Sports are Necessary Essay Example for Free

Sports are Necessary Essay Ask yourself, â€Å"Is there something beneficial that numerous local neighborhoods and large nations both commonly share? † Likely, your brain isn’t listing sports as embracing such assets. Rather, you could be assessing sports as surpassing any other activity in regards to contentment or as a social pastime that involves to many injurious consequences to both players and audiences. Although underrated for the several benefits it offers, sports affects your communities regardless of whether you value athletics or not. Nevertheless, associating with sports can lead to a barrel jam-packed with underappreciated yet rewarding outcomes including supporting a healthy lifestyle, learning off-the-field skills, acquiring social connections, and creating happiness amongst unhappy moments. Near the conclusion of this essay, you will learn to see sports as a glass half full instead of half empty. Sport-like activities began since the beginning of mankind, but the longstanding purpose of benefiting civilization has remained the same. In the Roaring 1920’s, America was recognized for its emphasis on the eras social, artistic, and cultural interest. Alongside the national boom came baseball and the beginning of ‘sports culture’ as legendary Babe Ruth joined the New York Yankees. After breaking several records and setting the standard for baseball, Americans saw Ruth â€Å"as the most important and infamous† player in sports history (Buckley 10). Ever since that remarkable season, America bounced back from World War I and now lives in a society reliant on sports for reaching optimum satisfactory levels. To begin with, sports of any sort urge, support, and allow people to be healthy and stay fit. Regardless of whether you prefer surfing, riding a bicycle, playing football, or joining soccer over another sport, physical activity is involved and exercise helps burn calories. Rather than sitting on a laptop or watching television, sports decreases chances of becoming obese. Unfortunately, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention points out obesity in 12- to 19-year-olds rose from 5 percent in 1980 to 18 percent in 2008 (Murphey 22). C. J. Wilson, starting pitcher for the Major League Baseball Texas Rangers, is all about you getting improved and healthier. Its important to get kids healthier and cut down on childhood obesity, he says (Murphey 22). Wilson felt so strongly about young peoples health, he began his own charity to increase assistance against America’s epidemic while urging kids to stay fit. Despite these inspiring efforts, critics of sports claim that obesity increases because sports fans eat unhealthily as they watch the latest intense games on the LCD screen. In advertising and in stereotypes, watching sports undoubtedly appears like a reason to load your liver with beer and sodas and load your stomach with hot dogs, pizza, and assortment of chips and snacks. Although our â€Å"youth are not getting enough exercise to burn off the calories† accumulated from sitting around watching TV, we are probably getting enough exercise if youre into sports (Murphey 23). Although obesity is rising in the United States of America, clearly sports aren’t to blame because that isn’t what sports inspire to teach us, and becoming obese couch potatoes isn’t the lesson to be learned from sports. New Orleans football quarterback Drew Brees also remarks, â€Å"Why not get out and play for 60 minutes a day? † (Murphey 25) Clearly, sports aren’t really part of the problem when another influential athlete like Brees notices the issue of obesity and offers a sincere solution. Moreover, learning skills applicable to real life circumstances are what sports offers, believe it or not. Sport involvement, ranging from light participation to complete absorption or immersion into the game, has had a great impact on our life. Additionally, studies using literature analysis on sports participation have found that â€Å"with the intention, sports do build character† according to The Strategies For Character Building Through Sports Participation, a journal article in the International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences. For instance, researchers at the Josephine Institute Center of Sport Ethics noticed that students athletes have better attendance in school, lower drop-out rates, fewer discipline problems, and less drug use (Soh Kim Geok 50). Negative influences and their subsequent implications brought about outside the classroom are lowered because sports allows for better time management, keeping young adults productive on the field rather than regressing on the streets. Another capability learned in sports is sportsmanship, an aspiration that a sport or activity will be enjoyed for its own sake, with â€Å"apt consideration for fairness, ethics, respect and a sense of fellowship with ones competitors† (Soh Kim Geok 52). Since any job or relationship