Research Paper
“As a child, I loved athletics and physical activities. I was talented, but my talent was not appreciated or approved of by most. I watched my brothers compete on school teams. It didn't matter that in the neighborhood pick-up games, I was selected before my brothers. Society dictated that I should watch, and that they should compete. So at home in the backyard, I would catch as my brother worked on his curve ball, I would shag flies as he developed his batting prowess and, as I recall, I frequently served as his tackling dummy. The brother I caught and shagged for, and for whom I served as a tackling dummy, went on to Georgetown University on a full athletic grant. He later became vice president of a large banking firm. So, while I rode in the back seat on the bus of opportunity during my lifetime, I want my daughter's daughter and her peers to be able to select a seat based on their abilities and their willingness to work. Don't deny them the things that I dreamed of."-- Excerpts of a letter sent to OCR in spring 1995 by Joan Martin, Senior Associate Director of Athletics, Monmouth University, New Jersey
In April of 1993 the film The Sandlot premiered. The movie took place in 1963 when a group of 12-year-old boys spent their summer playing baseball at the local sandlot. In one particular scene in the movie, the boys got in a verbal dispute with a team of 12 year olds from the privileged side of town. The argument was over who was the more skilled baseball players. The camera switched back and forth from one kid to another as they exchanged insults. Then the camera stopped dramatically. One of the boys said the most heinous thing any young male can say to another, “You play ball like a girl!” It was like the other boy had just been hit with a bullet. The eyes of all the other boys involved in the argument widened and their jaws dropped. All that was heard were gasps from the rest of the kids in the movie. In 1963 that was the feeling of many people. The insult, “You play ball like a girl”, was one of the biggest insults a male could ever give anyone. However, since 1972 the Title IX law has changed many people’s opinions on females in the athletic world.
One Generation Later, by Huffman, S. Tuggle., C & Rosengard, D.S, explores the relevant discrepancies in media coverage. The authors assert that more boys than girls indulge in sports activities in school. Studies have examined the impact of Title IX on media coverage given to female athletes as opposed to male athletes to determine if there has been a shift away from negative social stereotypes that are traditionally associated with women’s sports participation toward a more socially accepting view of the female athlete.
As Miller and Wilson revealed, athleticism is not always analogous with success. Willy regarded Biff highly because he observed Biff’s presence and athleticism, and he believed these qualities would result in immediate success. Today many parents associate sports with success and therefore pressure their children to excel in sports. In today’s society it is very rare that fears of discrimination would cause children to not pursue a lucrative career in sports. Both Miller and Wilson knew the impact of sports on family dynamics, and how sports have evolved from a leisure time activity to a full-time commitment. Clearly, many of the qualitative aspects of sports--competition, teamwork and physical dexterity can contribute to being a success in almost any career.
Girls are told to stay indoors and play with their dolls or bake, while boys are encouraged to go outdoors, get dirty, and be adventurous. Wade and Ferree also state “sports are squarely on the masculine side of the gender binary” (Wade and Ferree, 174). Hence, we are brought up with the understanding that playing and talking about sports is a boy’s thing, which further promotes the notion that sports are a very masculine thing. Furthermore, as playing sports is competitive and is a way to show excellence, young boys are considered as “real boys” and “real men” later on. However, when boys do not talk about or play sports, they are considered feminine or “not real men.” The same rule applies for young girls. If young girls are too into sports, they are considered to be “too masculine.” This is true for me too. When I was younger, I was told to not play too much outdoors and to behave “like a girl.” The stigma that only boys should be allowed to play sports and it is not a feminine thing needs to be erased for us to welcome a more gender-equal
Ankle sprains are one of the most common musculoskeletal injuries and are especially relevant at all level of sport.1 Of all sports, the incidence of ankle sprain is higher in volleyball considering its non-contact nature.2 The most common ankle sprain occurs on the lateral or outside part of the ankle.3 Reports estimate that ankle sprains account for approximately 24% to 54% of all sport-related injuries and 23,000 persons get them per day in the United States.4
An author’s way of writing and portraying a character are one of the important things to note when reading a novel. Whether they use third or first person as their view point, have their main character have an underlying dark secret that is not revealed until the end of the novel. However an author wishes to write their novel, there is always a drawback to it. Kazuo Ishiguro’s way of writing his novel Never Let Me Go is in a first person perspective where the narrator, Kathy H., reassess her life of being a clone but the way Kathy remembers and discusses her memories of living in Hailsham is hindered by the fact she inputs her own feelings and thoughts into what happened in the past.
