Amateur sports

Amateur sports are activities where participants compete without receiving pay for their time or training. This creates a fundamental distinction between amateur athletes and professional athletes. Professionals are paid to spend their time competing and practicing. Because they do not need other jobs, professionals can often train full-time. This allows them to typically play at a much higher standard than amateurs.

While professional leagues often capture the most attention, the majority of sporting participants worldwide are actually amateurs.

Modern organized sports began to develop during the 19th century. The United Kingdom and the United States led this early growth. In these nations, sporting culture was very strong in private schools and universities. The upper and middle-class men at these institutions often played as amateurs. However, working-class people faced many obstacles to participation. They often worked six-day weeks and observed Sunday Sabbatarianism. The Factory Act of 1844 in the UK helped by providing a half-day off. This allowed more working men to access organized sports.

As sports grew, a conflict emerged between amateur ideals and the need for payment. Some clubs began making "broken time" payments to help players take time off work. Proponents of amateurism feared that money would ruin the "Corinthian spirit." This spirit emphasizes sportsmanship, fair play, and playing for the love of the game. This conflict lasted for over one hundred years. Some sports, like golf, learned to tolerate both amateurs and professionals by the late 19th century. Other sports faced deep divisions. For example, rugby union and rugby league split apart in 1895 due to this dilemma.

The term "Corinthian" came to represent a very specific kind of athlete. A Corinthian is someone who values honor and fairness above winning or financial gain. The Corinthian Yacht Club was established in Essex in 1872 to encourage amateur sailing. Their rules strictly forbade any paid professional from helping to steer a vessel.

The name has different origins depending on the source. The Oxford English Dictionary links it to the luxury of ancient Corinth. By 1823, it described a wealthy amateur who managed his own horses or yachts. This ideal of the gentleman amateur was closely tied to "muscular Christianity" in Victorian Britain.

In the 20th century, the definition of amateurism faced new challenges. The Olympic Games strictly enforced an amateur code for many years. In 1912, Jim Thorpe was stripped of his medals because he accepted expense money for baseball. Later, the "state-sponsored amateur" appeared in Eastern Bloc countries. These athletes were officially listed as students or soldiers. In reality, the state paid them to train on a full-time basis. This created a disadvantage for Western athletes who had to pay for their own training. This era saw the rise of "shamateurism," a term for athletes who received indirect financial help.

North American collegiate athletics provide a unique modern example of amateurism. Most university sports in North America are conducted by amateurs. Even highly commercialized sports like NCAA football and basketball do not pay the players directly. Instead, many athletes receive scholarships. These can cover tuition, food, housing, and other university expenses. However, these scholarships cannot be used as direct cash payments. Some critics argue this system is exploitative. They note that coaches can earn salaries exceeding five million US dollars annually. Athletes spend much time working for the university without a direct salary.

Today, the line between amateur and professional continues to shift. Most major team sports and the Olympic Games now accept professional competitors. However, some sports like boxing and golf still maintain separate leagues for amateurs and professionals. In the Olympics, rules regarding professional status have caused intense disputes. For example, a disagreement over NHL contracts nearly caused Canada to withdraw from international ice hockey. The International Olympic Committee eventually had to clarify which professional contracts allowed for Olympic eligibility. These complex rules show how deeply the history of money and sport is intertwined.