Violence in Sports
To: Mrs. Woods From: Jean-Philippe
Do you think there's a connection between sports and violence? If you do, do you think it should be banned? I too think that it's connected but, unlike most people, don't think it should be banned. I have many reasons to believe so and I will state them in my essay.
First I will point out that not all sports include violence. Not many actually express violence, the only ones that do contain violence are team sports. I'm not saying that I dislike team sports, au contraire I love team sports, they help build team spirits. All I'm saying is that sports like football contain lots of violence, unlike individual sports like ping pong or kayaking. Some sports are now becoming so violent that
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What they don't realize is that there are billions of fans that are obsessed by those sports and by taking a sport away from them, could ruin their lives. Trying to stop the violence is almost like trying to declare world peace.
There will always be someone who either picks a fight or builds an underground organization. Football, hockey, soccer, and all those other violent sports will be practiced until the end of the world. Another reason why I don't want these sports to be cut is because when you practice a sport like football it helps you release all that frustration and energy you have inside. By releasing all that pressure it helps you relax for a period of time. Getting rid of popular sports like hockey or football could put a lot more kids on the streets because they would have nowhere else to go or nothing else to do. Some people tell others to keep their kids out of team sports to avoid getting involved in a gang. What those people don't realize is that those kids that never played a team sport before will probably either get involved in another kind of gang or end up spending all his time working and not playing. Violence in sports is
Coakley, J. J., & Donnelly, P. (2007). Violence in Sports . Sports in society: issues & controversies (9th ed., pp. 198-199). Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
is my opinion that the aggression these athletes train to achieve is the very aggression that
There are many views as to whether video game violence causes children to behave violently. Many children play violent games because that is what most people are playing and they feel that they need to do so as well. Violence is not only in video games but also in all other forms of media because that is what sells and what will make entertainment companies more money.
Arguments are made that sports keep kids occupied or off electronics. While that may be true in cases, sports can also keep kids too occupied with hindering their time to work on school or other important things that are required for children and teenagers.
More specifically, children are also increasingly pressured--again, usually by parents and coaches--to specialize in one sport and to play it year-round, often on several different teams (Perry). Now, if sports specialization is such a great idea, then why are kids being “pressured”? As stated before, sports specialization can result in severe injury or even retirement from sports all together. Evidently, parents would not want to risk their athlete’s entire athletic career just because of an overuse injury. Knowing this, a diversity in sports activities is the solution to the problem. Additionally, a specialization in sports can lead to the young athlete not experiencing a sport that he or she may truly enjoy in their life. If a parent already makes a child decide on a sport to play, how will the child know if that is the sport they truly want to participate in? As the child ages, they could realize that the sport they play now is not one that they love anymore, so they could just quit. Deciding at such a young age is not only a hasty decision, but also a terrible one. Finally, this specialization can also create social problems. If a child is already so competitively involved in a sport, then their social lives and relationships with friends are at risk. The clear choice here is to let the child live a normal life by allowing them to make friends and play, rather than taking over their lives with competitive
In addition to these examples, interscholastic sports also teaches students a lot about dedication. An athlete must be willing to put a lot of time and effort into his sport. Spending this much time on one thing could lead to many things. A student could fall behind in classes. By the time practices and games get over, the athlete is tired and is not likely to stay up another hour or two doing homework. Students need to spend more time on homework and less time in
During practice optimal motivation and excitement need to be given to players to not only insure they progress in their skill aptitude, but also to make the environment fun, creative, and innovative for all athletes involved. Martens specifically describes the “flow experience” as an “optimal” time where players aren’t too anxious or under motivated to perform (Martens, 108). Coaches can heed this advice by planning light, medium, and intense exercise drills, changing the modes of exercise, changing the environment, or through utilizing the teaching principle called the “games approach” (Martens, 154). If the “games approach” is used then the monotony of training will decrease because fun tactical activities based around in game situations will be used instead of repetitive technique drills that often bore players and inspire them to quit a sport early in season. Shaping of play with different teammates or rules, focusing of play through freeze play drills, and enhancing play through different techniques are all effective ways to utilize the games approach to improve tactical sport awareness (Martens, 156). For instance, instead of practicing soccer free kicks repeatedly, the players could do 3 on 3 games utilizing half of the field, they could limit the game to midfield and freeze at times to see whoever gets the most
The NFL’s expectation of violence and tolerance of systemic violence is disturbing to think about. Our troubled consciousness, however, can easily shake off the pangs of moral discomfort, and carry on. The hundreds of athletes who experience the consequences of this violence every day can not. They “[regard] their bodies as machines and weapons with which to annihilate their opponents” and deliver pummeling blows with each passing down (Messner and Sabo, 95). A human being is simply not designed to withstand the cruel, punishing hits all too common in professional football.
The amount of crimes that occur in and around sports has been a growing topic of conversation over the last decade in our society. Sports participants and spectators alike have been committing crimes on far more frequent basis over the last few years and in the minds of some, this is an issue that is getting or has gotten out of hand. There is a question that is asked by many, “Where does part of the game become a crime?” as well as; “Why are sports the cause of so much aggression?” This and many other questions relating to crime, in and around sports, are seeking an answer that may never be completely resolved.
