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Athletes use drugs
Social influences on sport participation
Sports and gender issues
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“GET UP!” screamed my freshman soccer coach as I was on the ground, clutching my stomach. Some of my teammates also shouted, “Quit being a girl and get on your feet!” A clumsy defender from the opposing team kneed me in stomach during a corner kick when I jumped up to head the ball. I had the wind knocked out me and I couldn’t even take a breather. The game was still in motion and the players and the coach persistently kept yelling at me in order for me to get back to my position when the opposing team had possession of the ball. To say the least, I disliked the demeanor of my teammates and coach. Of course, not all individuals are like that, but I have dealt with some--teammates and coaches-- over the past few years of high school who frequently …show more content…
Jock culture emphasizes on “masculinity and power” (308), which unfortunately increases the likelihood of committing wrongdoings. Male athletes are more prone to take risks simply because it is in their nature. For example, a former freshman teammate of mine was caught cheating on a quiz and had to sit out two games as a result of of his offense. He believed that he needed to cheat in order for him to avoid receiving a lower GPA (Grade Point Average), which would kick him off the team. Another example is another teammate of mine who had naked pictures on his phone. His image of being popular clouded his judgement, which inevitably lead him to a three day suspension from school as well as missing out on five games that were utmost critical. There are so many examples that I could mention with athletes abusing drugs and committing felonies that the list seems endless. These athletes are extremely gifted in their sport, but are vulnerable to do something wrong. “Being treated as a celebrity [and] being freed from normal boundaries” (307) is what impels these proficient individuals to be susceptible to
In the article “Jocks vs. Pukes.” By Robert Lipsyte the article is about people getting categorized as either Jocks or Pukes. Jocks are brave, manly, ambitious, focused, patriotic, and goal-driven while the Pukes are woolly, distractible, girlish, and damaged by their lack of confidence that nothing mattered as much as winning. Jock culture is important to people therefore, more girls are joining sports. In addition, they are more successful when they play as a team. When Pukes are interested in joining a sport they usually get rejected. Kids are usually influenced into the Jock Culture when their parents or coaches expose them to the best athletes and arenas. However, Boys were always taught to be tough, stoical, and to take any risk to win.
Can cheating be an excuse for the phrase; survival of the fittest, or is it an epidemic moral corruption? Since the advent of modern competitive sport, winning has always been the bottom line. Honesty, honour and fair play have taken the backseat. The purpose of the essay May The Best Cheater Win, by Harry Bruce, is to inform how cheating has become widespread and accepted in America. Sports are an integral part of American culture and indeed an entire industry exists because of these competitive sports. The result of these competitive sports has led to the moral corruption of most athletes, as they would do anything to win. Harry Bruce discusses the distortion of right and wrong that has penetrated all levels of sports, from children's league to regional division. He confidently informs his reader that organized sports not only "offer benefits to youngsters" but "they also offer a massive program of moral corruption".
Ever since the introduction of steroids to professional sports in the 1970s (Assael), they have greatly undermined the core American beliefs that sports held dear for so long. Values like honesty, hard work, and dedication h...
Athletes are often pressured from an early age to be better than the rest. In sports such as football, baseball, basketball, and soccer, the need to be “great” is becoming a dominant factor in the world of sports. Regardless of which sport is chosen, the stigma to be great is slowly surpassing the main goal of sportsmanship among team players. With the notion that being great is the key; many athletes, both amateur and professional, are relying on steroids to help bring them to the top of their game. Steroid use can cause damaging effects to the body and preventing this may save the lives and careers of current and future students. This essay is written to explain the problems of steroids in sports and the solutions in which to help deter or stop this problem.
... athletes to do as they please. However he does not do a good job of being non-partisan. He leads his readers to believe the only group of people who would do such things are “jocks”. This bias is not true. The newspapers report that University fraternities, and secret societies are as likely, if not more likely, to commit these very same acts. He also leads the reader to believe that all athletes and athletic teams are similar. The impression he leaves about the majority of teams and their members is prejudicial and unfair. It is very unfortunate and disheartening that members of a community that were so highly reguarded, would commit such acts. It is even more disturbing to hear about the scenario leading up to the rape, and the community which produced these troubled young men. It is more important to look at why the events took place rather than who committed them, because ultimately the only innocent person involved is the victim, a mentally handicapped young girl, named Lesli Faber.
Professional athletes using performance enhancing drugs, are influencing adolescent athletes to do the same. Studies done by psychologist in the past have shown that twenty percent of high school athletes who use performance enhancing drugs, do so because their favorite player does. Young athletes are starting to believe that to be the best, they have to use the best. They believe that if they use the same enhancers as professional athletes than they will be able to make it to the next
It receives much more attention than academics. Football players are often treated like celebrities, yielding confidence, and at the same time creating pressure. High school sports are approached with clashing opinions. Some of these opinions are positive, and supportive of athletics. “Athleticism, among many activities, offers teens a physical outlet to express their troubles, anger, emotions, and other feelings” (Chen 1).
