Sport In The Public Eye Is Changing...Our Generation Is Taking Over

Changing to something far cooler than a rugby match in the snow. Though many sports have become pro, and interest in sport has risen to a new level, the core of entertaining has remained, as well as and making you and others fel good. All this growth has led to many more opportunities for everyone to be involved. Whether it is a local club or school team or merely practising solo there are always ways, just look at how some of the great sportsmen of our times and new up and coming young sportsmen started out. Many of the Brazilian footballing greats, Pele to Ronaldo, were playing beach football from a very young age, as well as the West Indian Cricketers learning by street cricket; everyone has to start somewhere. People of our age are coming through now, right at the top level, from starting in similar circumstances.

Football is the sport that dominates the headlines and most conversations. Just looking at the current England Squad, 5 of the 22 players are under 21. Barry, Owen, Heskey, Gerrard and Wright are promising players for the future. The Under-21 squad, despite a recent disappointing world tournament in Toulon, are currently being heralded as a triumph for the British system, bringing through talented homegrown players to the highest level at a young age. Names like Dyer, Bowyer, Woodgate, Hendrie, Smith, Harley and 18 year-old Joe Cole are already stars of the Premiership, seen by some as the best league in the world. In the Premiership the words 'you can't win anything with kids' just don't apply. Just look at Alex Ferguson's Manchester United Team ,whose most talented players, Scholes, Beckham, Giggs, Brown, and the Nevilles have been playing first team Football since their teens, winning five Premiership titles and the European Champions League in the process.

It is not just England, however, with exciting young players. Just look at some current squads, France have Henry and Anelka, Spain have Gerard and Casilla and, the whole Dutch team have played as the national side since their, young talent is abundant. Needless to say, on the world stage, Brazil never seem to be without a teenage prodigy in the team.

It is not just Football where we are taking over. Cricket (another sport associated with an older generation) has had an injection of youth. Particularly overseas teams, such as India and The West Indies, have promising young talent and the world's best batsmen, Lara and Tendalkur, have been playing from an early age. Unfortunately the state of English Cricket is not so healthy but with 20 year-old leg-spinner Chris Schofield, being one of the few players given a lucrative playing contract from England, there may be the seeds for a little improvement. Tennis in recent years, particularly in the Ladies game, has been dominated by teenagers. With Martina Hingis rising to world number one when only 17, the Williams sisters and Kournikova have followed suit. Yet again the English game has only two leading names but hopefully people will be motivated by the fantastic progress Rusedski and Henman have made.

Sport is fast becoming a young person dominated area and the top sport's people are becoming younger and better. It does not matter how you begin, as if you are good enough and committed enough, you will be found and the methods of help and support match the expansion of each sport. However at the end of the day it is encouraging and satisfying to see people of our age and a bit older, our contemporaries, representing their country and achieving success at the highest level.

by ChrisM