How Collegiate Sports in the USA Have Impacted Sports in Spain

It has long been known that American sports like baseball, basketball and football (the American game) have been national favorites in the islands and in a number of other countries in South America as well as in Canada. However, when the American game of football is the national favorite sports pastime in Spain, it goes beyond belief – almost! Football is the favorite sport in the United States and pro players earn the highest salaries of any pro sport in the nation, so in the United States, colleges know the value of scouting out the best talent.

A Quick Look at Pro Sports

Actually, the idea of competitive collegiate sports in the United States is not based on the ancient Olympic Games as many people erroneously have been led to believe. From Colonial days, it was noticed that the Native Americans loved a game settlers brought with them that was quite similar to Lacrosse. Games were started between the settlers and the natives and this is said to be the actual model for what has evolved into college sports.

Spain Has a Long History of Competitive Sports

To the average person, bullfighting may not seem as though it’s a sport but it is and the Spanish have been leaders in the sport since the 17th Century. It is only logical that Spain would be a nation involved in competitive sports with as much raw power as American football because, after all, they are used to highly physical contact. Bulls gore matadors frequently so those highly physical ‘tackles’ in football are more like child’s play to them.

Collegiate Sports Prepare Students for the Real World

When seeking entrance to college, many students simply can’t meet the high cost of tuition as well as the cost of living while studying full time. As a result, students seek scholarships through organizations such as Athletes-USA who can offer talented athletes an opportunity to be seen in the college arena but will get a top notch education at the same time. This wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for scholarships and no matter what sport an athlete excels in, these scholarships can give them a chance to play on a collegiate level and get noticed by pro scouts at the very same time.

Spain, among other European nations send athletes to the United States to play on our teams. Sometimes it is the decision of the individual player to seek recruitment and other times there is a sort of international ‘trade’ when both countries have similar teams. Usually it is the individual athlete looking to play pro sports in the US, but sometimes the USA is willing to trade because a Spanish athlete has the talent and skills needed to round out a team. Just beware that when seeking admittance to a foreign school, their academic prerequisites must be met. If all is in order, there is no reason a Spanish student can’t seek a sports scholarship at an American university.