Sports are a significant part of human life and always have been. Through sports we better understand cultural and human values, appreciate the human body, and strive for excellence. Sports are a great learning experience for children, 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 brutal blood sports the Romans indulged in 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, as many aspects of their hunter gatherer culture depended upon this.
In our culture today we see the commercialization of sports in all levels. What has been a pastime in other cultures has become a lifelong occupation for some in our culture. The better players are paid better and winning is the only option for success. What will future generations think when they look back at our sports and the way we play them? Perhaps they will see the ferocious fans vicariously involved in sport. Perhaps they will see human beings sold like hunks of meat to run into one another and catch a ball for outrageous sums of money to giant sports franchises. What will they think of drug use and drug testing?
Since winning is the only thing that matters in todays sports, the poor conduct of so many of the people involved in sports is not surprising. What children ought to learn from sports is 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.
The benefits of sport are numerous and highly researched. 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. People must retain positive attitudes 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, everyone will feel either like a loser of a winner. We need to teach children the value of competition against oneself, 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 brutal blood sports the Romans indulged in 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, as many aspects of their hunter gatherer culture depended upon this.
In our culture today we see the commercialization of sports in all levels. What has been a pastime in other cultures has become a lifelong occupation for some in our culture. The better players are paid better and winning is the only option for success. What will future generations think when they look back at our sports and the way we play them? Perhaps they will see the ferocious fans vicariously involved in sport. Perhaps they will see human beings sold like hunks of meat to run into one another and catch a ball for outrageous sums of money to giant sports franchises. What will they think of drug use and drug testing?
Since winning is the only thing that matters in todays sports, the poor conduct of so many of the people involved in sports is not surprising. What children ought to learn from sports is 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.
The benefits of sport are numerous and highly researched. 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. People must retain positive attitudes 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, everyone will feel either like a loser of a winner. We need to teach children the value of competition against oneself, 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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