By Tyler Park ’14, Sports Editor

The Olympic Games are one of the most iconic sporting events across the globe.  For two weeks, the world’s greatest athletes gather to showcase their talents in front of a unique global audience.  The sports that are played in the Olympics are extremely varied, and for many athletes in traditionally less popular sports, the Olympics are a unique opportunity.  However, due to increasing costs, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been under growing pressure to decrease the number of sports that are featured in the Games.  As a result, baseball, softball, and wrestling, among other sports, have been removed from the Olympics in recent years.  However, they have been considered for re-introduction to the Olympics, perhaps as soon as the 2020 games in Tokyo.  This has been a source of debate for athletes and sports fans throughout the world, especially throughout the halls of Newark Academy, and it is interesting to contemplate the merits of these sports as Olympic events.

Wrestling has been a featured Olympic sport since the original Olympic Games in Ancient Greece.  Thus, it was a shock to many when in February 2013, the International Olympic Committee voted to remove wrestling from the games from 2020 onwards.  Patrick Gerish ’14, one of the best wrestlers in school history, was stunned by the news.   “Unlike most sports, wrestling does not have a prominent professional league or organization, so for the best young wrestlers, the Olympics are the only potential career path after college,” said Gerish.  However, in a vote on September 8, 2013, the IOC determined that wrestling would be reintroduced at the 2020 Olympics, with a slightly revised set of rules.  This created significant optimism within the wrestling community.  “The new rules should add more excitement and help fans gain a better understanding of the sport.  I’m happy to see wrestling back in the Olympics,” said Tommy Ciccone, a senior member of the wrestling team.

Baseball and softball are also the source of significant debate in Olympic circles.  While they are both respected sports, they are only featured in a few areas of the world, including the Americas and Asia.  Thus, Olympic competition in these sports is dominated by only a few countries.  In the four Olympic Games that softball was on the program, only four nations won medals: China, Japan, Australia, and the United States.  Baseball at the Olympics was dominated by the United States, Cuba, Japan, and South Korea.  Many believe that these sports are not widespread enough to be featured at the Olympics.  Even star baseball player Matt Ratner does not believe that baseball has a place at the Games.  “Many countries cannot field a competitive team, and the World Baseball Classic already provides good international competition for the sport of baseball,”  he said.  Ciccone, who doubles as a second basemen for the Minutemen baseball team, says that baseball might be a better fit for Games that are hosted in baseball-rich areas.  “Baseball probably wouldn’t be a good fit for a place like Rio de Janiero, but it might be more appreciated in Tokyo, where the sport is highly celebrated,”  he said.  Baseball and softball do have cases for inclusion in the Olympics, as they are both entertaining and celebrated sports.  Courtney Luing ’14, a standout softball player, argues that “While baseball and softball aren’t played everywhere, they are both played in many countries throughout the world, and they are both very entertaining to watch.”  Some, however, might argue that the slow-moving pace of baseball and softball would limit their appeal to audiences that are unfamiliar with the sport.

Wrestling, softball, and baseball each have their individual cases for inclusion in the Olympic Games.  They are all entertaining sports, and each requires a unique set of talents and skills.  It will be interesting to observe how the IOC deals with these issues, and whether these sports will be re-introduced to the Games.  Wrestling has the most promising future as an Olympic sport, as it will likely be reintroduced for the 2020 games.  While baseball and softball have cloudier futures, the case can be made that including them in the Olympics could increase worldwide interest in these sports.  One thing seems to be certain: athletes around the world will wait with bated breath as the fate of these sports is determined.