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Taking part in sports helps with character development
Effects of sports on child development
Effects of sports on child development
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Sports movies are not just about sports, they incorporate families, backdrops, and values that one can install into their daily lives to better themselves. Often times the backdrop of the characters in the film is what forms the foundation of the movie. These intricate details about the characters lives add dimension to the plot of the movie and make it easier for the audience to relate and empathize with the characters. Movies such as, Kicking and Screaming and The Sandlot, are great examples of bringing people together, exemplifying teamwork, creating everlasting bonds, and other prime aspects of how sports can change someone's life.
One similarity between the two movies is the desire to amount to something remarkable, and to be the best
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you can be. In the movie Kicking and Screaming, since the moment that Phil was born, his father wanted him to be a soccer star. As Phil grew older all he ever wanted was for his dad, Buck, to be proud of him. Phil tried countless sports as a kid and throughout college because that was what his dad was deeply passionate about and Phil wanted to have that father-son connection with his father. Phil put in so much effort to improve so his dad could see that he was not a failure and could amount to something like his father had always hoped. Even as a kid, Phil felt as if his father did not appreciate him. One day Phil and his dad were at a huge soccer game, and one of the soccer players accidentally kicked the ball into the stands and Phil leaped up to grab the ball with excitement in his eyes, but right before he could grab the ball, his dad yanked it from his reach. Buck would not let Phil have the ball or even touch it and ever since that day the Pele soccer ball was Buck’s proudest accomplishment. Phil always stared at the ball in wonder and awe hoping that one day he could mean as much to his dad as the ball did. The Pele ball signified the potential of becoming a legend. All Buck ever wanted was for his son to be amazing at soccer, or amazing in any sport, but when Phil demonstrated no talent Buck shut him out and failed to show him any recognition. Later on Phil and Buck both find themselves coaching rival soccer teams. Phil sees that this is his chance to beat his dad and give him someone to be proud of. Phil works the kids on his team as hard as he can and gets tied up with beating Buck. Phil forgets that while winning is fun, enjoying the gafae and getting to play is the main reason why all the kids on the team joined in the first place. Once Phil realizes that he has neglected the kids their opportunity to be apart of the team he encourages them all to have fun and play their best. At the championship game Phil and his team, The Tigers, beat Buck’s team and finally after many many years does Buck tell Phil that he is proud of him and what he accomplished. Like Phil, Benny in the movie The Sandlot, also wants to amount to be great and accomplish impressive things.
Benny’s full name was Benjamin Franklin Rodriguez, and like Benjamin Franklin Benny wanted to be a legend and never be forgotten. He wanted the glory and recognition that all famous legend receive and for kids like him to look up to him forever. Benny’s ultimate dream was to play professional baseball. He lived and breathed baseball everyday that he could. He invited his friends to go out to the sandlot everyday in the summer not only to get better but to have a good time. The only thing that stood in Benny’s way of his dream was the beast. The beast was known to be a vicious evil monster that lived on the other side of the fenced sandlot. If anyone hit the baseball onto the other side of the fence it was as good as gone. If you even dared to go retrieve a ball you know there was a high chance you would not make it back. The beast and his hundreds of stolen balls made it hard for Benny to keep playing the sport that he deeply loved. Benny had always dreamed of becoming a legend like his idol Babe Ruth, the greatest baseball player of all time. Benny wanted to be a legend but he was not sure what he had to do to become a legend. Until one day, the hardest, most dangerous task that he would ever be faced with was dropped right in front of him. Smalls, Benny’ neighborhood friend hit his first home run over the fence with his stepdad’s precious baseball that had been signed by Babe Ruth himself. Benny saw the despair in Smalls eyes and Benny knew that he had to help. Later that night Benny had a dream, and in that dream Babe Ruth came to him and told him that this was his moment. He needed to step up to the plate and be the one to defeat the beast. Ruth says to Benny “Remember kid, there's heroes and there's legends. Heroes get remembered but legends never die; follow your heart kid, and you'll never go wrong.” and in that moment Benny knew what he had to do.
