Unfair Advantages

    There is much debate in sports over creating equality of the playing field. Drug testing for steroids, gender testing, age groups all help even out competition in sports. Not much thought however, is given to disabled athletes.  The few leagues that do exist are not given much credit. People that are born with physical disabilities, blind or death, or with mental disabilities have almost no hope of becoming athletic superstars.
    At schools for the blind and deaf they have sporting events for their students to participate in.  These sports are not given much attention by the public.  Rarely do they lead to college university scholarships. I feel many of these students have a lot of potential.  But since they are handicapped, they need more help.  I feel if more attention is given to these athletes many could go somewhere. Just because they are disadvantaged does not mean they are incapable of being champions. Working in the sports field, I would want to work to provide these handicapped children more opportunities. It would bring me great pride to give a child, with lost hope of becoming professional athletes, that hope again.
   Some organizations such as, the Special Olympics, work towards incorporating people with special needs into athletic events.  They want to make dreams for these children possible.  They create acceptance, grow courage, teach teamwork, and build pride in the young athlete.  Not only do they build each child's self-esteem do they construct stronger communities. They involve a diverse group of people and individuals to volunteer and organize the events. Bringing together a multitude of people for a good cause creates lasting friendships and trust.  I think this a great idea and could be modeled for other disciplines of the sporting world. The Special Olympics focus on the true values in sports.  I hope this aspect will widen to more areas of sports because there are many other disabled and disadvantaged athletes who never get the same opportunity to experience these values and all sports have to offer. I want a broader range of athletes capable of participating in the sporting world.

Aggression in Football

Aggression in football is what makes the sport so likable. The combat draws in millions of fans. Its a sport for tough men.  Athletes know it is an aggressive sport going into it.  For this reason, very few girls desire to be apart of it.  When young boys sign up for this sport in high school they are fully aware its physical.  That being said I do not think it is right to compare the people who allow football to be played as equals to those who allow dog fighting.
    Football players enjoy their sport. They have a great passion for it. Take away that passion and they will not be happy. The meaning of life is to live it to the fullest, not the longest.  The football team brings great spirit to schools.  Homecoming is centered around it.  We can alter such a central American theme. Yes, football players may receive some long-lasting injuries. But this is the same case in all sports. There is always a risk for trouble. Cheerleaders, volleyball players, soccer players, anything physical can result injury. We can live our life in fear of what could be.  Football players are glorifies. They enjoy their high role in American culture.

Athletic Scholarships

   I just finished reading John R. Gerdy's article "For True Reform Athletic Scholarships Must Go." I found it very interesting and really got me thinking. I had never before attributed the negative consequences of sports to something as simple as athletic scholarship. The points Gerdy makes, are very clear and make sense, but I think it goes further than athletic scholarship. I feel the real route to the problems in sports are money. By problems I mean doping; fighting among parents, referees, and coaches; lying and cheating.
    From the time a child can walk parents can now have them participate in sports. They want them to grow up and be the next athletic superstar. Parents will not hesitate at the chance to pull their child out of school so they can focus solely on their athletic pursuit. According to http://usa.usembassy.de/sports-youth.htm, in 2003, 58% of boys and 51% of girls in high school played sports. This is an outstanding number. Not all of these student athletes can go on to be professionals, but I am sure almost all of them have dreams of being the best. This has caused the "win at all costs motto" children abide by. This dreams of stardom leads to the crazy parents on the sidelines screaming at their kids and starting fights with rules officials. Is this what sports should be about? Absolutely not!
   I firmly believe sports are great for kids. Its an easy outlet for their built-up energy, builds cognitive skills like problem solving, and teaches dedication. Sports should also be about (which at current times I feel they aren't)  honesty and learning to work together as a team. If every athlete is in it for himself, to win and accept nothing less, they lose these essential values. Setting goals and achieving them builds confidence. Winning is not the problem. Its that poor idea stuck in the kid's mind that if they lose all hell breaks lose that is wrong.
  From the points presented above,  I think too much emphasis is placed on the money aspect of sports. Eliminating athletic scholarships in favor of need-based financial aide is a radical, awesome idea. I feel one of the biggest critics of this idea is that little money will be given to minorities who use sports as an outlet to escape the poor conditions they grow up in. This is where people are wrong. If it is still need-based, the poorer students (many who are of minority status) will still be given financial assistance. The only difference will be academics must come first. If athletes are held to the same standards as the rest of the student body they will grow up knowing they must work hard in high school to go on to play collegiate sports.  These student-athletes who succeed will be more well-rounded because they know how to handle schoolwork and sports.
   The athletic scholarship requires a player to play, be the best no matter the circumstances. Players can miss time on the athletic field or their scholarship could be dropped. This leads to players playing when they are injured and would be better off resting. The athlete believes they are at the school only to play ball and quite frankly when athletic scholarships are given that is their sole purpose.  The stereotypes around jocks assume they have no expectation to make good grades are even have more than minimal intelligence at that.  If colleges switch over to need-based financial aid, athletes will feel they have other options at the school. If they do not like the college coaching tactics, they do not have to play and their financial assistance will not be revoked. I understand this is hard concept for Americans to accept, but I believe the sporting world is in need of a desperate makeover.

