Latinos have had a large impact on American sports in a variety of ways and in varying sports. In baseball, Latinos make up the largest minority group and many Latinos have become stars in the league. In 2008, 27 percent of MLB players were of Latino heritage. Other sports such as basketball, hockey, and football are seeing a rise in the participation of Latino/a athletes, although they still remain a minority within the leagues. Latino/as have also been able to make their mark on other sports such as coding, women's talking team, and football, showing that they have had a definite impact on their respective games.
History American sports first reached Latin America by the late 19th century, replacing prior British and Spanish influences to a substantial extent. By the early 20th century, Latinos in the United States began using sport as a way to express resistance to anti-immigrant narratives which had begun to take over in the aftermath of the Great Depression.
Soccer
Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, and is the most popular sport in the majority of Latino countries. The World Cup is arguably the most prolific tournament for a single sport in the world, combining soccer players from around the globe to compete for the chance to call their home country champions. Since 1930, there has been a competition every four years to see which country is the best at soccer (excluding 1942 and 1946 due to World War II). The first World Cup actually took place in a Latino country, Uruguay. This involved thirteen teams, including eight countries from South and Central America, so more than half of the tournament involved Latin American countries. Uruguay ended up winning the World Cup that year and in 1950. Having mentioned that, only seven countries in the world have actually won the world cup, so Latino countries have put forth more than their fair share of representation. Latino countries that have hosted the event besides Uruguay are Chile in 1962 and Mexico in 1970, 1986, and 2026. It is evident that the World Cup is the sport's greatest stage, and Latino countries have had a great impact on its history and growth.
Latino impact in the MLS In the United States, Latinos' impact on soccer is perhaps greater than in any sport. Unlike other sports that are learned in the U.S., fútbol (soccer) is often associated with Latino countries of origin, where in many cases it is considered the only national sport. Passion for the game is therefore brought to the United States directly or is acquired indirectly from parents. On the other hand, basketball, baseball and football were all developed in the United States, and these sports took time to spread throughout these Latino countries and are seen as foreign. Soccer, though invented in England, has a longer history throughout South American and the rest of the world, whereas those sports that fight for the title of national pastime in the United States are homegrown. This is one possible explanation for why soccer is not quite as popular in the United States as it is in the majority of the world. One problem for soccer within the country is the fact that MLS (Major League Soccer) has not been nearly as successful as other countries' premier leagues. In this way, the United States do not have as many people immigrating to the country to play soccer, because the best players will want to play their trade in better leagues, such as those of England, Spain, Germany, and Italy, and for more lucrative contracts. The fact that MLS is not as prolific of a league is enlarged by the fact that the payrolls of other leagues are much greater. Most salaries in 2008 for those playing in the MLS were below $100,000 per year, a very low figure for a professional sport. These combined truths have made kids either dream about playing soccer abroad, or just play an entirely different sport. Few dream about having great careers in the MLS.
There is plenty of potential growth for soccer in the United States. There are currently thirty MLS clubs, three of which - Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto - are located in Canada. Of these twenty-seven U.S. teams, nine of them are located in areas with a high Latino concentration. Los Angeles is home to two teams, while Chicago, New York, San Jose, Miami, Dallas, Austin and Houston also boast teams in the MLS.
Baseball
History
In the United States, baseball is a popular pastime. As of recently, Latinos have exceled in Major League Baseball (MLB). With larger numbers of Latino participants in the MLB, as the numbers continue to increase, how did the Latino communities outside of the US begin to play and love this sport?
First of all, one must understand a bit of history. Baseball began after the colonies in America decided to have independence from England. Yet many years after severing its ties with England the United States still played the English game of cricket. Many Americans saw this game as slow and tedious. So the thirst for a faster game was quenched when baseball was created. By the end of the Civil War, baseball had won over the hearts of almost every American thus becoming the nation's pastime.
Shortly after its creation, Baseball became known to many other countries as well. For Latin America and the Caribbean, the love for baseball began when two students from Cuba, who enrolled in the United States educational system, returned home with a bat and a ball. Cuba then began to spread this sport throughout other Latino countries. Two Cuban brothers brought the game to the Dominican Republic. Cubans with the help of Venezuelans that migrated to the United States brought the game to Venezuela. As for Mexico and Puerto Rico, baseball was spread by both Cubans and people from the United States. For Mexico, it was a combination of Cubans who fled from the island during its struggles for independence, along with U.S. merchant marines and railroad workers. Puerto Rico was most probably introduced to baseball when the United States gained power over it.