Sports can help many at- risk youths. In order to participate in sports you need to be committed and willing to work hard. You also have to learn to respect others and accept that winning isn’t the only measure of success. Losing can build character as well. When youth participate in a sports they enjoy, they are less likely to engage in behaviors that are harmful or dangerous to themselves and others. It is for these reasons schools should strive to maintain athletic programs for their students.
According to statistics gathered by youth sports organizations, “Up to 50 million kids play youth sports in America, and 73 percent who begin playing a sport quit before they turn 13” (Binns). The children could have quit because they did not like the disappointment of losing, or because they are exhausted from their parents pushing them too hard. But parents have their reasons for pushing their children into sports. “Studies show that kids who play sports are less likely to become obese, abuse drugs or alcohol or to perform poorly in school” (McCormick). If children are not active, then they will most likely become overweight, and if they have nothing to do in their pastime, they may turn to drugs and alcohol, which usually leads to a decrease of grades in school. A parent putting his/her child in sports gives the child something to do and keeps them fit. Parents also put their child in a sport hoping that he/she will get success out of it “Eager to nurture the next A-Rod or Michelle Kwan, parents enroll their 5- or 6-year-olds in a competitive sports league or program” (Stenson). While not all parents are pushing for future Olympians, the fight for a sports college scholarship is competitive and parents may feel that their child will have a better chance of gaining one if he/she starts competitive sports early. Parents push their children to succeed, and children--not wanting to disappoint their parents--push themselves, sometimes harder than they should. If done right, pushing a child into sports can have a positive effect on the child’s interaction with other children while teaching them commitment and healthy competition. However, focusing on winning and earning a scholarship versus having fun may backfire, because the cons...
...ent behavior in order to win the game. Whereas, “sports violence can be seen as either an example of laudable competitive drive present in worthy participates or an underhanded attempts at rule bending” (Raney & Depalma, 2006). Moreover, decades of media exposure may have led to an increase in the acceptance of violence. Is media coverage exploiting sports violence and aggression for ratings? It’s unclear if fans are becoming desensitized and/or imitating the violence witnessed through the medium of media. Regardless, it’s abundantly clear the changes need to be made in light of the negative effects. Identifying and examining media’s role in the public’s acceptance of aggressive behavior in sports may aid society in minimizing the violence and aggression as much as possible surrounding sporting events to make sporting events safer for both players and fans.
It is conceivable that many people get their ideas of physical revenge from watching or listening to sporting events. There are many sports, such as football and wrestling, that feature body contact as an integral part of their program. Fans further encourage violence by cheering players who resort to violence when plays do not go players' ways. The crowd's behavior in turn encourages athletes to fight and show off because the cheers and boos of a crowd create excitement and drama. Attendance soars at games with players who are prone to violent outbursts. Referees often "look the other way" when such players ...
Sport and aggressive behavior, Do sports create aggressive behavior, or simply attract people who are already aggressive? Aggression and sport have gone together as long as sports have been around, be it the players themselves, to the parents, coaches, or spectators, they just seem to be an inseparable part of each other. The term violence is defined as physical assault based on total disregard for the well being of self and others, or the intent to injure another person (2. Coakley). Intimidation usually does not cause physical harm, but often is designed to produce psychological consequences, enabling one person to physically over power or dominate another. These statements as defined by the author, Jay J. Coakley, is what people today have made a must part on sport. Pleasure and participation sports absolutely cannot be grouped with power and performance sports when in relation to aggression. Pleasure sports are simply played for pleasure. Score is usually not kept. The athletes participating are usually on occasion doing it for fun and exercise. A majority of athletes who have been playing sports since they were little, have probably been pounded into their heads that to be successful in sport, you need to be aggressive, and at some times, unnecessary. Also that to get what you want, you have to go at it with all force. Not that this is wrong but, this attitude in today's society has been a major problem factor to the athletes when they get older, to get into trouble with the law. Those long-term effects of so-called discipline, patterns develop these destructive behaviors. (9. Montague) Although some people are still in belief that aggressive behaviors in all forms are grounded into instincts, but they also relate these actions to sports. Their parents played, who were known for their aggressive behavior, so the child feels that they have to live up to that expectation.( 6. Storr) Athletes do have to be aggressive to a point, so that the team can form a strategy to win. There is also a limit to aggression when it turns into violence. People might say that it's not aggression or violence, its just adrenaline pumping. Adrenaline isn't even similar to violence. Aggression, maybe, but nothing that would be harmful to anyone else. This might be a factor to why contact sports are so popular. For example, football, hockey, rugb...
With the increase in society taking a stance against violence, sports has become an area where some feel that the violent acts such as the hitting and fighting that occurs should be eliminated. It is very difficult to change the way that a game is played because people have been playing it that way for years. The violence in sports needs to be eliminated because of the extreme cases that continue to haunt many of the leagues and the players themselves.