It has taken many years for women to gain a semblance of equality in sports. Throughout history, women have been both excluded from playing sports and discriminated against in sports. Men’s sports have always dominated the college athletic field, but women were finally given a fighting chance after Title IX was passed. Title IX, among other things, requires scholarships to be equally proportioned between men and women’s sports. Although this was a huge gain for women, gender inequality still exists in sports today. An example of this persisting inequality can be seen when looking at men’s baseball and women’s softball. In college, baseball and softball are both major NCAA sports. It is widely accepted throughout today’s society that baseball is a man’s sport, and softball is a woman’s sport. Very few people question why the two sexes are separated into two different sports, or wonder why women play softball instead of baseball. Fewer people know that women have been essentially excluded from playing baseball for a long time. This paper will focus on why softball has not changed the way women’s basketball has, why women continue to play softball, the possibilities and dynamics of women playing baseball with and without men, and the most discriminating aspect of women being banned from playing professional baseball.
On July 2, 1962, the first Wal-Mart store opened in Arkansas, and over the next 50 years, Wal-Mart became a retail giant. Holding the title of the world’s largest employer, only comparable to the United States Department of Defense and Chinas Army, Wal-Mart employs over 2.1 million people. Sam Walton’s philosophy was low prices. Instead of offering good sales every once in a while, Walton offered an “always lower price” than competitors on things that ordinary people use every day. This philosophy continues to attract more than 140 million shoppers per week. This staggering amount of shoppers helped produce a revenue of $443billion for fiscal year 2012 alone (Matthews, 2012). With more than 6,000 stores in 14 countries, Wal-Mart produces remarkable revenue each year (Hesterly, 2010). With literally billions pouring into the company, one must assess how the money is controlled and if its accounted for by the best contemporary management techniques on the market. While Wal-Mart thrives on the use of benchmarketing and lean accounting, the Theory of Constraints paired with lean accounting could produce staggering results for Wal-Mart in terms of financial management.
William Golding was born on September 19,1911 in St Columb Minor, England. His mom fought for equal rights for women and his dad was a school master. William Golding tried to write his first book when he was just twelve years old, but he failed. That did not stop him and went on to attend Oxford University and studied English literature. William Golding even published a book a year before he was to graduate, but of course was looked over by many critics. He became a teacher like his father, but then decided to join the Royal Navy and spent six years fighting in World War II. He went back to writing and teaching after World War II ended and nine years later he published his most famous piece of work, Lord of the Flies.
“All men are created equal” is a quote by Thomas Jefferson stated in the Declaration of Independence that has traveled through many centuries and is still memorable today. What this phrase is missing is equal rights for women as well as men. Since this quote was written, times have changed drastically and women have acquired these rights. Although many people see the equality of men and women in today’s era, one place that it is not present is in the sports world. Men and women have very different roles and expectations in the sports world. Title IX was introduced as a problem solver, but, nevertheless, the unequal treatment between genders still exists. Although Title IX has solved many conflicts revolving around women’s teams, not all schools have followed the rules set for them. The continuation of unequal treatment between genders in the sports world has resulted in unfair advantages for men, unequal sponsorship income, and the mistreatment of athletes who play in the opposite sex dominate sports.
