Violence_in_Sports

Shana Belsito MAA532B: Concepts and Issues in Athletic Administration Reflection Paper #1: Violence in Sports All sports are inherently competitive and hence conducive to aggression and violence. There are many factors that contribute to violence in sports in our society which include, provocation, encouragement by coaches, peer pressure, wanting to win; it is an implicit part of the game, revenge and retaliation, and as a result of role models. Sport is a mirror of our society, reflecting violence in our society in various sporting events and outside arenas. The media is a large influence of violence in sport as it blows many instances out of proportion. Whether violence occurs on or off the field, the professional athletes of our generation are symbols of excellence and success to their fans, both young and old. The behavior that we see on television, read about in the newspapers or listen to on the radio, all reflect upon society, and it’s becoming a social norm to behave violently in sport. Hockey, football and soccer are three sports that deliberately showcase violence and aggression, yet it is part of the game. Violence is becoming socially accepted in sports, not only through athletes, but also coaches, parents, referees, and spectators. The negative elements of human nature seem to be accomplished more easily and more often in today’s society. Such behavior can be learned through various forms of social media and are apparent in the world of athletics. “Sport was once considered important for exercise, relaxation and clean fun; yet today, one would be hard-pressed to experience the latter two while watching or participating in a sporting event. Increased competition has brought incredible violence and even murder by fans, players, parents, coaches and owners. And endless greed has led to gambling addictions and performance-enhancer scandals—elements that were once common only to criminal gangs and thugs (http://www.realtruth.org/news/070402-002-society.html).” We can recall the recent scenes of fans defeat in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada by destroying parts of their own city by overturning cars, setting fire, starting fights and riots. “The riots happened immediately after the conclusion of the Boston Bruins' win over the Vancouver Canucks in game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals, which clinched the Stanley Cup for Boston. At least 140 people were reported as injured during the incident, one critically; at least four people were stabbed, nine police officers were injured, and 101 people were arrested that night, with 16 further arrests following the event (wikipedia.org).” Big time television news and sports stations are the main source of entertainment for our society today, and journalists are going to report on stories that will bring lots of attention. Violence and controversy are two very important contributors to social media, through blogging and chat rooms, expressing opinions and thoughts on news, sports and entertainment. Society is becoming very dependent on such media and it is becoming the new way of communication. Sports on the collegiate level also see their fair share of violence and controversy. The media does a wonderful job at exposing tragedies and controversies in athletics rather than cover the achievements and all the good that athletes do for our communities. Unfortunately, this type of bad coverage is what the media wants, the juicy stories that cause a stir in our society. People want to read interesting stories about a Purdue athlete charged with public intoxication, or the hazing problem with the women’s soccer team at Northwestern. Collegiate level athletes are generally thought of as problematic with the law, always getting into trouble and add to the crime rate. Male sports get more attention in regards to media coverage and publication mostly due to the male dominance in society. Female sports are just as important, yet receive less attention, thus less media coverage whether it is good or bad. Due to male sport dominance, we as a society hear, read and see more information on male violence. I think that men are more aggressive in nature, learning from youth to act out various video games, cartoons and movies. I feel that this learned behavior and bottled up violent impulses are shown on the field. Thus, I feel that male dominated sports are the more violent gendered sport. Small college athletic directors face many issues with respect to violence with games, practices and spectators. As we read in various case studies, the authority of the AD should be present at most games and various practices to ensure the safety to all athletes and staff. If anything were to go wrong, the AD should be present to diffuse the situation. Coaches, staff and athletes should be aware of the protocols and procedures for athletic events in the case of an unexpected violent situation. Sports tend to reflect society, and we live in a violent era. Spectators are now becoming involved in the game verbally and physically. Brawls are becoming a nuisance between opposing fans and at times causing commotion on the field. Spectators are becoming an interruption rather than an encouraging support system. AD’s are facing much more aggression and intimidation on the field during games and practices. Coaches are also showing signs of violence on the field and are losing the car and mentorship they should possess. There is so much to worry about for the future of athletics in regards to violence and aggression both on and off the playing field. There are so many disastrous events occurring around the world, triggering violence. For example, “since Sept. 11, the issue of terrorism in sports has taken on increased importance. The security at major sporting events has increased considerably because officials recognize that events like the World Series and Super Bowl would give terrorists a worldwide stage for their violent acts (http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/449.html).” The same increased security is seen at various collegiate sporting events that draw large crowds. I don’t feel that our society is going to change for the better, unfortunately, and we will continue to see violence occur on and off the playing field. Bibliography 1. http://www.realtruth.org/news/070402-002-society.html 2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violence_in_sports 3. http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/449.html