I'm going to respond to the view of sport as foul and as a thing that separates people. I think that sport does not always have to be a negative thing. Sport can act as a unifier between many people around the world supporting the same team. My speech is going to show the other side of the argument.
SLIDE 1:
Sport can act as a unifier as when many people support the same team they instantly become friendly even if they do not know one another. Joe Humphrey said that “sport is essentially anti-family and encourages unethical, discriminatory behaviour”. This is the exact opposite of what happens when people join together to support their team. This unifies people of all races and religions. When a person supports their team they do not care if the people around them are different since they focus on the unity of all the people around them supporting them.
SLIDE 2:
Sport creates friendships between people who would not normally communicate. This is great against racism since when people support the same ideals, they have something in common. This encourages communication between people and friendships between different people. Joe Humphrey says that sport creates “barriers between groups” which I think is wrong since people start friendships with all religions due to sport unifying people when supporting the same team.
SLIDE 3:
Sport unites nations. Sport unites nations and creates peace between countries since each country wants to invite the other countries to the world cup. This creates friendships between nations. Countries try to be friendly to other countries to create a better and more enjoyable sporting events. Nations bond and help each other due to sport especially the World Cup which is a way for countries to show off their support for the teams and the unification of people.
SLIDE 4:
Sport does not have a language. Sport does not need words, it can unite people with the fact that people that speak different languages understand each other and the other people supporting their favourite team. People that speak different languages don't need to worry about language barriers as there is no problem with misunderstandings in sport. The rules are the same, the different sporting events are similar and people feel like they fit in anywhere.
SLIDE 5:
Sport builds similarity by bringing people to one place creating a similarity between people of things they like to do. People find similarities in other people because they give people a chance to show who they are when they support the same things.
To me the role of sports in society is for men and women of all ages to grow and develop and be responsible members of society and the community. Sports can bring a community together as long as it doesn 't become the religion of who we are as christians. It also gives us a different setting to interact with each other and learn from one another so we can become better as a whole. Coming together as a community and being able to learn and have fun is probably one of the most important aspects to me when it comes to sports. There should be no reason that parents have to get into arguments because of a call a referee makes in their child 's game. Also sports have become a bigger deal in society then just about fun and learning the sport. A great deal of it, at the higher level has so do with economics and social status’. Players with exceptional talent are now seen in commercials and have huge salaries to play sports or even at the college level earn scholarships to get into colleges for free. I mean hey, if your that good then good for you!
According to Sheed, “Schools and colleges also teach something by their very natures, which is that you are now playing for a whole community and not just yourself” (498). Typically, what Sheed is saying is that sports have brought peers, schools, students, and even communities together to share and engage in one thing they love, sports. The people that are not even engaged in the physical aspect of sports are still brought together. They are able to cherish their favorite teams and show pride as their team endures the road to glory.
Social justice in sports is key to having relationships in sport as well as in a career. To understand this, people need understand the definition of social justice. Social justice is defined by John Rawls as basic liberties that should be given to all people. When this is fully understood, people should examine the idea of giving benefits to the weakest people in the community (Robinson, 2015, p. 1). When one applies the definition of social justice to sports, it brings out the many flaws that the sports demonstrate. The significance of social justice in sports brings attention to issues of gender, race, age and ability, and social class, and how they should be rather than how they are currently seen.
Throughout history sports has impacted the world in positive and negative ways. Reactions to certain events and athletes in sports has shown how people feel towards each other, whether it be positive or negative. The reaction to the Munich Massacre of the 1972 Olympics, Hank Aaron surpassing Babe Ruth’s homerun record and Roberto Clemente’s death in the 1970s show the start of racial bias against Palestinians and the long term racial bias against Latinos and African Americans.
Dealing with the issue of sport and ethnology, three major factors come to mind; prejudice, racism, and discrimination. These factors span across gender, ethnic, racial, religious, and cultural groups. In the following paragraphs, I will discuss how these factors have played a part in the evolution of sport in our society. The first issue tackled in this paper will be racism in sports, followed by prejudice and discrimination.
“Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. Sport can awaken hope where there was previously only despair. Sport speaks to people in a language they can understand.” Nelson Mandela. Sport contributes to community identity, serving as a focal point for engagement, pride, and achievement. The diversity of sports and sporting activities (including social sport and physical recreation) makes it an ideal medium to reach men and women from every age-group, culture, and socio-economic background. The broader benefits of sports go beyond the personal benefits derived from participation. Sport is a popular focal point
Sports are an important part of our world. Take a look at any newspaper, listen to any radio, or watch TV for any length of time and there will surely be some sports information that is being passed along. The fact that sports figures get paid salaries that teachers can only dream about lets us know where our priorities lie in this society. Sports consume a lot of our time and energy, and because of this, they have great influence in our culture.
Also containing leadership characteristics helps athletes with their social skills. Worsnop, Richard L. points out “there is a general agreement that the nation’s high schools have performed well as the farm system for college sports programs”. In other words team sports presents valuable life lessons and experiences within a group setting. There are endless situations that could take place between the teammates or with the opponents during the game. The fans or known as the community displays a huge part in the sports world and how they distribute their insight on it. Statistics have shown that “ High school teams command legions of devoted fans locally and nationally” (Worsnop). As shown the community is devoted to all types of sports and they see athletes representation and how they react in certain situations. For example the sports that involve physical contact like football and basketball could get out of
Sportsmanship matters not only in sports, but also in the rest of our everyday lives. In any competition, whether a job interview, a school science fair, or even a friendly game of cards with some friends, sportsmanship teaches you to win humbly and lose gracefully. Sportsmanship also helps us to understand each other better, because when we get along, we can listen to the other person's perspective, and see where they are coming from, and avoid a bad, possibly violent situation. Almost everyday on the news violence is reported at a sporting event, evidence of bad sportsmanship. Without sportsmanship there would be no sports, because no one would want to compete with a person who when they lost, would throw a fit, cry, and whine.
The Olympic games began as a man’s dream to break down the barriers race, and reestablish an ancient sporting event to showcase one’s skill to the world. They have, however, evolved into something more than that, they have evolved into an opportunity for government of countries to assert their power and dominance, for corporate giants to expand their paychecks, and for athletes to unfairly win fame in their countries. These detriments to such a beautiful system, however, can be fixed, but something that can perhaps never be fixed or found again is a way to unite the world in perfect harmony. There may never again be another way to unite countries from Asia to the Americas in peace and harmony, there may never be another way for elite athletes to showcase their skills to the entire world, and their may never be another way to break down the barriers of hate that constrict our world so tightly.
The movie Invictus brings up several key points about the media in everyday life. One of the most prominent points brought up in the film is that sports have the power to bring people together and unite them with a common goal. Sports are an enormous part of the media and cultures all over the world. Whether it be the Super-bowl, World Cup, or Olympics, millions of people continue to unite and cheer for the teams they support. The reason in which sports often unites people is that it gives people something in common with one another. No matter what race, age, or gender, people of all types enjoy watching and supporting sports teams which is why it is such a powerful means to unite people.
Referring to slide two Nelson Mandela once said that “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than government in breaking down racial barriers.” Sport is one of the biggest and strongest unifiers in the world. Although there may be certain issues within a country or the world such as political affiliations, gender, race and ideologies, sport always seems to bring people closer regardless of the current issues at hand.
Playing sports enables you to create friendships you otherwise might not have formed. Sports bring teens together from different schools, backgrounds, and communities. Many times, the friendships you create on the field remain intact even when you are not playing sports. Starting a team is a great way to bring individuals together that share a common sporting interest. Team sports are a great way to make new friends, and share in a common interest.
In conclusion, it is explicit that sports is a positive influence on athletes, spectators and the world as a whole as it teaches imperative life lessons as well as allows its participants to experience enjoyment, fulfilment and gratification. As mentioned previously sports enables its players to bring out the best in others and create unity amongst groups as team work is so essential. This highlights the views I have in conjunction with the views of Joe Humphrey.
The benefits of sports range from physical, mental, and social. Exercise keeps people fit, develops healthy muscle tone, and reduces heart and lung problems (Oak, Manali). Sports studies have shown that “youth are motivated and engaged in ways that do not happen regularly in any other parts of their lives. Their experience of sports stands out from nearly all other activities, including socializing and schoolwork, in providing enjoyment where they are exerting concerted effort toward a goal” (Larson, Reed, and Sean Seepersad). People who play sports bond over a common interest. This opens up children to meeting new kids and socializing with many more. In Kindergarten, I played baseball. Even though I did not truly understand all the mechanics of the game, I met new friends and began to develop motor skills. This was very useful starting at an early age and pushed me to stay active throughout my life.