How Sport Has Influenced The Australian Character

How Sport has influenced the Australian Character

Sport in Australia hasn’t really changed much since the 1850’s when sport had been invented. With AFL, The Melbourne cup, And Cricket being inaugurated. We have still created excellent sportsmen like Sir Don Bradman, Walter Lindrum and Hubert Opperman whom have set many world records in cricket, billiards and cycling.

We have also produced many inspiring female athletes including Dawn Fraser, Cathy Freeman, and Evonne Goolagong Cawley.

Sport has influenced the Australian character because of the motivation caused by the number of victories of our famous sporting legends like Sir Donald “The Don” Bradman’s constant high scores in the Australian Cricket team named the invincibles containing Ray Lindwall, Keith miller and Lindsay Hasset. They were named the invincibles because they were the only team to tour England without losing a match.

The surprising 1983 Americas cup win, told people all around that the Underdog-Australia was capable of victory over a race dominated by the same country.

Another underdog was Steven Bradbury who won gold in skating in the 2002 winter Olympics when he was coming last and all the other competitors crashed in the final corner.

The Australian aboriginal cricket team was a side consisting of aboriginal cricketers who were the first Australian cricket team to tour overseas. Altogether, the Aborigines played 47 matches throughout England over six months, winning 14, losing 14 and drawing 19 which was a good result that surprised many at the time.

After the 1983 Americas cup win Prime Minister Bob Hawke stated that “any boss who sacks his staff for being late for work tomorrow must be a bum”, this proves the true Australian pride, even from the Prime Minister, meaning that taking a day off to celebrate Australia’s victory in a sport is tolerated and probably recommended.

Sport has also influenced Australian society by bonding and Mateship. These things give the ability to connect team members in unity which motivates most athletes to perform at their peak in a team.

I think the fact us Australians as a nation have grown up on sport left right and centre makes us so sporty and we have broken alot of records, won alot of Gold medals and have been a great role model for the future generation.