Sport, Society, & Me

     I grew up on sports - watching, playing, and dreaming. What started as a group of four years olds following around black and white ball developed into a lifestyle centered around hitting a yellow ball as hard and as far as possible. Upon entering my double-digit years, I decided that softball was the sport for me and to this day it has not let me go. My eldest sister was and still is the most influential person in my athletic career as she is the one who initially sparked my interest in the sport and developed that spark into a full-fledged, fiery passion for the game. As I got older and more competitive, softball began to root itself deeper and deeper into my life by means of taking over my time, social group, and career interests. It went so far as to control my decision of which university I would attend and it was at this point that I experienced the greatest barrier of my athletic career. Growing up I was called a "tomboy" for playing sports and "unimpressive" for playing the feminized version of baseball, but the task of finding how and where I would continue to play the sport I love was by far the most challenging obstacle of all. I was constantly told that I was "too skinny," "not strong enough," "not fast enough," essentially, not good enough, to play at the competitive Division 1 collegiate level. Though at times that knocked me down, it ultimately fueled my fire and paid off with a spot on Pacific's softball team.
     It was not until I reached college that I realized how much more there is to life than softball and sport and it was at that point that softball no longer played the most prominent role in my life. Entering my collegiate career may seem like the wrong time for that realization to take place, but I actually found it to ground me personally as I became more open to meaningful relationships and in a greater pursuit of my future, as well as connected to my game in a whole new way. Now I use softball as more of an outlet, an escape from academic and personal stress, whereas in high school it was just the opposite due to the multitude of stresses generated from softball. More generally, my love and interest in sports as a whole have led me to pursue an undergraduate degree in Sport Medicine and a career in physical therapy or some other profession involving athletes.
     Sport clearly plays a large role in my life and it is due in part to the positive image shed on the sporting world during my upbringing. However, with age I have started to develop a greater understanding of the negative role sport plays in US society in terms of exploitation, cheating and general selfishness. I was always taught to be a team player, act courteous to all players, respect my elders and the game, dedicate myself, and above all - have fun. But in order to succeed at higher levels, an athlete in most cases is forced to put oneself ahead of the team, treat the opponent as the enemy, and handle the game as a job. Due to the pervasive manner of sport, it is no surprise how large a role it plays in American society, but it is surprising, to me at least, how omnipresent its "dark side" is, which takes away from the self-fulfillment, excitement and pure joy of sport, while uncovering the paradoxes of sport (Eitzen, 2006, pg. 4-6). With that said, I still believe that sport is of critical importance in American society because it has the potential to offer a multidimensional outlet from everyday life and social standing, an outline for the youth's character, and a sense of belonging. Additionally, sports introduce children to the importance of exercise and health and in organized sports, the requirement of a pre-participatory physical examination gives families more knowledge of their child(ren)'s current health status, which may prevent future injuries (Headlee, 2014, pg. 277).
     Currently, athletes hold an important position in society due to how highly publicized sports are. Male athletes, especially those who play football, basketball, baseball, or hockey, collegiately and professionally, garner the greatest value and respect of the American public, which is made blatantly obvious through the massive amount of media coverage they receive. However, sociologists recommend that individuals critically examine all social arrangements that sports encompass so that they may reevaluate their perception of sport (Eitzen, 2006, pg. 5). That examination includes the myths, stereotypes, media claims and paradoxes that surround sports and due to this recommendation, I am going to challenge myself to see sports differently so that I might develop new attitudes.

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Reference List

Eitzen, D.S  (2006).  Fair and Foul: Beyond the Myths and Paradoxes of Sport (2^nd Ed.).  Oxford,      Rowman & Littlefield: Chapter 1

Headlee, D., Nord, W., & Huntington, M. (2014). Preparticipation physical evaluations in youth sports: a systematic review of current recommendations. South Dakota Medicine: The Journal Of The South Dakota State Medical Association, 67(7), 273-277.