For The Love of the Game It is a lovely spring day, the sun is shining bright, delighted birds are flying in the sky, and the esteemed American flag is fluttering slightly in the soft breeze. The field is immaculate, the grass is brilliant green, and the bases surrounded with attractive brown sand. You can smell the aroma of hot dogs cooking and popcorn popping. The bleachers filled with anxious, chattering fans. Suddenly, the uniformed man behind the plate yells, “PLAY BALL!” Then, the first nervous batter steps up to the plate; the players in the field crouch down in anticipation of what will happen. The pitcher, on the mound, goes into his windup and throws what appears to be an impeccable pitch across the plate. The umpire calls out, …show more content…
Right away, I recognized that particular fans view the game way too seriously. I found that frequently, calls appear different from the bleachers than they do behind the plate. As I observed the annoyed fans and their questioning reaction to the calls, made by the umpires, I asked myself, “Are they truly that serious-minded towards a game?” Several of the fans told me that they “chirp” for this reason, it is part of the game. However, others are way too extreme concerning the game, possibly, for the reason that it involves their …show more content…
Pat responds, “For the utmost part; it has been an incredibly rewarding experience. There have been a few unpleasant times. Nonetheless, I love the kids, coaches, and the fans. I love the ambience of the game!” I discovered that not only does Pat love the kids and coaches several of them respect him. I surveyed a few of the players and coaches whom Pat umpired. I received the following responses. Craig Mills, a high school coach says, “Pat was remarkable, he was so fun when he was out on the field. He was willing to joke around with us, which made it enjoyable. He frequently talked to the kids and could relate to them.” Luke Bitton, a high school player says, “He chatted with me out on the field, he had impressive jocularity, and was always making jokes. It was always easy to understand his calls. I knew that he loved the game.” Alex Moon, a high school player says, He was friendly, as well as fair, and he was never afraid to give you a little advice, and it always did the same for both
Baseball is a unique game in which, though it is a team sport; it consists fundamentally on individuals and confrontations between those individuals. From the moment the pitcher gets his sign from the catcher, comes set, and delivers the pitch, it's all between the pitcher and hitter. Present are many fielders in set and ready position on the field, base runners creeping off their bases, and players and coaches watching from the dugout, but during those few seconds, baseball evolves into a two player game. Likewise, on nearly any play - a fly ball, a ground ball, a popup, etc. - all the attention is focused only on the fielder and perhaps the base runner that he will attempt to throw out. Every play that is, except for the squeeze.
Right now in America, the world of sports is constantly changing and growing to make the sports safer and fairer. People want sports to be as exciting and thrilling as before, but without the human error that may turn some baseball fans away. Along with this fear, people also want every sport to be as fair as possible, and by doing this most sports have incorporated an instant replay rule. This spring will be the first that the review rule will be in effect, it is a radical decision and game changing because baseballs history is so rich and its structured has not been changed in so long. These changes are not without skepticism though because people believe that the game has been so successful and before being “fair” was not the biggest priority of the game. By adding this rule, baseball’s fairness will be protected in a way it was not previously, but this set of rules is not without skepticism by people who believe there is nothing wrong with the game now.
“One good play,” said the Phillies manager. For the first time all game Jackie Robinson entered the on deck circle. Fans from across the stadium booed very loudly. Although there were many familiar faces in the crowd that were cheering and routing for him. After Jackie Robinson’s teammate hit into a double play Jackie came up to the plate with two outs and no runners on base. As soon as Robinson approached the plate he was thrown off by the look and posture the manager gave him. The Phillies manager came out of the dugout and just looked at him. After one huge swing Jackie turned to see the wide smirk on the Phillies manager’s face.
The importance of fans is vital because in addition to skill talent and hardwork, fans greatly affect how a team performs in their games. They affect the way a player plays because fans have a way of getting into their players heads and the opponent's head, even the referees are affected by the fans and we rarely notice the importance. In 2001 a Sports Ethics article “ The Ideal Fan” by Myles Dichter he explains the importance of fans and connection between fans
I had Just got done with lacrosse practice and about to walk down to the car when all of the sudden a pink fluffy polar bear flew down and grabbed me and threw me onto its back i was actually not scared i enjoyed this odd ride when all of the sudden i saw a shiny silver tiny… peanut! It smiled a weird peanut smile and jumped into my ear and wisped a date. 2024 all i did was nod my head and poof we turned the oddest yellow in the world! We vanished the last thing i remembered was a purple and green monkey staring back at me.
I stood at the front gate of Fenway park, home of the Boston Red Sox, where the Green Monster stands tall, the year of 2013. As soon as I walked in through the front gate, the warm smell of hot buttery popcorn made my mouth water with comfort. This familiar smell brought me back to the times I went to baseball games with my Dad and grandfather. The spots of spilled soda stains stick and sizzle on the cold hard concrete floors surrounding the stadium. The steam of a freshly boiled hot dog fills my nostrils with delight. A few moments later the umpire had a scratchy voice that emitted through the stadium and announced, “Play Ball”. Then the fans all seated waiting for the game to begin. After a few minutes the 1st inning began and one of the most
I felt as though I was watching a train barrelling towards me, an inevitable bullet that had come tumbling out of the opposing pitcher’s arm. But instead I stood immobilized, watching my team's only chance of winning whiz by me. Strike three. I heard my team from behind me shouting “SWING!” with my mind screaming the same. But my bat remained unmoving, the pop of the catcher's glove like the nail into the coffin that was our defeat. All I had to do to keep our hopes of winning hope alive was swing, and yet I couldn't. I stayed on the field afterwards, tossing the ball up in the air and swinging away, landing it on the thick maple barrel of the bat.
