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Gnonthgol t1_j9z1xpe wrote

Reply to comment by Turnip45 in ELI5: How did association football become the most popular sport in the world, more popular than any other sport that was spread around the world? by astarisaslave

I do not quite agree with you about baseball. You do not need a full diamond, especially with kids who can not throw far, hit far or run far. The space needed for a variant of baseball suitable for kids is roughly the size of a small football pitch, and the amount of players the same as well. Rowing as well seams quite expensive and complex nowadays but were very accessible when waterways were a major form of transport. And still today there are places where a rowing boat is just as versatile as a car and therefore just as common. American football can also be played by kids very easy. You do not need a full team and it can be played in a smaller format with say 8 kids and just a ball. Granted it can not be played on pavement or gravel like soccer though.

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Turnip45 t1_j9zbrau wrote

> And still today there are places where a rowing boat is just as versatile as a car and therefore just as common.

I’m kinda skeptical of that and would be interested to know where this is, however assuming this is true… this places highly restrictive geographic requirements as a barrier to entry and you still need a boat, oars, and a way to either transport it to/from the water or store it nearby. Not exactly something kids can do in any playground on earth.

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Gnonthgol t1_j9zinjb wrote

I am not suggesting that kids get their own boat and boathouse. I have lots of fun memories of borrowing the boat of by parents or even the neighbors boat which they have to go fishing, transport things across the lake and through the canal, etc. in order to race with my friends at the time.

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mynewaccount4567 t1_ja0tvs8 wrote

I think they mean rowing as in the Olympic sport of rowing. Those boats are pretty specialized and expensive. It’s a different motion than just a rowboat so it’s not as easily transitioned to the “real thing” like a kid playing football without appropriate gear.

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Alas7ymedia t1_ja0kob4 wrote

About baseball, you are assuming open spaces that most countries don't have. In Cartagena, Colombia, for example, kids used to play a certain form of baseball with soda caps and the handle of a broomstick. It requires so much skill that not many kids can play it, and those who can, only got the coordination after certain age, but it's what they can get.

Basically an open field in a residential area with no cars or windows around is as rare in Nigeria or Argentina as an Olympic pool. So, no popular swimming sports here either.

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