Sports And Its Impact On Society

Abstract: Society is affected every day by many different kinds of sports.  These sports often govern society's way of life.  People all over the nation turn their TVs to sporting events, such as golf, during the weekends.   Scott Stossel states that "more than six million Americans enjoy watching golf on the weekends."  Parents  use sports as a teaching tool for their children.  Kids learn teamwork and discipline from team sports programs and  sports have also helped many students with their grades.  Kids who want to compete in school sports are taught to keep their grades up or they won't be able to play, but the greedy coaches and schools often look around grades to keep their "star athletes" in the games.  Adults have

Growing up all I ever wanted to be was a professional football player, my dream was to make it into the NFL and repay my parents for all they've done for me. My whole life I was told to find something I love to do and stick with it, that's when I knew that football could be my free ticket out of Hawai’i. As my knowledge grew, I started to realize the struggles college would put my parents through financially, and that's when I decided football was the way to take care of that all. But as a kid, you don't see the full picture and you honestly never will, but all I knew was that I hated school and loved to play sports. Growing up I've always had people tell me to take care of my school work and be a student first. As a kid, you understand what

Football remains the most popular sport in America and the ninth most popular sport in the world for a reason. Since its creation in 1869, football has played a fundamental part of American society. Every Sunday, my family along with millions of other Americans turn the television to CBS, NBC or FOX to watch their favorite football team go to battle. My family and I bleed burgundy and gold and root for the home team the Washington Redskins. Americans including myself display great intensity and passion for the game of football and the result of the game often changes my attitude for the better or worse. Watching the game on television may come as exhilarating and entertaining, but playing the game creates the best times. Overall football has made a severe impact on many people’s lives. Football teaches unique lessons in a hands on manner which helps athletes like myself sustain a much more adventurous life. Football has made an immeasurably positive influence upon my life, but the sport has its dangers. Football changes lives.

In our society sports are a very important social construction. As sports continue to grow, they are becoming more integrated into the major spheres of social life. Sports have become an entity, due to the fact that they not only create entertainment and jobs; sports have become a huge platform for various causes. Sports are extremely important to our society and have very powerful influences. Though experiences vary from person to person, most people have some sort of experience with sports. I personally have experienced sports more from the spectator and participant stance, and have been impacted from each perspective a great deal. Compared to sophomore safety, Jamal Adams my sports experience has been very different from impact and perspective.

Over the last decade, the prominence and relevance of sports has permeated the social fabric of American culture. As a sociological construct, sports have helped create a new sense of identity for millions of Americans by appealing to their personal and physical needs and by subconsciously influencing the manner in which they interact with one another. When analyzed through a sociological framework, sports have the capacity to transcend racial, political and socioeconomic barriers making it one of the world’s most powerful community-building institutions.

In the Journal “Sport and Society: Annual Review of Sociology” written by Robert E. Washington and David Karen they talk about gender and sports in one section of their Journal. In this section the author addresses masculinity in sports and the attempts of Title IX to try and make sports equal in the sense that if women make up 40% of the athlete population they should receive 40% of the resources. However, this is not the case “The most recent data (Suggs 2000) reveal that in 1998–1999 women made up 42% of Division I athletes, received 42% of scholarship monies, 31% of recruiting budgets, 34% of coaching-salary budgets, and 33% of total operating expenses. According to Andrew Zimbalist (2000:B9), women “still play in inferior facilities, stay in lower-caliber hotels on the road, eat in cheaper restaurants, benefit from smaller promotional budgets, and have fewer assistant coaches.” (Washington and Karen, 2001) This long quote showcases that although women are starting to get what they deserve when it comes to a the percentage of Athletics that they comprise it is still not up to par. Although it is not technically salary, the gap in scholarship money and money spent of faculty for female athletes showcases how money it’s sports always goes to the male athletes no matter at what level. In a more recent example that further pushes the points that were made in Washington and Karen’s journal would be the U.S. Women’s Soccer team compared to the U.S. Men’s Soccer team. Both

When someone looks at an professional athlete the only thing that comes to mind is how far the person has gone in order to achieve his or her dream. It has become an instinct for people to just look at the superficial part of the athlete such as fame and riches which blocks out the people that worked the hardest. Behind every athlete there is a parent that is supporting them on their highs and on their lows, which is the reason why the athlete is always thankful for their parents. But the most outstanding parents are the resilient ones because no matter the rough situation they are going through they are able to give their all for their sons or daughters.

