Academia

Not nearly as much of either. I went to both US and German universities and the difference was huge.

In German university there was really only loosely-organized recreational sports. You know... for normal students to enjoy. Professional athletes start their careers at professional clubs (which are much more prevalent than in the US due to how leagues are organized) rather than at universities.

In Germany there was also much less interacting with the administration. You basically only interacted with them when you started your degree and then once you could prove you were done. It's much more 'on you' to figure things out and organize things compared to the US.

Either that or their administration doesn't gratuitously overpay themselves.