Brooke Cesarek: Jealousy Or Harmful?

Society calls for athletes to give flawless performances in the stadiums and arenas. The fans have grown accustomed to high flying, hard hitting shows of athleticism and finesse, and oftentimes an athletes success gains them a elevated status in society with special privileges that you and I can only dream of. As there careers get bigger and bigger they fell that they should be shown a certain respect by fans when not on the field, and many athletes become angered when

Many everyday encounters can test our values. In sports conflict is expected, and as skill level increases conflict becomes more prominent. This is even more evident to coaches, as they experience conflict from players, referees, and parents. In my experience, coaching many times I must hold back what I want to say and walk away. One specific encounter with two parents tested my values of respect, positivity, and self-worth. In this experience, two parents confronted me after a game about the substitutions going on on the field, as I was a youth coach learning how to run the bench I was appalled at this statement. In this instance, I related to the barber contemplating what to do, “ What do you gain by it? Nothing.” (pg.15A) I also connected with the idea of upholding a reputation, as I would not want to be viewed as anything less than a great coach, “Murderer or hero?” (pg.15C) My values of respect and positivity helped me walk away from this situation, which further revealed how my character is centered around integrity.

As Christmas break approached, the team faced what was going to be our biggest challenge of all. Due to his new job, our coach now took the title of “assistant” and we were given a new head coach. The coaches were, and are, good friends, but have totally different coaching styles. The first was laid back and carefree with a great sense of humor, which made him well liked by everyone he coached. The new coach had a reputation for being arrogant, strict, and having a no-tolerance policy when it comes to joking around. Because of this perspective some girls held of our new coach, many were upset with the change. After we attended a tournament over the break, however, the girls realized that they had been wrong about the coach and he was just what we needed to help us achieve our goal.

Throughout the years, sporting events has been a place for fans to forget about what is going on in their life, take a break from the real world, and focus on the game. Often, many fans don't just watch and keep up with sports solely because of the type of sport, but also to keep up with their favorite athletes and teams. However, the aggressive and violent nature of the sports can often be carried over from the field to real life, impacting not only the athlete and the team, but also the fans.

many young athletes’ perceptions that their parents expect them to be extraordinary and would criticize them if they failed to deliver. The added pressure from coaches to be perfect can also deter young athletes’ focus on doing what is right or doing what will allow them to succeed and ultimately satisfy their parents and coaches desires (Madigan, Stoeber & Passfield, 2016).

Sadly, dealing with unreasonable, loud, obnoxious parents can be the most challenging part of coaching. Many coaches just want to make a difference in young lives instead of having to deal with the extra baggage of a high-strung parent. “If a parent does not like what you are doing as a coach, then there is no reason that parent can’t become a coach. One of the most difficult problems in coaching youth sports is dealing with an irate parent, but this problem can be diminished by holding parent meetings before and during the season.” (Put ‘Em In Coach, 33)

Athletes who want to win and love the game demonstrate it by trying their hardest every play and through every practice as well. Athletes who do not always try their hardest or skip practice frequently do not deserve to play and should be benched. Playing time is unequal, but anybody who proves himself will receive more playing time. Varsity sports are also not about pleasing people, they play to win and compete to their fullest, so athletes should have to earn the right to play. Having respect for coaches and teammates also plays a significant role in earning the right to play varsity. Through my own experiences, I have noticed coaches are much more likely to play someone who respects what they say. For example, an athlete on my baseball team last year, who talked back to the coach and frequently skipped practice, lost his starting position on varsity. After our coach had enough of his behavior and lack of effort towards the team, he found a replacement who had earned the right to play by proving himself and respecting everyone around him. The original starter was decent but did not deserve to play at all, and once he realized that, it was too late. The replacement shined on the diamond the first time he played, and ever since, has kept proving to coach why he was the best option for the team. This incident really displayed how even though someone may be adequate, he should never be entitled to play over another athlete who is more deserving of that

