Basketball And Football In The 1940's

World War II drastically changed the landscape of sports in America and formed them to become what they are today. World War II started in the year 1939 and lasted until 1945. The United States was not brought into the war until 1941 because of the bombing on Pearl Harbor. Young people from all over the country joined in the war effort to help fight. This included people that already had jobs and people that did not have jobs. In this time period men mostly made up the sports field. The effects on basketball, baseball and football in the 1940’s were greatly affected by the United States getting involved into World War II.
Body 1- Baseball B. During the early 1940’s, the time that the United States was in the World War II, baseball
Soccer was greatly affected by World War II. On September 8, 1939 the Football Association (FA) announced that all football, except the football that was organized by the armed forces, was to be suspended. This was different from World War I when football was continued to be played. The threat of air attacks made it very difficult for football to be played outside. However, a revised program was introduced on September 21 that allowed football to be played as long as it didn't interfere with national security. Crowds of spectators was limited to 8,000 in evacuation areas and 15,000 in other places. Football continued to remain a popular sport at home. Football was played at camps where the men in the war stayed. They used it as a way to keep entertained and a way to have fun. Back at home there was women's football leagues also. Large factories where the women worked would have their own teams and play against other teams. Although football was not the most popular sport during the war, it provided a way for troops and citizens to keep their mind off of the bad things that were going
World War II affected the sports of basketball, baseball, and football in many different ways. World War II did not just change the landscape of the world and politics, it also changed the way that people look at and embrace sports. Without sports, there would have been even more sorrow than there already was. Sports provided people with something to do when they were feeling depressed and just needed to take their minds off of the war. The value of sports in our society can never be overlooked because it can help bring people together in times of tragedy and help to make people work together more than they ever have