He marched up to the fence and grabbed the ball before the beast could snatch him. To everyone's surprise the beast leaped over the fence and chased all the boy around town. Once the beast reached the fence once again, the fence collapsed on the beast and Benny had defeated the beat himself. The boys raised the fence and learned that all the beast wanted was to play. From that moment forward Benny became a legend. Everyone knew his name, and it later came in handy when he went on to play professional ball for the Dodgers. Although Benny and Phil wanted different things and had different obstacles they both were able to amount to everything they had dreamed of. Another similarity that is displayed in these two movies, is the idea of how sports can often create relationships that could last you a lifetime. In Kicking and Screaming, soccer creates and strengthens countless relationships such as Phil and Buck, Phil and his son Will, Mike Ditka and Phil, and the overall soccer team. All of these characters shared one common goal, they all wanted to win the championship game. With a common goal, it created a way for these different characters to generate relationships with others that had the same goal as them. When Phil became the coach of the Tigers he wanted to make sure that Will would actually get the opportunity to play in the game instead of being a benchwarmer like he had been on his previous team. As the season continued, Phil became obsessed with defeating his dad in the championship and forgot why he took the job in the first place. After Phil comes to term with reality, he puts Will in the game and that strengthens the bond that he had with his son more than ever. As previously discussed in class, when kids play a sport and have the support of their parents that creates not only a strong bond between the child and the parent but also a huge network of support and positive energy. At times parents can get too invested in winning and forget that having fun is the most important part of kids getting involved in sports in the first place. Phil turned into one of the parents for the documentary Trophy Kids and put his own son on the bench all so he could have an ego boost and finally prove to his dad that he could amount to something that his dad would approve of. In The Sandlot, Scottie is the new kid in town. Scottie recently moved to San Fernando Valley because his stepdad was offered a new job. All Scottie wants is to make some friends before school starts. He strolls through the neighborhood looking for something fun to do and then one day he stumbles upon the Sandlot. Scottie is mesmerized by all the boys playing ball. He watches them from the corner of the Sandlot in awe hoping that he could play with them also. Scottie knows he would make a fool out of himself because he has never been taught to throw or catch a baseball. After watching the boys play ball all day Scottie asked his stepfather if he would teach him how to play catch. After constant asking, his stepfather finally agrees to teach him how to play. They both go out to the backyard and they throw the ball around. Scottie has a hard time figuring out where to hold his glove and when to release the ball from his hand when throwing it. Scottie knows that he is not any good but he continues to watch the boys every day. Until one day one of the boys, Benny, invites Scottie to play with them so they can have a big enough bunch to play the game. Scottie reluctantly accepts the offer and stands in the outfield. Scottie panics as the first ball is hit towards him and misses the catch. As the other boys begin to tease Scottie for his inability to play the game, Benny walks up to Scottie and tells him to hold up his glove and let the ball fall into place. As the next baseball is hit in Scottie’s direction, Scottie raises his glove and closes his eyes hoping that the ball with fall into place. He catches the ball and everyone is surprised. From that day on Scottie plays with all the boys every day and they become best friends. Baseball brought them together and it created an everlasting bond so strong that even as they all grew older and began to move away from San Fernando Valley, none of them were ever replaced on the team. Each boy had a special spot on the team and they were irreplaceable. Relationships like these do not just happen overnight but from a common passion such as baseball. In conclusion, sports are often what lead to people's hopes and dreams. For Benny, it was becoming a professional baseball player and leaving a legacy. For Phil, it was making his dad and son proud. Scottie just wanted friends and baseball was what made that happen for him. Sports are a crucial part of creating lasting friendships and are fundamental for many kids childhoods. Sports can help kids make friends, set goals, and accomplish their dreams.
first person about his struggles in the beginning of his baseball career, and how he miraculously turns his
Another similarity in the book and movie is that the characters have to go against their morals in order to decide what to do in certain situations. An example of this in the book is when Skip realises he would have to trespass and steal in order for him to keep himself and his friends alive. Or in...
