A Level Playing Field

In previous episodes, Contested explored race, sexuality, and culture through the lens of sports.  In this one, we hear how money plays into it all.  Biewen frames it as the intersection of sports and the American dream, but the cost of the American dream is really at the center.  Indeed, the myth of sports as a meritocracy is abundantly clear in the experience of young athletes in the city of Durham, NC.  We hear Black moms on the sidelines breaking down the cost of peewee football despite limited opportunity for professional success (and related scholarships).  Meanwhile, we hear a white family investing a significant amount in the lacrosse career of their high school son to foster his chances to  attend an elite college (despite having injured himself before starting school).  Biewen goes on to unpack inequality in how athletic scholarships are granted and begs the question: if it’s more likely that kids will become doctors than athletes, why do we continue pedaling the dream of professional sports?  This episode originally aired on the podcast State of the Re:union which is fantastic and available anywhere you listen to podcasts.