Negative Values of Sport and Societal Values

Today, millions of Americans struggle with eating disorders and some college athletes are at a higher risk for developing symptoms.  In a study cited by the National Eating Disorders Association, more than one-third of NCAA Division I female athletes reported attitudes and behaviors that could put them at risk for anorexia nervosa.  Athletes who participate in sports that emphasize size, endurance, weight requirements, and appearance are more likely to develop eating disorders or disordered eating.  Athletes feel the pressure to look like other athletes and will vicariously exercise to become skinner and try to look like another athletes because that athlete may be better than them.  Wrestling is viewed as one of the sports that eating disorders are prevalent in.  However it can not count as an eating disorder  because it is not done continuously.  University of North Carolina's head wrestling coach C.D. Mock said wrestlers only have to lose weight until they reach the weight they need to get to, and then they stop.  He also does not believe this is considered an eating disorder.

Information found from Some Athletes Face Higher Risk for Eating Disorder Symptoms

This article directly connects to what we learned in class on February 10th because we learned about Sport and societal values, and specifically the positive and negative aspects of values in sport.

The values in sport we learned about in class are:

• Character Building
• Competition/ Winning
• Health/ Fitness Promotion
• Nationalism/ Patriotism

In the notes for Health/ Fitness Promotion, we learned that sport can promote unhealthy practices such as eating disorders.  Some of the sports that eating disorders are prevalent in are gymnastics, diving, figure skating, and wrestling.  Athletes at a high level are extremely competitive and will do what ever they can to win.  For sports like wrestling and gymnastics, being at a lower weight can give that athlete a better chance of winning.  A wrestler will try to lose weight so they can wrestle against people that are not as strong as them and are naturally a lighter weight.  Colleen Daly, who is the founder of Embody Carolina, which is an organization dedicated to training people about psychological issues with eating disorders stated that eating disorders is mental and is difficult to reverse without professional treatment.

Eating disorders are a major problem and I believe they can easily be avoided.  Practicing proper dieting with exercise can result in weight lose in a healthier way, rather than an athlete starving themselves.  By dieting properly they will lose weight steadily overtime and will not put there health at risk.  Also athletes who are already experiencing symptoms from eating disorders, need to realize they have a problem and need to seek help.  Schools and universities also need to keep an eye on athletes and make sure they eating properly and are getting the proper nutrition to compete.  Athletes should not be putting their health at risk to compete in a sport.  There are better ways they can avoid eating disorders and still be successful.  Sports are meant to promote good health and fitness.  Eating disorders go against that are there should be no place for them in sport.  It is a major issue, but athletes and coaches need to realize the importance of an athlete's health.  No ones life is worth losing over sport, which are suppose to promote good health and fitness.  Everyone needs to be aware this is going on, and people need to help prevent this from happening.

Sport Used as a Political Tool

Five players on the St. Louis Rams protested against the Ferguson shooting during pre-game of the November 30th game against the Oakland Raiders.  These five players included: Tavon Austin, Stedman Bailey, Kenny Britt, Chris Givens, and Jared Cook.  They demonstrated the 'Hands Up, Don't Shoot' pose when they came out of the tunnel during pre-game.  This gesture has been used by protestors, who were upset over the fatal shooting of Michael Brown.  The five Ram's players had felt victims of racial inequalities and wanted to express awareness for what was happening in Ferguson.  Kenny Britt stated that the gesture was not an indication that were picking sides.  Head coach Jeff Fisher did not see the gesture and was not aware that they were going to do it.  

This information was found from Rams' Players Anger St. Louis Police Group With Pregame "Hands Up" Gesture

On February 26th, we discussed sport and politics.  In class we discussed how sport could be used as a propaganda vehicle and sport can be used to protest against wars inequalities.  The Rams' protest against the Ferguson Shooting directly relates to the protest we discussed in class in on February 26th, of Toni Smith of Manhattanville College against war in 2003.  Toni Smith refused to face the American flag during the national anthem.  The Athletic Director of Manhattanville College supported her decision and could not punish her because of the right to have freedom of speech.  Almost the same result happened with the St. Louis Rams.  The St. Louis police asked for an apology and called this protest tasteless, offensive, and inflammatory.  The National Football League (NFL) did not take action against the players for this act because of freedom of speech.

