Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
The different types of sports
Youth sports and parental intrusion
Sociological perspective of sports
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: The different types of sports
Sports are a big part of American society. There are different sports teams for different ages and skill levels. Sports have the potential to unite people, and members of a sports team learn how to effectively work together to accomplish goals. In regards to family unity, parents come out to see their kids play a game of soccer or football, and families and extended families come together to watch professional sports on TV. On the other hand, there are some people who do not think highly of sports. One such person, named Donald Vroon, wrote an article called, “The Stupidity of Sports.” In this article he lists the reasons he dislikes sports. Vroon’s claim that sports are stupid is flawed because many intelligent people play sports, sports can …show more content…
In fact, many people of all intelligence levels find sports interesting. Even though Vroon is not interested in sports, this does not mean that he is qualified to make the claim that all sports are boring. In his article, Vroon states “Sports stars are the best-known personalities, the highest paid, the most applauded. The stadiums vastly outdraw the churches, no matter what the weather” (50). Vroon himself talks about how popular sports are. This contradicts the statement he later makes about how boring sports are. Even without the contradiction, Vroon should be careful not to make a subjective claim like that. Vroon also states, “Sports has become a huge industry—even college sports—and a lucrative one. It’s a big commercial spectacle that millions of people seem to want to follow” (50). This statement further contradicts his statement that sports are boring. In regards to his claim about people who watch sports being mentally deficient, he gives no evidence as to why this is the case. It is illogical for the author to assume that because someone watches a long telecast of a sport that the author is not interested in, that this makes a person mentally deficient. The evidence shows that sports are indeed entertaining and people of all different intelligence levels watch them. Vroon should look at the evidence before making a subjective claim about
Blood pressure rising and testosterone dropping are good symptoms (that is, to someone who is a sports enthusiast); nail biting, heart pounding, and barn burning games are bread and butter to sports enthusiasts such as me. Rivalry, unity, and relaxation help me bond with other individuals who share a common interest as I do. Within the article “Are Sports Fans Happier?”, author Sid Kirchheimer gives his bias reasoning over sports and its social, health, and psychological effects on sports enthusiasts, which elaborates and aligns concisely to why I passionately enjoy lacrosse and soccer. Fundamentally speaking, sports initially bequeath an array of positive benefits besides good health and mental stability; sports allow individuals to indulge
In reality, sports still contain completely of knowledge, arguments, debates, problems, complex statistics, and pictures that make it to be more attractive and intellectual than school. Graff insists that street smarts are more necessary than school smarts because it comes from real life, our real experiences, and for sure it can be used in real world. However, Graff also attests “ To say that students need to see their interests “ through academic eyes” is to say that street smarts are not enough. Making students’ nonacademic interests a subject of academic study is useful, then, for getting students’ attention and overcoming their boredom and alienation, but this tactic won’t in itself necessarily move them closer to an academically rigorous treatment of those interests” (Gerald Graff, 250). School smarts are superfluous because everything we have learned would become worthless if it is not practiced in live, therefore, street smarts and school smarts need to be combined together to work
Many Americans have seen or at least heard of the movie “Remember the Titans.” The classic film focuses on a school that is blending black and whites and taking on an African American head coach. The coach knows the importance of winning, but also knows the team must work together to get those wins and have respect for every single person in the locker room. Although coach Boone was still put in a tough situation with the school board and the community, he was able to lead his team, with the help of a white assistant coach, to an undefeated season. The team coming together is exactly what America does with sports. Most everybody can come together and enjoy sporting events. By saying “everybody”, that includes all races: white, black, Hispanic, Asian, and so on. Sports are America’s past, present, and
Athletics in American schools have always been controversial for many reasons. Some of these reasons include health concerns, safety precautions, and academic significance. Daniel H. Bowen and Colin Hitt wrote an article titled, “High-School Sports Aren’t Killing Academics” to present the factors of positive correlation between success in athletics and academics. I believe that athletics in high schools not only benefit students socially, but also academically.