Bill Meissner is an author who enjoys writing stories about baseball that include nothing about baseball. In his stories there are many hidden messages which the reader tries to decipher and figure out the theme. Meissner uses baseball as his main attraction to catch the reader’s eye. Bill ties the character to baseball so he could demonstrate symbolism, which could help discover the theme of the story. In all his stories he establishes a lesson in which the character will uncover throughout the journey. The character in this story acts as a “weak” (42) human being which triumphs at the end by becoming the total opposite. In the story “Midgets, Jujubes, and Beans”, Bill Meissner expresses the theme of how a person should never lose hope on something they love by using a boy named Martin experiencing various challenges and in the end coming out on top.
Major league scouts had come to watch a shortstop whom they had heard was an excellent fielder and consistent batter. They were quickly distracted from this responsibility however by the performance of the man on the pitcher’s mound. Fernando Valenzuela was a pudgy teenage boy who had grown up on the dusty baseball fields of northwestern Mexico. From a young age, he had dreamed of playing professional baseball and he was about to get his chance. Less than two years later, he became the only player to win the Cy Young award as well as the Rookie of the Year award...
There can be no question that sport and athletes seem to be considered less than worthy subjects for writers of serious fiction, an odd fact considering how deeply ingrained in North American culture sport is, and how obviously and passionately North Americans care about it as participants and spectators. In this society of diverse peoples of greatly varying interests, tastes, and beliefs, no experience is as universal as playing or watching sports, and so it is simply perplexing how little adult fiction is written on the subject, not to mention how lightly regarded that little which is written seems to be. It should all be quite to the contrary; that our fascination and familiarity with sport makes it a most advantageous subject for the skilled writer of fiction is amply demonstrated by Mark Harris.
This scene is a prime example of where actor placement and its relation to character importance comes into play. Giannetti claims that the, “area near top of frame can suggest ideas dealing with power, authority, and aspiration” (58). All of the boys on the Sandlot team look up to Babe Ruth as their role model and inspiration for wanting to play baseball. Babe is seen as a power symbol amongst the boys and Benny aspires to be as great as him one day, which is exhibited by his placement at the top of the frame showing his importance. Babe is also center screen, which alludes to central dominance and the fact that he is the most important character in this shot. Giannetti also explains that, “areas near bottom of screen suggest meanings opposite from the top: subservience, vulnerability, and powerlessness” (61). Benny is subservient to Babe because he idolizes him, which explains why he is placed lower than Babe in the frame. This placement also reveals Benny’s vulnerability because this is when he is being convinced by his idol to jump over the fence and get the
“If you build it, he will come” (Kinsella 1). These words of an announcer jump start a struggle for Ray Kinsella to ease the tragic life of Shoeless Joe Jackson. Ray hears a voice of an announcer which leads him to build a baseball field that brings Shoeless Joe Jackson onto the field. However, this field puts his family on the verge of bankruptcy which is just one of the struggles Ray Kinsella is presented in his life. Shoeless Joe Jackson is no stranger to having no money, as he was only making a measly $1.25 as a kid struggling to support his family. He never attended school and was illiterate throughout his entire life. The struggle is completely the same with Ray Kinsella growing up, as he is forced into baseball, which ultimately makes him run away from home. Ray’s hate is Joes love. Joe loves baseball and makes it to the major leagues, but it doesn’t last. Joe’s career is cut short due to the fact he is accused of throwing the World Series, and banned from baseball forever. Rays’s father would have loved it if his son made it to the major leagues because he thought Ray had the potential and talent. However, his only dream was simple, he wanted to play a game of catch with his son, unfortunately, he passed away and he never got to see his son after he ran away. Shoeless Joe Jackson’s death wasn’t any better, as he died guilty of throwing the World Series which was the biggest sports tragedy to date. Tragedies are not uncommon phenomena, Ray Kinsella and Shoeless Joe Jackson have the unfortunate luck to go through a struggle fulfilled and uphill battle in what is suppose to be a wonderful thing, life.
