Today, ball sports are experiencing a tremendous uptick in popularity. More people than ever are tuning in to watch their favorite team compete, and more people than ever are signing up to play ball sports themselves. There are numerous potential explanations for this trend, but it may all come down to factors that have always been at play with sports.
Rise of e-sports and video games
What do you do when the weather prevents playing a game outside? You can always have a virtual match-off with friends or even complete strangers. Parallel to ball sports, e-sports are also experiencing tremendous growth, not the least thanks to developments in internet technology.
The intertwining of real with virtual has created a continuous experience for fans available on-demand 24/7. Watching a real game, playing a virtual one, or organizing a match in the park has all become so much easier thanks to the Internet. The ever-growing interest in sports, ball sports, in particular, has also become apparent by a Canadian sports betting site like Unibet, revealing that some of the most popular sports for betting on the Canadian market are hockey, football, basketball, and baseball. As seen, aside from the universally admired in Canada game of hockey, all the other sports that bettors prefer to wage on are ball sports, further showing how the e-world is shaping sports.
Staying fit by playing sports
It is one thing to go for a run; it’s another to do so safely and in a way that benefits one’s fitness goals. Indeed the fitness industry has been split into many camps for a long time, mainly due to the frequent changes in what the latest research claims to be the “optimal” way to stay fit.
As science advances, we now know that instead of looking for a one-size-fits-all solution, everyone needs to find what works best for them. Naturally, ball sports work pretty well for many people, given that they are dynamic enough to provide a good workout, bring in an important social connectedness factor, and allow even amateur players to feel like top athletes at least for a while.
Growth of high-quality sports gear
People who play golf, tennis, or baseball might not even consider playing without a good set of equipment. Other sports are not so demanding regarding gear, but coming prepared definitely elevates the experience. For example, you don’t need anything other than a ball to play football or soccer; for basketball, the only thing you need is a hoop – yet reliable footwear and a bottle of water would contribute to your overall wellbeing while having a heated game.
That said, there’s plenty you can do to make the game many times better. Investing in quality trainers, picking sports-focused nutrition and drinks, and even getting some advanced sensor-packed tech can make a huge difference in how ball sports appeal to recreational players. Nowadays, all this equipment that once was only part of the kit of top-level athletes is accessible to pretty much anyone, creating an even stronger interest in these types of sports.