Coakley, J. J. (2007). Sports in society: issues & controversies (9th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
You see sports everywhere, on your TV and even your local park. The value of sports in the average American is astronomical, sports is a major priority in people’s life. Sports teaches young kids how to be successful (and not successful) at life. There is so much that goes into sports that people who never have played will never understand. With each sport there is specific skill that one must master to be good, and with that takes hours and hours of hard work. You can talk about a certain individual’s skill and capabilities that make him great, but the real value of sports lies within a person. Sports creates determination and a competiveness that can be used in other areas of life, not just sports. There are millions of kids who attempt to become professional athletes but as the level of competition increases the number of athletes decreases, very few of them ever becoming a professional athlete but they are able to take what they have learned from sports into different professions in life. When a kid spends hours in the backyard perfecting his swing it can translate to the kid spending hours of hard work in his job. Companies and business like to hire ex-athletes because they already know what kind of person they are, hardworking and
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
Participating in a sport at an early age can be essential to the overall growth process during a child’s upbringing. Whether the participation is through some sort of organized league or just getting together amongst friends and playing, the lessons learned from this can help teach these kids and provide a positive message to them as they develop. There is a certain point, however, when organized sports can hinder progress, which is when adults get too involved and forget about the underlying reason to why they are helping. While adult involvement is necessary, adult involvement can sometimes send the wrong message to children when they try to make participation become more than just about fun and learning. According to Coakley (2009), “organized sports are worth the effort put forth by adults, as long as they do what is in the best interest of their children and put that thought ahead of their own agenda” (Coakley, p. 151). This is a valid argument because once adults put themselves in front of the children and their values, it needs to be re-evaluated as to why they first got involved in the beginning. Partaking in organized sport and activity from a young age can be beneficial to the overall development of children, as long as decisions actions are made in the best interest of the children and not stemming from ulterior motives of adults.
Sports are a popular pastime among all ages and types of people. People not only participate in them for fun, but also for money, physical fitness, rush of competition, and for many other personal reasons. Playing sports is especially common among young people in schools. Athletics are great and enjoyable for many reasons, but there can be a point where sports participation can go too far and become negative for children and adults. Sports specialization for young people is an increasing trend that results in sports having a negative impact on individuals and society.
Sports is the center of American culture. In many families, sports is their entertainment. They use sports to show their happiness, anger and physical ability. The United States is known for their sports culture. They have many national sports such as NFL (National Football League) and the NBA (National Basketball Association). People in the United States often choose their favorite teams and become very competitive when their team is playing. At a young age many girls and boys join sports which is where they become competitive, and also where they realize if they like playing sports or not. Once many teenagers get into high school sports become important to them because it is a gateway into getting into college and getting that quick way to reach their American Dream in possibly becoming a famous athlete. Although not all Americans play, watch, or like sports they still know what sports are and there is more Americans who play watch and like sports than people who do not. Sports will always be the center of American culture because Americans love to be competitive and aware of what is going on in their world.
Abstract: Society is affected every day by many different kinds of sports. These sports often govern society's way of life. People all over the nation turn their TVs to sporting events, such as golf, during the weekends. Scott Stossel states that "more than six million Americans enjoy watching golf on the weekends." Parents use sports as a teaching tool for their children. Kids learn teamwork and discipline from team sports programs and sports have also helped many students with their grades. Kids who want to compete in school sports are taught to keep their grades up or they won't be able to play, but the greedy coaches and schools often look around grades to keep their "star athletes" in the games. Adults have been affected by sports in their bank accounts. Tax increases for funding a new stadium, golf course and even school programs have hurt the middle class Americans. Sports have taken control of small communities and soon will take control of society
Jessica Statsky, in her essay, “Children need to Play, Not Compete” attempts to refute the common belief that organized sports are good for children. She sees organized sports not as healthy pass-times for children, but as onerous tasks that children do not truly enjoy. She also notes that not only are organized sports not enjoyable for children, they may cause irreparable harm to the children, both emotionally and physically. In her thesis statement, Statsky states, “When overzealous parents and coaches impose adult standards on children's sports, the result can be activities that are neither satisfying nor beneficial to children” (627). While this statement is strong, her defense of it is weak.
Many people who do not watch sports can have very high self-esteem and low rates of depression. Just because they do not watch sports does not mean they will not be happier than someone who does watch sports. I for one am a very happy person and have many hobbies that do not include sports watching. The point here is that it becomes very difficult for non-sports fans to build bonds and to be included with other sports fans. That being said, it does not mean that non-sports fans cannot be happy because of this.
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.
Throughout the course of history, individuals have enjoyed playing sports. Whether it is throwing a football, sprinting around the track, or kicking a soccer ball; sports have been a popular activity worldwide. The determination and expertise needed to play sports at the highest level has made it a challenging yet enjoyable activity. However, in the recent years, sports have slowly drifted off from it’s traditional roots of physical prowess and into competitions of mental proficiencies. With the exponential growth of technology worldwide, it is not uncommon for the average household to have a computer, PS4, Xbox One, or even a Nintendo 3DS.