The Global Sports that the US Could Dominate in Years to Come

The US is one of the world’s biggest sporting countries, with the population, the facilities and the drive to be a success at anything it sets its mind to. It dominates at homegrown sports like football, basketball and baseball and it has helped to spread these sports all over the world, but what about sports that are popular elsewhere?

Can the United States ever compete on a truly global stage outside of the Olympics? Believe it or not, while homegrown sports still lead the way and capture the headlines, there are a number of more globally recognised sports that Team USA is becoming a force in, as well as other sports that they could dominate in years to come.

Cricket

The USA doesn’t have the best reputation when it comes to cricket. It’s a game that few Americans know about, let alone play, and it’s a game that we just don’t seem that well equipped for, at least on the surface.

But once you dig a little deeper you begin to understand just why many experts are predicting that Team USA will become a force to be reckoned with in International Cricket.

For one thing, cricket typically enjoys more success in hotter countries, as it’s a slow-paced game not conducive to non-stop exertion. This bodes well for most US states, and the others can take solace in the fact that cricket is also popular in the UK, Germany and Netherlands.

Secondly, cricket is very similar to baseball. In fact, many countries that have rejected this game have done so on the basis that the matches take too long, there are too many stoppages and moments of slow play, and everything is played a a very leisurely pace—all things that baseball fans have become accustomed to.

Finally, the US has some of the best facilities in the world and it also has the money to support new and upcoming sports. There are already dozens of cricket clubs across the country and these are growing all of the time.

As things stand the close association that cricket has with the betting community (without cricket world cup betting the game’s biggest event might not exist, which is akin to the Super Bowl ceasing to exist just because Vegas don’t run a book on it), as well as the fact that it’s an international game that needs the support of an instant fanbase to keep it going, means it’s not going to be easy for the USA to get their start.

But they have the foundation and in April 2019 they were awarded Test Status, which means their international team can compete at a higher level. They are also considered the 31st best team in the world. Of course, there aren’t as many cricket teams as soccer so 31st isn’t great, but it’s a start and could lead to a bright future.

Rugby

A decade ago rugby was only just starting to work its way into American high schools with many players going on to play football. These days, however, it’s a different story.

Thanks to players like Perry Baker and Carlin Isles, the US has firmly placed itself on the global stage. They have one of the best Rugby 7s teams in the world and are also competing at a very high level in the 15s version of the game.

There is still a long way to go, but due to its similarities to football, rugby is a game that the US public are quickly adopting, and this is being driven by the success of the national team and its star players.

The US only needs to look to Argentina to see just how far a new team can go. Both of these teams were considered to be very poor just over a decade ago, but these days Argentina are one of the five best nations in the world and have produced countless stars.

Formula 1

Formula 1 is the richest motorsport in the world, with races that earn drivers millions of dollars and generate hundreds of millions in sponsorship and TV deals. It’s a sport of the super rich and it’s enjoyed all over the world including right here in the United States, but for some reason, Americans don’t produce many F1 drivers.

Mario Andretti is the most famous driver to fly the flag for the USA, but his heyday was several generations ago and the US is in dire need of a new F1 superhero. The good news is that motorsports are big in the US, we have the facilities to produce the best drivers and we also have a wealth of race tracks covering all disciplines.

Formula One have recognised the importance of the United States and the things that it can bring to the table and they are going out of their way to promote the sport in the US. They added a USA circuit to the F1 season, they have marketed the sport extensively in the country and they are practically begging for a US driver to come forward.

Due t othe way that the sport is structured, it is likely that a US team and/or driver will come to the fore in years to come. As long as the money is there, and there is the belief that a US team and driver will draw more American viewers and sponsors, then it will happen.

Whether that will driver will be a champion and inspire other drivers to take up the sport is a different matter, but we’ll also certainly see a US driver on the podium before long.