Sport, Society & Me

In my family both my parents and my two sisters played some sort of sport. Growing up I tried out various sports and eventually ended up playing soccer up through high school. In addition to playing sports, I grew up watching all different types of sports on TV but primarily football. We have been Broncos season ticket holders since I was a little kid and going to the games or watching the games has become a big part of my life. It has been something my whole family has been able to connect through and has been a something that has stayed consistent throughout our family. In our society sport plays a major role in displaying the values of America. According to Eitzen (2006) with all the positive pieces of sport there is also a negative side. I feel that sport plays a positive role due to its ability to bring people together and provide a source of identity or even go as far as providing one higher education through scholarships. In addition, sport can teach us the value of hard work, competition, and teamwork. In our society we have made sport a major part of our culture whether you are participating in it or watching it. Even in some places like the south, high school sports are valued similarly to professional sports. As a culture we spend millions of dollars on endorsements, clothing, venues, player salaries, tickets, food, and advertising. We place a lot of pressure on players to win the game but also make the game entertaining. We value those athletes that are high scoring and leading our teams to victory but then shun those who have led to a team losing. We value athletes and the hard work they put forth and the sacrifices they make to try and win.