Baseball became one of the main ways for Latinos to fit into American culture. For many young Latino/as who come to the United States as immigrants, baseball is a way to connect with people of all ages and races. It also became a way for Latinos to express their identities without being alienated.
This did not prevent racial segregation from influencing the sport. Teams, faced with a ban on African-American players, sought alternative avenues by recruiting talented Latino and Native American players. This strategic move not only diversified the player pool but also challenged the prevailing racial segregation in the sport. Intriguingly, some African-American players resorted to masquerading as Latinos to circumvent these racial barriers and gain entry into the game. These actions served as poignant examples of the determined efforts to break down the racial walls that had long divided baseball, ultimately contributing to the sport's eventual integration.Dabscheck, Braham, and Adrian Burgos. Labour History, no. 95, 2008, pp. 287–89. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/27516345. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.
Little League Baseball Through baseball, Latinos found a new love that they could share with the United States. From the time they are very young, children in Latin America begin to play baseball. Many countries have set up leagues in which children can learn the game and compete against each other. With the help of an organization called Little League Baseball, children from both Mexico and Venezuela can play in leagues that are similar to the ones that children in the United States play in. Every year the best Little League team from Mexico and Venezuela compete for the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. In this tournament, countries, other than the United States, that participate send their best Little League team to compete in the international bracket in hopes to face an American team in the finals. Since 2009, Mexico and Venezuela combined to win 5 Little League World Series.
Minor League Baseball All over Latin America there have been creations of baseball leagues that allow those kids to continue to play as they get older. For example, Mexico, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic all have summer leagues. All of these summer leagues have connections with the U.S. Minor League Baseball governing body. The Mexican summer league is the only one out of the four that has been given Triple A status. Triple A Minor League Baseball is the level of baseball that is directly underneath Major League Baseball. Usually Major League players who are not fully ready to play at the Major League level are sent to play in Triple A. These leagues are the gates in which Latino players can make a name for themselves in their quest to become Major League Baseball players in the United States.
Some dominant Latino MLB players
Roberto Clemente, born in Puerto Rico, had 12 All-Star selections and 12 Gold Glove Awards. He was also two-time World Series Champion, National League MVP in 1966, and World Series MVP in 1971. The Pittsburgh Pirates eventually retired his number, #21. He died in a plane crash while on a relief mission to Nicaragua.
Alex Rodriguez, born in the United States, is of Dominican descent. He is one of the highest paid Latinos in the MLB. He has 12 All-Star selections, 10 Silver Hugger Awards, two Gold Glove Awards, and four AL Hank Aaron Awards. He is a three-time AL MVP and a World Series Champion.
Manny Ramirez, born in the Dominican Republic, is one of the best players in the MLB today. He has 12 All-Star selections, nine Silver Slugger Awards, and two AL Hank Aaron Awards. He is a World Series MVP, a two-time World Series Champion. He has also led the AL in batting average, home runs, and runs batted (each in different years).
The NBA
The NBA (National Basketball Association) is the premier basketball league in America. For a long time it was a sport dominated by white Americans and it wasn't very popular amongst Latin American countries. That all changed with the arrival of the Nuyoricans. They were Puerto Ricans who had moved to New York in search of a better life and while there discovered the sport of basketball. They brought the sport back with them to the island and it became immensely popular. For many young Latino/as who come to the United States as immigrants, sports is one way to connect with people their own age, both of their race and of other races. Sports is also a universal unifier, even if two people speak different languages, they can both speak the language of basketball when they are on the court. Sports became a way for many Latinos to immerse themselves in American culture and not feel so alienated. It helped Americans realize that Latinos enjoy the same sports that American's do, and sports even made it possible for many of the role models of young Americans be Latinos. Names such as David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, and Manu Ginobili are easily recognizable by a large portion of America's youth, regardless of ethnicity. Today, programs like La Liga del Barrio, a youth basketball league in Philadelphia are created to encourage Latino/a youth to participate in sports, and to teach them the importance of discipline and education.
Basketball in Latin America Basketball has a strong following in Belize. Despite being one of the smaller countries in Central America, it has one of the strongest basketball followings. The sport is so popular that NBA TV is offered as part of basic cable packages in Belize, whereas in America NBA TV is a premium channel that must be specially ordered.