depends on these attributes, lessons learned across sports can be applied to any social interaction. On the other hand, admonishers of sports are likely to say that sportsmanship isn’t the lesson learned from the playground. In renown pyschologist Sigmund Freud’s analysis of sports, violence, arising from competition, can lead an â€Å"otherwise steadfast moral character, during [battle], to willingly take up arms against their fellow man† (qtd. In Holowchak 713). In other words, Freud is saying that even the utmost principled person is willing to injure another player to better his/her chance at winning. For instance, soccer hooliganism and riots break out as the result of losing or winning. In regards to audience sportsmanship, it is often the loudest annoying fan crowd shown by news networks as opposed to illustrating the bulk of the people who respect opposing team fans. Since it is common knowledge that the news nowadays aims to appeal to interesting storylines, like the small group of unruly sports fans, rather than boring subjects, like respectable sports spectators, cunning broadcasts should not be assumed. But in regards to player sportsmanship, the immense bulk of athletes play for the love of the game despite the substantial aggression involved. Injuring someone in opposing uniform usually occurs as an accident, not from coldblooded intention. A study on the significance for youth attitudes towards physical education and sports illustrated that â€Å"children and adolescents perceived school sport as a physical activity and a social phenomenon rather than a competition area† (Tomik 103). Apart from acquiring useful skills from participating in sports, social benefits can also be achieved by associating yourself with sports. As human beings, we appear to innately need to launch and uphold affiliations among several groups, sport related or not. Likewise, in any social assembly, colleagues aim to jump into the â€Å"cool† crowd and stand accepted by others. There are numerous underlying benefits to these relationships, including the opportunity to â€Å"acquire important social connections and a sense of belonging† that, ultimately, can assist in the supporting of happiness (Wann 189). Because it remains a shared area of interests among conversations, a sport has the ability to change strangers into longtime buddies in a just seconds. According to Amir Abu Dalu, a 19-year-old Arabian Peace Players International coach, you can watch or â€Å"play a game and connect, just like that (qtd.In Wolff). Let’s say Alex, a relatively nerdy, young, yet lonely student, begins his collegiate life at the University of Georgia, an institution that nurtures a respectable business program but also leads the nation by a â€Å"cream of the crop† football team on its shoulders. According to an insightful article on the culture of sports attendance, social needs such as the â€Å"social gratification of being with others who enjoy the same activity and connecting oneself with the need to interact, socialize, and belong are among the fundamental motives for sport consumption† (Armstrong 219). On that note, you will be inclined to become a red and black bleeding UGA fan. Identifying yourself as a bulldog will link you to numerous social connections, â€Å"new relationships with others, and a general sense of connectedness to the campus as a whole† (Wann 189). Now, feelings of alienation are replaced with social connections obtained by being labeled a UGA admirer. As a result, you are jollier than your saddened state of isolation beforehand. Sports are inclined to be able to, for lack of a better term, ‘turn that frown upside down’. Now, let’s suppose that Alex isn’t a Georgia fan or a sports fan at all. Couldn’t he find himself feeling isolated because everyone around him is into sports, and they tend to only bond with people over sports? Surely it is possible, but rationally speaking, it is unlikely that Alex finds himself in complete isolation because there have to be other anti-sporting individuals among the thousands who attend UGA who share common interests in areas besides athletics. A sport allows you to make social connections, but sports aren’t the only approach to linking to new acquaintances. And in a second instance, let’s suppose that Alex isn’t actually a Georgia fan. Let’s say he’s a Tech fan. Wouldn’t he potentially face hostility and isolation as a result of the fact that he’s a fan of UGA’s biggest rival? According to some, rivalries tend to make people reject others and not get along simply because they root for opposing teams. Beforehand, it was assumed that non-sports fan could make friends with other non-sports fans. Likewise, nonlocal sports fans could also make friends with other nonlocal sports fans believe it or not. Many of  these â€Å"fans attempt to maintain a community with other fans of the team via the Internet or by watching their team on television with other fans† (Wann 191). In accordance to making