Touchdown, Goal, 15-love, first point.
Why are sports important? What makes sports fun? How can sports be bad? Why do athletes excel in other areas? These are all questions that a lot of people ask, and I will be answering them in this article. Sports are a crucial part of culture in America, and it’s important that we know more about them.
Why are sports important? Sports are important to the culture of America, especially because it keeps people who are grouped together riled up. When it's game time everyone debates who will win, and you can feel the suspense, which keeps the excitement and fun in life.
When you're walking in the store or through the park, either running, jogging, or exercising, and you see a person and you are both wearing a piece of clothing for the same team, you feel an urge to talk to this person about that team. You both agree on something and you can leave politics behind. Arguing and debating can be forgotten, and you can just talk about something you both enjoy and agree on.
But let's say you see someone with a piece of clothing for a different team. Maybe the team this person is supporting is the opposing team for yours, and at this point you feel a different urge to start a conversation with this person so you can debate and talk about the upcoming game. This also adds some interesting flavor and excitement to life.
Sports are important for excitement, fun, exercise, and a way to unite people. It can even create life-long friends or cause people to be friendly to a new person you just met. Whether you are a fan or not, sports are important and it's great that we have a lot of choices for different sports to follow.
What makes sports fun? Winning isn't the only thing that makes them fun! in fact there are a lot of reasons sports are fun. According to Vicky Hallett from the Washington Post, these are some of the top reasons athletic activities can be fun:
Receiving respect from a coach or players
Having or serving as a role model
Playing well during a game
When a player is treated with respect
Doesn't it feel nice to be treated with respect? One of the reasons sports can be fun is when your coach or fellow teammates treat you with respect. Being treated with respect can motivate you to play well and have fun doing it.
Role model
This could be meant in the sense of you having a role model or you serving as a role model. If you have a role model in athletics it gives you extra motivation and allows to have you more fun. If this is meant in the sense of serving as a role model yourself then you may enjoy playing the sport because you want to encourage someone else.
Playing well in a game
When you play well in a game it makes you want to play more because you feel like you can win again. Even if you didn't win, but you still played well, you feel you have the chance of playing well again. And it's fun when you play well!
Why and when can sports be bad? One of the reasons sports can be harmful is because people can die from playing more physical activities like UFC, hockey, or football. And even if you don't die from these sports, you can end your career with severe brain damage or injuries. If you happen to make it out without any of these problems, as you get older your body may not function as well as others. Sports can also take over players’ or fans’ lives. According to an article on Fox Sports, athletics can be bad for kids; if they play too much it can end in prolonged injury and burn out their energy for it later on in life. That being said, as long as athletes are careful and cautious, sports are generally a healthy activity!
Not only do sports make life and culture more interesting, but they also benefit the player in other areas of life. Athletes have many great characteristics that make them excellent workers, whether in school or work. Angela Schwartz, a BWA staff member, thinks that former athletes make valuable employees. “One conversation that always came up, in regards to employees, was that we [our family construction business] wished we could always hire athletes,” she says. But why athletes? “The athlete has tremendous qualities," she continues. "Being an athlete, especially an athlete in a team sport forces a person to acquire certain skills... These things cannot be taught sitting at a desk or in a class, or even on the job necessarily.” Some of these skills are the ability to work on a team, great discipline, commitment, and a strong work ethic. Another crucial trait athletes have is the ability to handle pressure and failure. "Imagine you go out there and do your best, and fail or make a mistake," says Mrs. Schwartz, "then your coach comes and gets in your face, yells... even in front of hundreds of people and you don't cry, you don't quit, you just dig deep, and make it better, make it right." Almost all good characteristics can be acquired through sports, and participating in athletics can make you a better student, employee, and overall person.
Sports play a huge part in American culture. Our society wouldn't be as strong without them, and I think it’s very important that all students should get involve in some sort of athletic activity. It will make you a much happier, more confident, and healthier individual, and you will acquire life-long skills and character!
Sources:
“Study: Being Good at Sports Bad for Kids.” FoxSports. 30 March 2012. http://www.foxsports.com/other/story/study-says-being-good-at-sports-may-be-bad-for-your-kids-033012.
Hallett Vicky. “Study: Why are sports fun?” Washington Post. 22 July 2014. https://www.washingtonpost.com/express/wp/2014
/07/22/a-new-study-about-what-makes-sports-fun-for-kids-finds-that-winning-isnt-everything/
Photo taken by BWA Junior Shayla Miller
Thank you to Angela Schwartz for her help on this article!