After discovering a God-given talent, a young boy struggles to achieve his only dream; to become the best there ever was. Baseball is all he has ever known, so he prevails through the temptations and situations laid before him by those out to destroy his career. His hopes and dreams outweigh all the temptations along his journey. These hopes, dreams, and temptations are depicted through archetypes in the movie The Natural.
The Sandlot is a classic sports film that shows how the role of friendship plays in children’s development. The story takes place in a small suburb outside of Los Angeles in the summer of 1962. The main character “Smalls”, just moved to the town with his mom and step dad. He doesn’t really know how to make friends but started watching a group of boys that walked to the ‘sandlot’. Smalls has always stuck to science projects, so baseball is a new subject to him. The step dad has a love of baseball so when Smalls goes into his office he has trophies and a baseball signed by Babe Ruth. Smalls wants to be able to connect with his step dad, so he tries to learn how to play baseball with the guys.
Americans have become addicted to gaining quick rewards of satisfaction through sports and action because they want to be entertained thoroughly without needing to ponder any hidden meaning so it doesn’t take away from the pure entertainment of the action. In his time, Bradbury was fearful of the way that the television’s empty shows were in invading every home in America. The culture in the novel demands for “everything (to be boiled) down to the rag, the snap ending” (Bradbury 52), leaving nothing for the viewer to ponder; they would rather enjoy themselves “a solid entertainment” (Bradbury 58). The same is true in today’s movies and shows, in which most must contain many action scenes in order to keep the viewer’s attention, and the meaning and symbols must be clearly spelled out for them. This is also why Bradbury includes sports as being the main focus of schools in his story, since th...
Jackie Robinson was the first black baseball player to play on the professional level, he was fearless, courageous, willful and strong. He was an advocate for civil rights, as well as a great baseball player. He had to try to keep quiet, and keep to himself while playing, but became a stronger and more extreme advocate over time. A leader on and off the fields dealing with much more than just baseball, he also had to deal with the criticism and racial tensions of a prominently white game. Branch Rickey, the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, was a showman who knew how to make money and fame in baseball “he had made a fortune for the cardinals as well as himself, and black talent could argument his bottom line by transforming his struggling dodgers into a power house” (Zeiler, 17). He wanted to make his team great by any means possible. He put his eyes on Jackie Robinson. Jackie Robinson changed the game and the world, and will always be a huge figure in baseball and civil rights.
Babe Ruth is still a very well-known person in history today, even almost one-hundred years later. He did not only change the way people viewed negro baseball leagues, but he also gained a large reputation for his ability to play baseball, obviously due to his amazing abilities. Ruth’s ability to play was almost impossibly good, in fact, he was even titled “athlete of the century” for his ability. With that ability and power that he had once he won, he would become a
“Death of The Right Fielder” is a short story written by Stuart Dybek that is told from the point of view of a player on a baseball team. The story centered around the theme of death where it is defined through baseball talk. The “Right Fielder” is a reprensentation of people among us who just don’t amount to anything, and how when they die they go unnoticed for a time. A variety of similes were used throughout the story. The first being in the opening paragraph which Dybek illustrates the team just noticing the right fielder lying on the grass resembling a towel. For a team and their fans to not notice a man dead on the field illistrated the point that the right fielder was irrelevant to world let alone his own teammates and fans. The narrator goes on to explain how baseball teams work while contemplating how long the boy had been dead. He talks about how the right fielder had gone unnoticed by the team, and
Home Run: The Story of Babe Ruth by Robert Burleigh is a great story for demonstrating the importance of sentence fluency. This text uses sentences of different lengths to convey feeling. There are a variety of great passages to choose from to show students the many different types of sentence structure used in this text and how they affect the story.
...y even the family that he thought would accept him for who he was, due to his unknown kindness. Both films share a Byronic hero which endured multiple hardships, which in turn lead to their destruction.