Violence in Sports

Violence in Sports Brian Thompson American Military University SPMT601 Pamela J. Wojnar Abstract Sports and violence are complimentary to one another. In some sports, violence is merely a byproduct of the competition. In other sports violence is expected. Certain sports require a predisposition toward violence to be successful while others encourage an over-conformity to the norm with regard to violence. The more violent the athlete plays, the better for him and his team. Violent behavior is not limited to the players on field.

Fans and spectators can fill a role when it comes to violent behavior. Although it is not expected as it is among the players, fans will engage in violence as a way of expressing, or reacting, to their emotional involvement with the sport. 1. On-the-field violence is related to a number of things including over-conformity to the norms of the sport ethic, commercialization, and masculinity. Which of these factors accounts most for the level of brutal body contact that occurs in professional football in the United States? Explain your choice.

Choice: Over-conformity to the norms of the sport ethic is the best choice. Explanation: The reason is that there are certain expectations of competition especially in contact sports such as pro football. To survive and excel in such a physical game as pro football the athletes must maintain over-conform to a certain extent. They must play the game in such a way that they maximize their earning potential. The average life span for a pro player is around 3 years. For an athlete to secure lifelong financial security they must play with a level of physicality that warrants their need to the team.

This is a minimum expectation not taking into account other factors such as athleticism and execution of techniques. 2. After reading a report of a male athlete who has assaulted a woman, one of your friends says, “Playing sports causes men to be violent. ” She knows you are taking a course on the sociology of sport, and she wants you to respond to her conclusion. What do you say? Marv Levy, former head coach in the NFL, once said, “Football doesn’t build character, it reveals character. Much like what is discussed in the textbook of the correlation between success on and off the field is sometimes more related to the fact that the athletes were driven individuals before they played sports, violence is also something that falls into this category. Its is within human nature to inflict pain on others, especially when we compete for the same resources. The boundaries of society suppress the action of this drive to hurt. That is a good thing of course. The statement “playing sports causes men to be violent” is not accurate. I believe that men with a more natural tendency toward violence play sports.

Sports, especially contact sports, are an outlet for aggressive individuals. Aggressiveness and physicality are both traits that coaches and organizations look for in athletes that play contact sports. So with that being said the tendency toward being violent is apparent before the person ever plays. 3. You are the new principal of a school that is hosting a game between your #1 ranked football team and the #2 ranked team in your division. There is a deep, longstanding rivalry between the schools and a history of player and spectator violence during games. After reading Ch. , what measures would you take to control player and spectator violence on and off the field? There would definitely be a meeting among the coaches involved with our team to clearly explain expectations of the players and staff. Secondly I would personally meet with the athletes to spell out exactly what expect from them in terms of conduct. Letters and phone calls would be made to the parents of the student body letting them know that any conduct that is deemed out of order would be handled by the police officers on duty at the game and the school would bring charges against them.

I would also have hand outs ready for fans as they enter the stadium outlining our procedure for those that violate orderly conduct policies. As a principal, I would attempt to meet with the principal of the other school and ask him to make comparable steps to help ensure the safety of everyone involved. Lastly I would do all I could to make the presence of security personnel such as faculty, staff, and police officers, visible for all to see. Hopefully we could avert any trouble before it happens.

Cite this page