significant incomes from sponsorships, contracts, or endorsements. However, it is a known fact that only a small percentile of the talented actually make it. This is why it would be narrow-minded to think that the pursuit of sports is only for the athletes. Aside from the athletic side, sports teams need managers, coaches, referees, physios, reporters, commentators, scouts, and trainers just to name a few. It is clear that there are countless opportunities in sport; we need to ensure these opportunities are accessible to all.
The education that sport provides both directly and indirectly to the youth is vital. Education is often expensive or inaccessible, but talent, skill, and effort are highly valued by institutions. For example, an estimated 180,000 high school students were given sports scholarships for college in the USA out of a total of 8 million athletes. While there are few available in comparison to the number of athletes, this is a very real opportunity that has allowed many people of lower income backgrounds to pursue incredibly rewarding opportunities. Additionally, the soft skills that sport develops in an athlete are very valuable in future life as many skills are particularly employable. Take a volleyball captain for example, in the time that they spend leading their team, they would learn leadership skills, teamwork, communication, organization, management, responsibility, problem solving and more, which are applicable to all jobs in the market.
Role models play a huge part in motivation as well as character development. If someone can relate to situations that their idol has faced, it could provide hope and motivate youth, thus catalysing personal success. Being a successful athlete in sport comes with a platform of admiration from those who are interested. When an athlete with an impressive story emerges, what a young person can see is proof of opportunity. When seeing someone with a similar background, it turns what seems like a dream into an achievable reality. There are a multitude of examples of sports idols who have escaped poverty. Ronaldo, though one of the most successful football players of all time, faced immense financial challenges growing up. Other popular examples are Lebron James, Usain Bolt, Pauline Davis-Thomson, Diego Maradona, Novak Djokovic, and Mike Tyson. These role models have undoubtedly changed the lives of many and brought about much hope and inspiration.
Finally, one of the greatest attributes that sport has is the community that it brings with it. Having a sports community can become a second family for some. The value of the group of people who support each other is irreplicable. In many developing areas, sports programs are run which provide safe spaces for young people where they can spend time whilst dissuading involvement in crime. Furthermore, these programs can create jobs, build infrastructure, and attract investment which ultimately leads to even more opportunities for those in need.
While sports do offer freedom from poverty, success is never guaranteed, especially in such a competitive field. There are countless challenges that aspiring athletes face which prevent involvement such as a lack of financial support, facilities, or coaching. While only a few make it to elite levels, there are countless alternative jobs that the sporting industry creates. Overall, while there are some barriers to sports, it is ultimately a way to free yourself from poverty.