Spain’s Women’s World Cup Champions Are the Latest Example of Sport At Its Best and Worst
Spanish Players Were an Inspiration Despite the Despicable Actions of the President of Spain’s Soccer Federation
Guest Column
By Gerry Chidiac
Why do so many people enjoy sports? Perhaps it is because they challenge us to be better, and nothing is more thrilling than achieving what seemed to be impossible. Of course, life is full of challenging and fulfilling activities and sports are not for everyone, but it is hard to think of a society that does not have some form of athletics.
Anything good, however, attracts bad people seeking to gain legitimacy. Sports throughout the years have been rife with racism, sexism, and manipulation. We too often confuse winning with succeeding in sports and have thus put dysfunctional people on high pedestals.
Because sports are about becoming better, however, they tend to change and adapt, giving fairness and equity a chance to thrive. A coach naturally wants to work with the best players, and fans are most entertained by the athletes with the greatest skill. Sports allowed for racial integration because it created a larger pool of players to draw from, and this led to better-quality athletes on the field of play. What was right and fair, as always, led to improvement.
It is also important to note that size and strength are not the only elements of greatness in athletics. Skill, endurance, strategy, determination, and perseverance are also essential. Sports tend to drive people to be their very best, and in doing so, one must always overcome challenges and setbacks. It is not a coincidence that books and movies about triumph over what is seemingly impossible often center around the story of an athlete.
The growth in popularity of women’s team sports in recent decades has demonstrated what happens when coaches and athletes pursue constant improvement. Men are larger and more muscular, but this does not mean that men’s team sports are more entertaining. As the skill level in women’s sports has increased, so has the fan base.
The most significant illustration of this growth was demonstrated in soccer’s 2023 Women’s World Cup this past summer. Previous records were obliterated in stadium attendance, television and online viewership, and social media participation. It is very clear that fans were not only interested in supporting women’s sports, fans were watching because they love to see “the beautiful game” played at its highest level of skill and teamwork.
Unfortunately, this year’s World Cup was not without controversy. As the Spanish team came to the podium to receive their medals for winning the tournament, the toxicity of their organization was on full display as Luis Rubiales, the president of Spain’s soccer federation, grabbed star midfielder Jennifer Hermoso by the head and forcibly kissed her on the lips. This has since brought to light allegations of misogyny, misconduct, and other improprieties throughout the Spanish soccer organization, including complaints about the coach of the women’s team.
Despite the ugliness that was going on behind the scenes, players were able to focus on the task at hand, winning a championship. The enormity of this feat cannot be underestimated. The Spanish team is now the best in the world.
Hermoso and her teammates illustrate all that is good about sports. Despite the efforts of people like Rubiales to diminish us, there is something in the human spirit that is aware of the greatness that lies within.
Sports can give us the motivation to not only achieve our greatness but to inspire others to do the same.
Gerry Chidiac is a Canadian educator and a columnist for Troy Media.

Sports Forum Podcast
Episode #30 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: The State of College Athletics with Dr. David Ridpath: Problems and Potential Solutions – Ridpath is a sports administration professor at Ohio University and a long-time member of The Drake Group, a college sports reform think tank.
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Episode #29 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: The Honorable Tom McMillen Visits League of Fans’ Sports Forum – McMillen is a former All-American basketball player, Olympian, Rhodes Scholar and U.S. Congressman. We discuss the state of college athletics today.
Episode #28 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: A Chat With Mano Watsa, a Leading Basketball and Life Educator – Watsa is President of PGC Basketball, the largest education basketball camp in the world. We discuss problems in youth sports today.
Episode #27 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Kids’ Sports: How We Can Take Back the Game and Restore Quality Family Time In the Process – Linda Flanagan is author of “Take Back the Game: How Money and Mania Are Ruining Kids’ Sports and Why It Matters.” We discuss how commercialized and professionalized youth sports are hurting kids and their families.
Episode #26 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: How Can We Fix Youth Sports? – John O’Sullivan is Founder and CEO of Changing the Game Project and author of “Changing the Game: The Parents Guide to Raising Happy, High Performing Athletes and Giving Youth Sports Back to Our Kids.”
Episode #25 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Physical Education Should Be a Critical Component of K-12 School Design – Michael Horn is co-founder of the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation.
Media
"How We Can Save Sports" author Ken Reed appears on Fox & Friends to explain how there's "too much adult in youth sports."
Ken Reed appears on Mornings with Gail from KFKA Radio in Colorado to discuss bad parenting in youth athletics.
“Should College Athletes Be Paid?” Ken Reed on The Morning Show from Wisconsin Public Radio
Ken Reed appears on KGNU Community Radio in Colorado (at 02:30) to discuss equality in sports and Title IX.
Ken Reed appears on the Ralph Nader Radio Hour (at 38:35) to discuss his book The Sports Reformers: Working to Make the World of Sports a Better Place, and to talk about some current sports issues.
- Reed Appears on Ralph Nader Radio Hour League of Fans’ sports policy director, Ken Reed, Ralph Nader and the New York Times’ Tyler Kepner discussed a variety of sports issues on Nader’s radio show as well as Reed’s updated book, How We Can Save Sports: A Game Plan. Reed's book was released in paperback in February, and has a new introduction and several updated sections.
League of Fans is a sports reform project founded by Ralph Nader to fight for the higher principles of justice, fair play, equal opportunity and civil rights in sports; and to encourage safety and civic responsibility in sports industry and culture.
Vanderbilt Sport & Society - On The Ball with Andrew Maraniss with guest Ken Reed, Sports Policy Director for League of Fans and author of How We Can Save Sports: A Game Plan
Sports & Torts – Ken Reed, Sports Policy Director, League of Fans – at the American Museum of Tort Law
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