The influence of sports activities on boys’ identity and socialization experience remains a major interest in gender studies today. Michael A. Messner wrote an article called Boyhood, Organized Sports, and the Construction of Masculinities. The article examines the way sports focus and define what it is to be a masculine, studies variation in sports’ influences across social classes, and depicts lessons sports participation impacts for relationships beyond sports. Each area Michael A. Messner examined directly relates to three key concepts of psychology theories. The concepts consist of observational learning (social learning), conformity, and social identity. The research methods in the article are also a major factor contributing to the
Sports may have impacted our culture much more then we thought it would, and keeps impacting. Sports have affected some of the most important aspects of life, such as jobs and money. It has also affected things as little as who we look up to and how we dress. Culture means “the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively.” The definition of sports is “an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.” So when we put two and two together we get a a nation or world that has changed due to sports. Back in the mid and late 1900’s sports were used to see whose way of life was better. As time went on and keeps going on, we
The journal article, “What does sport mean to you? Fun and other preferences for adolescents’ sport participation” claims that fun, social aspects, masculinity, and identity are the main reasons youth participate in sports (Skille and Østera˚ s, 360). Oftentimes, athletes forget they are on the same team, and they start to form cliques or groups based around who has the best bench press or 40 meter dash time. As a result, teammates start to compete with each other instead of working towards the same goal. For instance, one coaching journal article claims that “moral reasoning” in youth is determined through “collective norms” or group behaviors that the coach has a hand in influencing (Shields, LaVoi, Bredemeier, Power, 748-749). A proper coaching environment should therefore revolve around a fun, supportive, and collective environment where success is encouraged through the full support of the team. This support can further be developed through proper positive mindfulness and code of conduct guidelines set forth by the coach; for instance, hazing should be discouraged and proper communication and helpfulness among teammates should be
In sports today, the stakes of a game are higher than ever. This causes all those invested in the sport to become on edge. Although this may cause some beneficial effects in the game, there are still a few downsides to it. One such downside would be the bullying of athletes from their very own coaches. That’s right, the intensity of sports causes some coaches to take drastic measures to make their chances of winning greater, even if said measures are detrimental to the confidence and mentality of their players.
The main topics I will talk about are how high school and college athletes are using drugs because they see how much it helped the athletes who are mentioned in my introduction. How it affects the way fans view the sport when they gain the knowledge that some of the best athletes are using steroids. Lastly, how the negative effects of taking performance enhancing drugs have affected so many people and what they are trying to do to stop young athletes from doing these drugs. Then, I will give a real life example of how this phenomenon has affected society. Finally, I will find out where the deviance lies and choose whether our society is creating deviance or are the people who are engaging in this
All of these athletes had been brought into sports when they were young. Being involved in sports as a young boy seemed to be the natural and normal thing to do. Some of the interviewed athletes responded that there was something wrong with a young boy who was not involved with sports, and that it was a "natural" thing and really the only thing to do. Being that society for these athletes offered no rites of passage into manhood, sports became the way to prove one's manhood.
For males, there is one main stereotype known to many as the “jock.” The term “jock” refers to guys who occupy a high position, such as quarterbacks or captains of football teams, are handsome and muscular, stuck-up and self-centered, generally popular with girls, aggressive, rude and arrogant, and are bullies against people who are “uncool” or less popular than themselves. Jocks are usually given special treatment basically everywhere they are. They are given undeserved passing grades in school so that they are still eligible to play sports and they receive very little, if any punishment for their wrong behavior. Usually jocks are socialites who spend their time with each other and preps; they come from wealthy families who can afford to buy them high class, expensive SUVs and sports cars and the most popular designer clothing. According to the stereotype, jocks are well-endowed physically and socially, but he only conversations they hold with others are about sports, sex, and exercise; other conversation topics are off limits because they are unintelligent and unenlightened by anything else. Jocks abuse drugs and alcohol and have sex earlier in life and have sex more casually than most other people. Stereotypes are also active in the lives of female athletes. These consist of their quality attributes such as competitiveness, strength, power, and their egos. Two main stereotypes they face
The major issues associated with drug use and abuse in professional sports. The reason why athletes may take drugs and means of primary prevention is addressed. The belief that athletes take drugs because they have not developed effective intra- and interpersonal skills to cope constructively with the pressures exerted by management, media, and fans. A broad-based program of primary prevention is offered that attempts to circumvent the most significant causes of drug abuse. Drug education that provide honest, straightforward information about the benefits and detriments of various drugs. Drug use is not believed to be controlled by purely rational decision-making, emotional education modeled after the scared straight programs with juvenile delinquents would be used to reach young athletes at the gut level. The general life skills would be taught as a means of providing the athletes with ways of constructively handling the pressure. A supportive environment would help develop and assist the athletes in coping with their lifestyle and the associated difficulties.