Are Athletes Role Models?

Link to the article:

http://www.pittsburghurbanmedia.com/Pro-athletes-as-role-models/

On September 20^th we discussed athletes as a role model.  In Coakley’s text on page 112, he discusses people growing up in sport have trouble translating what they learned from sport into the real world.  The article I read was written from an ex-professional basketball player who doesn’t understand why the media makes out athletes as role models for kids.  What we want in a role model is someone who is honest, committed, fairness, has high morals, and good self-image.  So what does being a great athlete have to do with being a role model?  As Coakley states on page 112, the Adler brothers discovered that most athletes learned how to set goals, focus their attention on specific tasks, and learned to succeed in basketball.  In basketball is the key word there, as the athletes didn’t know how to apply those same concepts to the real world.  If athletes could translate what they did in sport in real life, then we possibly should view them as role models.

"A person whose behavior in a particular
social setting is imitated by others,
especially by younger persons."

For some reason, the amazing athletic ability of someone makes people and the media think of them as a hero.  This heroic status makes the media want to believe that they are supposed to be role models for everybody. "A person whose behavior in a particular social setting is imitated by others, especially by younger persons." This is the Webster's definition of role model.  So yes, athletes should be role models in the confines of the sport world and not in life.  The media also talks about the negatives of athletes and rarely talks about the positive things that some athletes do.  Why talk about Ben Roethlisberger and his off the field conduct when you can talk about Max Stark’s charitable work?  The media needs to show kids the real role models in the sport world, someone the kids can really model themselves after.  For the most part athletes should not be role models for kids, but rather entertainers they love to watch.

Hockey to Reach Europe?

Link to the article:

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2011/09/26/In-Depth/Main.aspx?hl=nhl%20eyes%20europe&sc=0

On October 13^th we discussed ideals underlying in international sport and the globalizing of sport as discussed in Coakley’s text on pages 357-359.  The article talks about hockey becoming TV partners with Europe to score more viewers.  I believe this highlights a few ideals in international sport such as highlighting shared interests among different cultures and nations, foster cultural understanding and eliminate national stereotypes, and an open communication between nations.  John Collins, COO of the NHL said, “We want to be able to shorten the distance between European fans and our game.”  This is a very good thing when talking about ideals of international sport, globalizing a sport, and marketing. 

Most hockey players have a diverse back
round making it easier to become global.

According to Coakley (page 358) commercial sports are going global.  Why?  They are going global because the NHL wants to expand their market and maximize profits.  Bringing Europe closer to hockey is good for the NHL considering how diverse the sport is.  Harvey Schiller, CEO of GlobalOptions Group said, “It’s a sport that is not completely dominated by American players, which gives it an appeal in Europe.  In some of the Latin countries they will have a hard time, but across Europe, people talk about hockey.  They know what a puck looks like.” 

Becoming TV partners with Europe is definitely keeping an open line of communication between nations.  Peter Gudmundson, the former CEO and GM of Sweden’s premier professional hockey league is going to work alongside the NHL in establishing and growing events.  I believe this is good thing for everyone.  The NHL will make money, Europeans will become excited about the NHL and it’s a good way to share a common interest with a different culture and nation.

High School Sports, Good or Bad?

Link to the article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/how-high-school-sports-save-our-schools/2011/09/14/gIQAzgHKdK_story.html

"Sports does a better job of teaching values such as
leadership, teamwork, time management
and other crucial skills...."

On September 29^th we discussed if varsity sport programs contribute to education.  Coakley also discusses it in the text on pages 472-474.  In the article Jay Mathews claims that high school sports is saving our schools.  In a national survey, 7.7 million boys and girls took part in high school sports.  The reason Mathews thinks sports are saving high school is because sports does a better job of teaching values such as leadership, teamwork, time management and other crucial skills whereas it is tougher to learn that in the classroom.  Coaches have more freedom when disciplining young adults.

According to Coakley on page 473, high school athletes tend to have better grade point averages, better attitudes toward school, lower rates of absences, more interest in going to college, more years of college completed, greater career success, and better health than students to don’t play high school sports.  So is high school sport really that important?  For young adults to establish life’s values, yes, for education, not so much.  Playing sports doesn’t make the student any smarter but it does build character and gives them values on life in which they can live by.  This can create a better atmosphere in the classroom and give them a better attitude but it can’t increase test scores.

Pushing the Youth too Hard?

Link to the article:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/apologies-freud/201005/kids-and-sports-how-much-is-too-much

On September 22^nd we talked about how the youth is being pushed to hard in sport and how they become like “laborers.”    This is also discussed in pages 129-133 in Coakley’s text.  This article explains how kids are being pushed to hard and too quickly into sport are suffering from burnout.  She explains how kids should have fun and play multiple sports rather than just one sport until after their adolescence years.  Parents and coaches are pushing their kid’s way too hard with the dream of being a collegiate star or a professional athlete.  In the article she talks about a girl named Julie who swims.  She swam four to seven days a week every week since the age of 5.  Repeating the swimming motion everyday for six years is very hard on a young fragile body.  Her muscles and tendons barely allowed her to move and was a serious risk of injury.  Why would we put an 11 year old at risk of a serious injury?

There are many stories like Julie’s, which is very disappointing to hear.  Sports should be fun and healthy for kids to do.  There is no reason to make it a job for a kid at a young age.  Greg Bulter, who was a basketball player for the New York Knicks, recalls, “I started playing basketball when I was young.  But not as kids who are playing sports now.  We didn’t play ball until fifth or sixth grade.  And we certainly didn’t play year round like they do today.  Kids’ sports have gotten out of control.”  Parents and coaches need to step up and take control.  They need to limit their kid’s activity and just make sure they are having fun, rather than being at risk of a serious injury.

In Coakley’s text, he talks about elite private sport programs don’t have child labor laws and can work them as much as possible.  What these programs are doing is technically child abuse by having them work 40 hours a week.  The coaches will defend themselves by saying the kids want to be pushed and become great athletes but kids are too young to legally give “informed consent” (131-132).  Youth sports have been getting out of control and it’s time we start getting it back into control.

Youth Sports are Becoming Privatized and are Stressing Performance Rather than Fun