Life in Italy vs. Life in the United States: Sports

In both Italy and America sports play roles in shaping culture and society. I was lucky enough to be in Italy during the FIFA World Cup, a major event in Europe. My host family were big fans of Germany, and we all stayed up to watch the final match between Argentina and Germany. As I watched the cup I thought about the differences between American and Italian athletics. We have very different sports that are enjoyed in their respective countries. In Italy I found that soccer was a very prevalent sport, as was motocross. My host brother Federico particularly enjoyed motocross, his favorite rider being Valentino Rossi, number 46. Motorcross in Italy is similar to that in America, but far more popular. Federico made the observation that motocross in Italy was very close to NASCAR in America. I also told my host family about popular sports in the United States, including football and baseball, and we were able to compare many similarities and differences between the sports. I also observed how Americans were celebrating the World Cup, and how that differed from World Cup festivities in Italy. For example, I observed that there were many banners and/or decorations advertising the World Cup all around the city but not very many communal areas where people were watching it on the television, whereas in America, although we had no banners, we did have many places where people would come together to watch the games. It was interesting to observe the similarities and differences between the different athletic activities people engage in in different countries.

Valentino Rossi, Number 46
Image Courtesy of Wikipedia