Sports have always been a big part of human life. Through sports we better understand cultural and human values, appreciate the human body, and strive for excellence. Children can learn a lot from sports, and sports medals and custom ribbons can boost a child's self confidence immensely.
The ancient Greeks were not the first people to appreciate sport, but we remember them most. After all, the Olympics are still around 2000 years later. The brutal blood sports the Romans indulged in reflect the values of a culture steeped in violence and born of conquest. Many Native Americans, especially those on the plains, valued competitions testing the speed and accuracy with which they could use their weapons, and much of their culture involved these skills.
In our culture today we see the commercialization of sports prevalent from high school games through all other levels to professional. What has been a pastime in other cultures has become a lifelong occupation for some in our culture. The better players are paid better and winning is the only option for success. What will people 1000 years from now think when they look back at our sports and the way we play them? Perhaps they will see the ferocious fans getting into fights with each other in the stands and even with players on the court or field. Perhaps they will see athletes being bought and sold for outrageous sums of money to giant sports franchises. What will they think of steroids?
Since winning is the only thing that matters in todays sports, the poor conduct of so many of the people involved in sports is not surprising. Sports should teach children the value of competition and how to endeavor towards excellence. They should try to be the best they can be, competing against themselves instead of others. This would shift the focus from dominating others to improving oneself.
The benefits of sport are numerous and highly researched. From inclusion and the elimination of racism to increasing graduation rates,sports can be a positive influence of children. Research has shown that high school students involved in sports earned higher grades, got into trouble less often, were less likely to drop out, had higher GPAs, and were more likely to graduate than students who did not participate in sports. Attitudes in high school sports must remain positive though. Trying to win instead of develop the individual can make kids feel unwanted, unworthy, and unacceptable, one expert argues. It should not teach children that they are failures, but teach them to handle failure, not to accept it, and to continue always to better themselves. If we continue the way we are going in sport, everyone will feel either like a loser of a winner. Children should learn to compete only against themselves, in order that we can have generations of encouraging children who are always seeking to better themselves.
The ancient Greeks were not the first people to appreciate sport, but we remember them most. After all, the Olympics are still around 2000 years later. The brutal blood sports the Romans indulged in reflect the values of a culture steeped in violence and born of conquest. Many Native Americans, especially those on the plains, valued competitions testing the speed and accuracy with which they could use their weapons, and much of their culture involved these skills.
In our culture today we see the commercialization of sports prevalent from high school games through all other levels to professional. What has been a pastime in other cultures has become a lifelong occupation for some in our culture. The better players are paid better and winning is the only option for success. What will people 1000 years from now think when they look back at our sports and the way we play them? Perhaps they will see the ferocious fans getting into fights with each other in the stands and even with players on the court or field. Perhaps they will see athletes being bought and sold for outrageous sums of money to giant sports franchises. What will they think of steroids?
Since winning is the only thing that matters in todays sports, the poor conduct of so many of the people involved in sports is not surprising. Sports should teach children the value of competition and how to endeavor towards excellence. They should try to be the best they can be, competing against themselves instead of others. This would shift the focus from dominating others to improving oneself.
The benefits of sport are numerous and highly researched. From inclusion and the elimination of racism to increasing graduation rates,sports can be a positive influence of children. Research has shown that high school students involved in sports earned higher grades, got into trouble less often, were less likely to drop out, had higher GPAs, and were more likely to graduate than students who did not participate in sports. Attitudes in high school sports must remain positive though. Trying to win instead of develop the individual can make kids feel unwanted, unworthy, and unacceptable, one expert argues. It should not teach children that they are failures, but teach them to handle failure, not to accept it, and to continue always to better themselves. If we continue the way we are going in sport, everyone will feel either like a loser of a winner. Children should learn to compete only against themselves, in order that we can have generations of encouraging children who are always seeking to better themselves.
About the Author:
Chuck R. Stewart has found buying a custom ribbon or sports medals online is a great reward for young children at the end of the basketball season.
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