friendship with rival sports fans, friends do not always agree on everything and they shouldn’t become enemies over something silly as sports, no matter how important it is considered. Although these antagonistic relationships are a reality, they shouldnt be since ultimately, a Tech or UGA fan is zealous for the same game and should be able to find common ground based on that fact. Lastly, another advantage for people in sports is that it brings joy and hope in times of unhappiness or sad times. A loss or a losing season can cause temporary sadness, but in unhappy life situations, many of us look at sports as a fantasy leave from reality and the chaos it often brings. According to the International Academy for Suicide Research, it was found that adolescents â€Å"not engaged in physical exercise reported significantly higher hopelessness scores compared to the ones engaged in recreational activity† such as running, bicycling, playing basketball or other sports (Chioqueta 377). By using athletics to tackle the utmost unrelenting issues around the world, visionaries and humanitarians alike are impressively creating optimism and bliss in times of suffering and affliction. Senior writer for Sports Illustrated Alexander Wolff set off on a yearlong journey and noticed remarkable outcomes. In his article, a Brazilian kid avenged his father’s murder positively through boxing, became a light welterweight champion, and a received the opportunity to star in the 2012 London Olympics. Next, Zimbabwean boys learn about the HIV virus through fun and innovative role-playing by running soccer drills. Additionally, basketball facilitated to remove social barriers for Palestinian girls who are not culturally accepted to participate in anything usually done by their male counterparts. Not only do sports serve entertainment purposes, but also games have the effect of relaxing the brain of any ongoing strains. Some athletes use sports to tackle school related issues or concerns. After being asked the range of benefits attained from playing sports, a student reported that athletics can be â€Å"a good stress relief and if you’re like busy with school† (Scherer 494) Although some opponents may say that sports interferes with the learning process because players spend less time on assignments and reading, the same boy also felt â€Å"like [he] worked more efficiently† although sports consumes part of his time (Scherer 494). Lastly, associating with sports can lead to a barrel, jam-packed with underappreciated yet rewarding outcomes including: supporting a healthy lifestyle, learning off-the-field skills, acquiring social connections, and creating happiness amongst unhappy junctures. In all, sports authorize people to use its numerous offered benefits regardless of its limited shortcomings. Bringing both this analogy and the above ideas brought to attention into consideration, you should be able to find a positive stance on sports as it offers significant advantages and useful implications on society. Works Cited (List of References): Armstrong, Ketra L. Consumers Of Color And The Culture Of Sport Attendance: Exploratory Insights. Sport Marketing Quarterly 17. 4 (2008): 218-231. Business Source Complete. Web. 2 April 2013. Buckley, James, and John Walters. Sports In America, 1920-1939. n. p. : Chelsea House, 2010. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 2 April 2013. Chioqueta, Andrea P. , and Tore C. Stiles. Cognitive Factors, Engagement In Sport, And Suicide Risk. Archives Of Suicide Research 11. 4 (2007): 375-390. Academic Search Complete. Web. 2 April 2013. Holowchak, M Andrew. Freud On Play, Games, And Sports Fanaticism. The Journal Of The American Academy Of Psychoanalysis And Dynamic Psychiatry 39. 4 (2011): 695-715. MEDLINE with Full Text. Web. 2 April 2013. Murphey, Paula. Get Fit And Stay Fit. Boys Life 102. 1 (2012): 22. MAS Ultra School Edition. Web. 2 April 2013. Scherer Jay, et al. Benefits And Challenges Associated With Sport Participation By Children And Parents From Low-Income Families. Psychology Of Sport Exercise 12. (n. d. ): 490-499. ScienceDirect. Web. 2 April 2013. Soh Kim Geok, et al. The Strategies For Character Building Through Sports Participation. International Journal Of Academic Research In Business Social Sciences 2. 3 (2012): 48-58. Academic Search Complete. Web. 2 April 2013. Tomik, Rajmund, Dorota Olex-Zarychta, and Waldyslaw Mynarski. Social Values Of Sport Participation And Their Significance For Youth Attitudes Towards Physical Education And Sport. Studies In Physical Culture Tourism 19. 3 (2012): 99-104. SPORTDiscus. Web. 2 April 2013. Wann, Daniel L. , Josh Polk, and Gentzy Franz. Examining The State Social Psychological Health Benefits Of Identifying With A Distant Sport Team. Journal Of Sport Behavior 34. 2 (2011): 188-205. Academic Search Complete. Web. 2 April 2013. Wolff, Alexander. Sports Saves The World. Sports Illustrated 115. 12 (2011): 62. MAS Ultra School Edition. Web. 2 April 2013.