The common statement “Beauty is pain” is something a girl would completely understand. We understand it and accept it because we know the final product of our hair, face or body will be worth whatever pain we put it through. Maybe there is truth to this statement because everyone has tried some kind of diet where we select the salad instead of that amazing cheeseburger. These sacrifices can be pretty painful, but we continue to give in knowing we will improve our overall health. Exercising, which is another sacrifice made to better our health, can also be extremely painful and any person that has ever gone on a hard run knows exactly what that pain is. But, in addition to getting your body in shape, running goes beyond toning and strengthening muscles or loosing a few pounds. Running has so many benefits that many people don’t even know about. As little as thirty minuets of running during the week can do wonders for a persons health. (Allen, 2014) That doesn’t sound too painful now, does it? In fact, running benefits a person’s mind, body, and age.
The scholars expounds that Black athletes were commodities on the playing field to help win games and bring in revenue to their respected schools. However, the schools were just as eager and willing to leave their Black players behind and dishonoring the player as a part of the team. Therefore, not compromising the team’s winning and bring in profits for the school. Sadly, Black athletes at predominately White institutions (PWIs) who believed that they were bettering the live of themselves and their families members by going to college and playing collegiate sports to increase their post secondary careers. However, these athletes were only “show ponies” for their schools. Unfortunately, Black athletes had allegiance to their school; however, the school turned their backs on the athletes to protect the profit and notoriety of the school and the programs. Money and respect from White fans and spectators were more important to the PWIs than standing up for the respect of their Black players. Racial bigotry in sports was rampant and it was only going to get worse.
Gender inequality in the United States is a serious problem, and it is often overlooked. It is a big issue, especially within sports. We live in a society where our culture prefers men 's sports over women 's. Labeling activities as feminine and masculine is a social construction based on stereotyped expectations regarding gender and perceived gender differences (McCullick, 2012). In 1972 Title IX was passed stating that, no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. This opened up athletics to women and girls (Education Amendment Act of 1972, 1972). Although
Can taking exams cause much stress on students? There is such thing as exam stress. The stress includes disturbed sleep patterns, tiredness, worrying, irregular eating habits, increased infections, and inability to concentrate (Dunford, 2014). Would our society be better off without final exams? A final exam is an examination administered at the end of an academic term. Neil DeGrasse Tyson once said, “The only way you can invent tomorrow is if you break out of the enclosure that the school system has provided for by the exams written by people who are trained in another generation (year).” What he is trying to say is that we need innovation within our school systems. We cannot base our tests and exams off the same exact thing every single year. Our students are being taught the test and not the actual subject. The tests are normally from a long time ago and they are just re-used and something needs to be changed about that. Our school systems need to start using alternatives to the final exam. There are alternatives to the typical academic testing out there and school systems need to start using other methods to measure the retention and performance of their students.
In one historical moment from Pamela Grundy's book Learning to Win: Sports, Education, and Social Change in Twentieth-Century North Carolina, she writes about men's college athletics between 1880 and 1901. Grundy states that "metaphors of competition gained new prominence, particularly among the members of the state's expanding middle class, which was coming to dominate public affairs" (Grundy, 12). Male college students living in North Carolina began to excel in organized athletics during this time period. "The contests on the field seemed to mirror the competitive conditions prevailing in the society at large, and the discipline, self-assertion and reasoned strategy that sports were credited with teaching meshed neatly with the qualifies required for business and political success" (Grungy, 13). People who supported athletics wholeheartedly believed it taught good values such as discipline and good character, while there were some who opposed this saying that sports were a distraction for students and thus a hindrance to their educational goals. White college men perceived athletics as a way to show their superiority and justify their presence in business as well as politics. They believed athletic sports were essential in their "vision o...
“Honey, you do not want to play baseball; that is for boys. Why don’t you take dance lessons instead?” At a young age, girls do not understand what this comment can mean to them in the future. Are males the only group of people who can play baseball or football? Why do parents want their little girls to play “girl” sports rather than the societal “boy” sport? This ideal of separating boys and girls into different sports can and will have long-term effects that adults are not aware of if they instill this mentality into their children. In today’s society, men and women are compared on the traits they have or don’t have when it comes to sports. In 1972 after Title IX was passed, there were uphill battles that women had to face and a lot