However, the values of the sports in college that athletes dream is to go to college which is very well known and get the highest level and receive an education, however the college degree views an open door to America, but getting to play sports in college makes it hard to play professionally because it prevents from developing talent. Also that high school coaches expects athletes to leave education behind. The article Academies have changed the landscape of youth soccer explains that since the academy program changed to an 10 month schedule and forbidden players from high school competition causes prevention of youth to develop well in soccer. It seemed to done this because it was looking for 25 best players in the country and trying to make the sport only focus on the best and is taking away high school experiences. However, school and colleges had adopted soccer due to its popularity and credibility, so why forbidden soccer in high school if it is so popular? Most academies have established soccer programs for children and teenagers to increase its popularity and when it increases the more influence it will get on American society. In the U.S. Soccer Foundation which is safe, much affordable and very successful that these programs, mostly for kids, will help expand the community because it focuses on using soccer “as a vehicle for social change through support for sports-based youth development programs” (Krieger pg.

Athletes are so much more than just big men with the natural ability to play a game. An athlete is a hero, a role model, and someone young boys and girls grow up aspiring to be. Athletes give hope to so many children that if they work hard their dreams can also come true. However, more recently athletes have been sending the wrong message to our youth, and future generations of professional athletes. We are finding out more often than in past years now that our hometown heroes are actually staring us in the wrong direction. Lance Armstrong, a

With players as big as Dez Bryant, Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, Blake Griffin, and Dirk Nowitzki how could a young simple minded child not see them as a hero. Sports provide key dynamics when it comes to the augmentation of communal principles by enhancing the physical and mental well-being of individuals and the integration of social classes. This is a good example of how sports positively affects the mind and body.(Studentpulse.com) The leadership skills possessed by the individuals in “the game” whichever game it may be whether football, baseball, basketball, or soccer. The athletes that play the game do not realize the role they can and do play in the lives of the many young children that sit and watch them play each week. The children always dream of one day meeting their hero, the superstar athlete they see on television. What they do not realize is that the athlete does not care to meet their fans, they play the game for money. By them playing the game for money they abuse the power of it. A typical athlete will spend the large majority of their money on material possessions rather than saving it for retirement or if they get hurt.

What is the social role of sport? To what extent does social structure influence the practice and experience of sport? Discuss in relation to two of the following: gender, class, ethnicity or Aboriginality, or region. Illustrate your answer with at least three examples from sporting contexts (local or international).

Often, even without trying an elite athlete becomes a role model for young people, this is because they are fit, focused and famous.

Sports are an important part of our world. Take a look at any newspaper, listen to any radio, or watch TV for any length of time and there will surely be some sports information that is being passed along. The fact that sports figures get paid salaries that teachers can only dream about lets us know where our priorities lie in this society. Sports consume a lot of our time and energy, and because of this, they have great influence in our culture.

Sport sociology examines sports as a part of cultural and social life, and adds a different dimension and perspective to the study of sport and exercise. More specifically, sport sociology examines the relationship between sports and society and seeks answers to many issues and questions regarding sport and culture. Sociology of sport poses critical and controversial issues; additionally, sports are considered a microcosm of society, the same social issues that exist in larger society also exist in sport culture. I have chosen eight peer-reviewed Sociological Journals to expand upon the understanding of this topic that I found to be the most relevant and offer diverse yet complete perspectives on sports.

There are many repercussions that are projected upon both men and women when they enter into a sport that typically isn’t thought of as gender appropriate. Some of those cultural and social stigmatisms may be abandonment by your peers, and friends questions regarding your sexuality, and even in some cases criticism as to how you are living your life. In some cases, it may lead to you not being accepted by either group, theone whose norems you are not following, of as well as the one with whom you are trying to get involved. This paper will address all of these issues and how these seemingly negative situations can, will, and are, leading to growth. It will also discuss how this is a situation where repercussions are