This game of a stick and ball has captivated the United States during good and bad times. In either time most of us today can remember stories of players from the late 1800’s to early 1900’s. These are legendary figures in the sport of baseball that have are celebrated as hero’s and in scandal, i...
‘Field of Dreams’ is a diversified script that constantly evolves, but mainly revolves around the game of baseball, ‘the greatest game ever invented’. The game that according to some avid spectators, completely and thoroughly transcends and binds the country to past, present, and future--generation to generation. In this movie this national pastime represents an avenue that finds the connection to the soul of a great audience; somehow insinuating that baseball acts as a means of fulfilling individual spiritual needs. These needs are that of a ‘sense of belonging’, a need to participate in sport, either vicariously as a spectator or directly as a participant. Moreover the desire to engage in distraction and play may be intrinsic to the human psyche. The theme throughout the movie was based on the legendary story of the Chicago White Sox of 1919, where the question was raised on the issue of the team’s “sportsmanship” and the ethical behavior of several teammates during the World Series. This left the image of America’s most idolized team tarnished and lead up to a ban of eight players from the sport; for an ‘unsportsmanlike’ like conduct in the series. The public view of the game up until then was that of perfection, it was clean and straight; but afterwards, the lack of fair play especially coming from such highly ranked players, ended up affecting fans’ enthusiasm for the entire sport. As the movie nears its ending, Robinson evolved on the concept of having utterly devoted fans and as if in a mystified manner drew them in to this already mystical place, just to have them see the most idolized team of ‘the golden age’ play once again.
Baseball is considered to be “the national pastime” but it has always been perceived as a sport of integrity. “Baseball in America: A History” that Baseball originated before the American Civil War (1861-1865) as rounders, a humble game played on sandlots” (U.S. Department of State). The game was made to include the skills of cricket along with the mental judgment that helped make cricket a respectable game in England. Scoring and run-keeping allowed baseball to differ from other sports and helped people become interested. The first professional baseball team was created in 1871 and almost every major city had a professional baseball team by the early 20th century. Depending on where the team was from determined if they were a part of the American League or the National League. In a team’s regular season, they only play teams of the same league as them. At the end of each regular season, the team that has won the most games from each league wins the “...
Soccer is the world’s number one sport. It’s a game of hard tackles, aggressive attacks and world class goals. There are no requirements for equipment, which are truly needed in order to play except, a soccer ball. It’s a simple and cost effective sport to fall in love with. Whether one is playing on dirt, street, grass, cement or wood, they’ll very likely have a fun time as well as an awesome workout. No better feeling then stepping on the pitch to freshly cut grass, green as ever then lacing up your cleats to the whistle blaring. From men and women to young children, all ages can for take in this beautiful game.
Finally, baseball fans are insanely loyal to the team of their choice. Should the home team's players lose eight in a row, their fans may begin to call them "bums." They may even suggest that the slumping cleanup hitter be sent to the minors or the manager fired. However, such reactions only hide their broken hearts. They still check the sports pages and tune in to get the score. Furthermore, this intense loyalty can make fans dangerous, for anyone who dares to say to a loyal fan that some other team has sharper fielding or a better attitude could risk permanent, physical harm.
The sports of today have changed the way the players play the game. Starting on the professional sports level, bad sportsmanship behaviors, like the use of steroids or "throwing" a game or a match in an effort to please the sports gambler trying to get their big pay-off, has trickled down through the college level and even down to the high school level. One person recalls the days when athletes played their sport for the love of the game, because it is what they lived for. They remember when they were younger, sitting in their grandfather's lap and watching the Atlanta Braves (in the days of Dale Murphy, Bob Horner, Glenn Hubbard and other great names in Braves history) running out on the diamond every game. In fact, they quoted country artist, Collin Raye, saying [I've been] "a Braves fan even through the rotten years". Watching these games, they remember looking up at their grandfather’s face and seeing the look he had in his eyes by watching these guys play their sport from the heart. Now, years later, sports have been threatened by strikes. The athletes playing now aren't playing because they love to, but now it's more about the money and how much they can make. Sports of today are tainted and don't come from the heart. The kids today need to be taught what it was like "in the good ole' days" and how playing sports teaches an individual about how to work with other people and how to pull together as a family.
Sports psychology is the study of how psychology influences sports, athletic performance, exercise and physical activity. Some sports psychologists work with professional athletes and coaches to improve performance and increase motivation. Other professionals use exercise and sports to enhance people’s lives and well-being. While finding ways to help athletes is certainly an important part of sports psychology, the application of exercise and physical activity for improving the lives of non-athletes is also a major focus.
As I walked onto the volleyball court, I noticed people were screaming and cheering all around me. They were all around me, and yet they all sounded strangely distant. I was nervous. I was worried that we might lose, but worst of all, I was worried that I might end up letting my teammates down. Negative thoughts continued filled my head and I drew closer and closer to my position. Once again, I found myself asking whether or not I truly belonged on this team. Now, this certainly was not the first time I questioned my place on the team, but little did I know that it would be the last.