The Sports Hero

     Our discussion this week in class about Joe Louis made me give a lot og thought to what we consider a sport's hero.  Is it their dominence on the field or in the arena? Is it what they do for scoiety outside of athletism? I find it hard to admire a person who is not a good person.  Recent scandal with Tiger Woods has created much debate in the athletic world.  He is a world-class golfer. He has won numerous majors more than anyone else. He is a golfing legend. Now debate has errupted over him cheating on his wife with many women.  He just had a baby girl too. I do not considerate this right. As a golfer, before this incident I had a lot of respect for Tiger Woods but now I can't say that I do.
     Another athlete under scrutiny is Lance Armstrong. He has done so much good for the world in terms of cancer research. He has raised millions of dollars and proved that a cancer survivor can accomplish anything. He is a great role model. However, many people our questioning his success because accusations of gene doping. Even if he has I still respect as a person. In my eyes he is a hero.

Race in Sports

The movie Salute presented a very interesting narrative in the lives of three runners. Two were African American and one was white. I was impressed by the way they came together to stand up for equal rights for all. Equality is a difficult dimension to create in sport. Everyone has a different idea of what is fair. For example doping, gender rights, and racial issues all fall under this category.
    Is it fair for one athlete to take a drug to enhance his performance while his competitors do not? Of course not. One of the toughest parts of ensuring equality in sport is determining where to draw the line. How much substance is too much? Daily vitamins and prescriptions are not illegal, but even just take these simple things can enhance one's performance. Mentioned before is the concept of gene doping. If in the future we have the ability to create children before they are even born with ideal genes there will be trouble when it comes time to compete with children who are not made in laboratories.
    Equality also touches on sexual and gender issues. It is an accepted belief that boys are better suited for sports than girls and that is why they compete in different divisions. It is clearly evident boys are stronger than girls, have more muscle, and are faster.  What about the people who change genders. I feel that if a man has a sex change to a woman he should have to compete in the field with the men, even though he calls himself a women. Women who have sex changes, however I feel should compete with the men after a sex change. They have been taking testosterone and therefore will have different body types than the normal women. Last class, we talked of gender testing. I do not believe that is something we need to do until at least the elite level of sport is hit.  I remember on my youth soccer team there was a girl with short hair. One game the opposing coach demanded to see her soccer card to prove she was a girl. My poor 8-year old teammate was humiliated and hurt.
   Race also plays an interesting role in equality. I believe African Americans are better than whites in numerous sports such as distance running and basketball. That being said I still believe we should compete on the same field. In my eyes they are fortunate to have that added ability and should no way be taken away from them. It is the same idea of a tall versus short basketball player. We do not need to create two different leagues in basketball: one for the player over 5'6 and one for the players under it. That is getting ridiculous.
   What makes sports exciting is to see fair competition. Drawing the line for fair competition though is getting harder and harder. If regulations try to divide up sports into more equal playing fields based on every different category lines just get messy and there is difficulty determining a true champion. Lets keep the fields as open as possible and if someone is born with a natural gift so be it. What I do not want to see though, is someone after the fact taking a drug or getting a sex change to better themselves in sports.

Promoting Women's Sports with Sexual Appeal

Its a shared belief by many that men are just plain better at sports. Although I am a female I will not argue this. I would much rather go watch the skillful of a men's professional basketball team than a females. Popularity of women's sports has grown in recent years, although it still lacks far behind men. In order to raise popularity, I feel sports have been sexualizing female sports. Skimpier uniforms and hot shots of models on sports magazines are a common occurrence. Now young girls are able to cheer on the new, hot soccer player they idealize. And men of course, are attracted to the toned bodies of elite athletes.

Is this wrong though? These females work hard for their bodies. I don't find it wrong when Brandi Chastain ripped off her shirt in celebration after scoring the winning goal. If the females are comfortable showing their bodies to the public then I feel its fine. Its the 21st century. Pornography is oh so popular nowadays, so the athlete promoting their bodies in sexy shots is not nearly as scandalous.

McDonalds is Guilty??

    I have seen the movie Supersize Me before and am not a big fan of it. The movie I feel wants to place blame of the obesity epidemic on McDonalds. McDonalds is just another business trying to bring in as much money as possible. Some people try to say its McDonalds fault they are fat and unhealthy. But McDonalds just like every other big business is swayed by demand. If people demanded healthier foods they would provide it. They offer salads and fresh-fit meals, but the hamburger and fries are still more popular. Put simply, people just do not want to take responsibility for their own actions.
    Americans can eat out and be healthy. They can also stay at home, and eat a more fattening, calorie-dense meal than if they were to go out. It is all what a person contentiously decides to put in his mouth. Nowadays, we are educated from a young age that fast food is not good for us. Therefore, when we overindulge in greasy, fried foods we cannot blame the company that made it. It is the same as if one began smoking, got lung cancer and blamed the poor farmers growing tobacco. He knew the consequences when he smoked those thousands of cigarettes. The farmers are just trying to make ends meet by providing what society demands. Also note that he would have to smoke thousands of cigarettes before reeking the consequences of tobacco. It is the same for fast food. One hamburger is not going to make you fat, but eating them day in and out will. My point being, you are contentiously deciding time after time again to make the unhealthy choice. You have plenty of opportunity along the way to change your habits.
    I wish Americans could take responsibility for their actions and for the good of themselves to eat right. It seems as if it is in our culture its easy to point fingers. Hopefully, the consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle will catch on. When citizens begin demanding nutritious foods the fast food joints in response will offer healthier options.