“A loud and spirited crowd has the potential to alter the result of a game” (Benavidez). Almost every sport’s fan in the world would agree. A large crowd is one thing, but a large crowd who is passionately cheering on their team plays a crucial role in sporting events. When asked the question on how school spirit affects his team’s performance, Seth Mcgowen responded, “It increases the morale of the player. When we see there’s a big crowd there cheering us on, we feel like we have to do better so that we don’t let them down. If they’re shouting my name and cheering for me personally, it makes me step up my performance and do something great.” Key words in Mcgowen’s response are “cheering us on” (Benavidez). Mcgowen said an enormous crowd is not what encourages the team, but an enormous crowd that cheers does. Former Tupelo High School basketball coach Jerry Lee Clayton preached the importance of having school spirit and used to tell his players, “A school without spirit is nothing, but a school with spirit has the power to do miraculous things.” Athletes want school spirit from their town and school because they have the chance to feel an emotional connection with the fans. What team wants to compete for a school that does not support them, but all teams want to compete for a school that gives them full support. School spirit has the power to affect a team’s performance, and that is a benefit almost everyone can

The debate is ongoing point of contention for parents and coaches. Playing time a thing to love or cause much heartache. Coaches tend to take a point of view that they are 1. They are there to win games 2. life is not fair and how will your athlete learn to deal with these negative emotions in the real world? Parents take the point of view that, this isn’t a professional event, they all made the team why can

Athletes and sports teams always feel better when they have support from their classmates, peers and the community. Showing up to games and cheering is just one of the ways you can help your team. There are some people that might show up to games but they act in a negative manner that doesn’t represent the team or the school well. These kids are not showing good school spirit because of the way they act or behave. Dressing up wearing school colors can really make a difference at a sporting event. When playing in front a big crowd the players play better because they know they have support from the school and community and they don’t want to let the fans down. If the fans are giving off good energy and are excited there will usually be a positive outcome for the team. If your team loses then you should let them know that you have their back and are not giving up on them. This can help make the team feel better about itself. It gives the players something to play for. No one likes playing in front of little crowds("School Spirit Helps Out

With more and more children participating in some sort of organized sport than ever before, there is a constant concern regarding the pressures kids are brought into to excel. Emotionally over-involved parents often think that it is their

My topic is similar to yours. I have always been intrigued to examine the relationship between coach and athlete. In my experience, I have found coaches who provide positive support and are constructive with their criticism are more enjoyable to play for and give the athlete a more positive experience. Coaches that come across as condescending seem to push kids away from the game. It is important that the student-athlete has a positive experience, especially student-athletes at a young age. I feel if a student-athlete has a negative experience at the interscholastic level he or she will be less likely to stick with the sport.

of their peers. The negative effect this has on the athletes is obvious. They become

Unfortunately, involvement in youth sports has not had the effect most parents are expecting. Instead author Carey informs the reader with disturbing statistics. He asserts 84% of parents surveyed in an issue of SportingKid magazine have witnessed ‘violent parental behavior’ toward children, coaches or official at kids’ sporting events, 80% said they had been victims of such behavior. Violence makes headlines too, as Docheff and Conn speak about a father of a 10 year old ice hockey player ‘confronts’ a coach, engages in ‘some verbal sparring’ until asked to leave. Then ‘the stressed father returns to the rink, challenges the coach again, and begins beating him while young athletes yell helplessly for the crazed parent to stop. It's too late. Two days later, a spokesperson for the hospital announces that the coach has died (par 1).’

Having gone through both elementary and middle school, we have all run into peers who spent a lot of time and energy trying to act like the most popular athlete in any given time period. Kids often try to imitate controversial athletes to bring attention to themselves. Such behavior can bring popularity to a young person. A sad outcome of violence in adult sports is that youth sports end up mirroring adult sports. Young people are encouraged to be aggressive, and often those who are the stars of the team are those who know how to "stretch the rules". Often, young people who do play by the rules are relegated to the bench. As a result, youth athletic teams, even