Sports have always been a big part of human life. Sports can teach us a lot about the cultures they exist in. 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. It was they who so admired the human form that they formed the same Olympics that are still around 2000 years later. The Colosseum and its bloody sport reflect the values of a culture steeped in violence and born of conquest. Some Native American tribes 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 profession in ours. Better pay and winning are peoples only concern. 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 drug use and drug testing?
With so much emphasis within todays society on winning in sports and across the board, 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.
Research has found many benefits to sports. 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. Focus on winning and domination of the competition 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, we will be training a generation of sore losers and cocky winners. 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. It was they who so admired the human form that they formed the same Olympics that are still around 2000 years later. The Colosseum and its bloody sport reflect the values of a culture steeped in violence and born of conquest. Some Native American tribes 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 profession in ours. Better pay and winning are peoples only concern. 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 drug use and drug testing?
With so much emphasis within todays society on winning in sports and across the board, 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.
Research has found many benefits to sports. 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. Focus on winning and domination of the competition 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, we will be training a generation of sore losers and cocky winners. 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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