Protests are constantly used in sport because it is widely viewed by millions of people around the world.  The five Rams' players wanted to express their support to Michael Brown of the Ferguson  shooting, and chose to do it where thousands of people would see it.  The Rams' players showed a perfect example of how sport can be used to protest against inequalities.  The Rams' players believed what happened in Ferguson was wrong.  They felt as African-Americans that they have been mistreated and wanted to show their support on a national scale. What they did angered a lot of people, but also helped to raise support for the African-Americans who feel they receive unfair treatment by police.  I think the protest by the Rams' players took a lot of courage to do, especially because the Ferguson shooting took place right near St. Louis.  This protest was seen all around the United States and I believe it helped to raise awareness for what happened in Ferguson.  I think athletes have the right to do protests like the one the Rams did, but only if there is no violence.  Athletes are people too and have right to have freedom of speech.  Athletes are constantly being watched and when they protest it gets worldwide attention.  The Rams' players did not harm anyone by doing this, all they did was voice there opinion and did go against the NFL or the police.  I think athletes will continue to use sport to protest against war and inequalities.  Sports is a huge industry and can definitely be used to express an opinion to a huge audience.    

Abuses in Intercollegiate Sports

The NCAA has punished Syracuse for ten violations dating back to 2001.  These violations include academic misconduct, extra benefits, the failure to follow its drug testing policy, and impermissible booster activity.

One of the academic misconducts that NCAA found was a Syracuse athlete has submitted a paper in a course that he already completed.  He did this so he could improve his course grade and restore his NCAA eligibility.  This paper was prepared with the help of two employees of the athletic department.  Also the investigation found SU's athletic department was providing inappropriate edits on drafts of papers or take-home tests for three other athletes.

Information found from Summary: What did Syracuse do Wrong? NCAA cites academic fraud, extra benefits, drug policy

The major abuses of intercollegiate sports are:

• Illegal recruiting
• Easy majors and alternating of grades/ transcripts (academic dishonesty)
• Exploitation of athletes
• Pressure to win
• Pressure to make money  

This connects to what we learned in class on February 24th because we talked about the major abused in intercollegiate sports.  Syracuse was caught with academic dishonesty, which is one of the major abuses.  This happens with other universities too, and is a major problem.  College athletes are not taking school work seriously, and universities are trying to keep their athletes eligible, so they violate academic conduct.  Colleges and universities do this because they want to win and make money.  We also learned in class on February 24th that the pressure to win and the pressure to make money are major abuses of intercollegiate sports.  If a star athlete is not playing because they are failing classes, then it will be harder for the team to win and the team will not make as much money.  To stop this from happening colleges and universities alter grades and transcripts.  Universities need to realize that their players are students before athletes.  They are at college to get an education and playing in a sport comes second.  Today this is not happening, athletes are more focused on their sport and not their education.  College athletic departments are more focused on winning and making money and will do anything possible to do this.  I think the NCAA did the right thing when they punished Syracuse for all their misconducts.  I also believe Syracuse made the right decision to self ban themselves from the post season.  They set a good example to other schools and players by showing the importance of an education.   

Problems in Youth Sport Today

Little League Baseball stripped the United States championship from the Chicago Jackie Robinson West team for violating the rule for having players on the team that live outside the geographic area the team represents.  Little League found that that Jackie Robinson West used a falsified boundary map and met with other neighboring Little League districts in Illinois to build a superteam and claim players.  This information was found from Little League Punishes Chicago team

This relates to what we learn in my American in the 21st Century class on February 17th, 2015 because we talked about youth sport and specifically the major problems in youth sport.

The major problems in youth sport today are:

• Overemphasis of winning
• Pressures by significant others to achieve success
• Installing unrealistic goals of stardom or professional status
• Overuse injuries/overtraining/burnout

There is an overemphasis on winning in youth sports and coaches and athletes will do the best they can to win at all costs.  Unfortunately the coaches of the Chicago Jackie Robinson West team chose to cheat in order to win.  This is also unfair to the young players because they are being taught that you have to cheat to win.  We learned in class from the notes that the number one reason kids participate in sport is: to have fun.  What the Jackie Robinson team did goes against why kids want to play sports because they are showing them you play to win, not have fun.  This is only one example that we have heard about, and this kind of thing happens all over the U.S today in youth sport.

Youth sport needs to focus all the benefits of youth sport, which was discussed in class on February 12th, 2015 and those benefits are:

• Develop and maintain fitness
• Preparation for adulthood
• Opportunity to learn values
• Teach interactive skills
• Provide opportunity for leadership

Youth sport helps develop good moral values and skills that can help kids later on in their future.  Youth sport has no place for cheating, and adults that force kids to cheat are only hurting them in the long run.  When kids realize you have to cheat to win and that playing sport is not fun, then there will be a decrease in participation and youth sport will have a negative connotation.  In class we learned that sports help to prepare kids for adulthood.  By teaching them to cheat, kids growing will think it is okay to cheat in sports and in other real life situations.  Coaches and parents need to teach kids the positive aspects such as the ones we learned in class.  Teaching them this will help them to have a positive experience that they can pass down to their kids in the future and will help them to become better people when they are older.  of   I believe what Little League did was right and hopefully it is a message to coaches that youth sport is not just about winning, but it is for fun and other beneficial aspects for young kids.