The Impact of Sports on Life

The Impact of Sports on Life

     Professional sports, and sports in general, have changed the world in so many ways.  The article, "How Sports Transcends Culture" written by Angel Navado describes some of the various ways that sports have impacted and transformed our culture today. To begin with, sports encourage and allow fans to support the individuals/ players for their skill and ability, not for their culture or nationality. Sports have taken away some of the bias and stereotypes that our society uses to judge people without really knowing them or knowing what they can do. Additionally, sports have increased religious tolerance, which was and sometimes still is one of the biggest things our society struggles with. They have ultimately blurred the color lines/racial intolerance, teaching us to respect athletes and people of other races no matter what skin color they are. Lastly, sports influenced culture because they allowed athletes to learn and speak in many languages. If a team has one player that can speak the same language as the other team, it makes his/her dedication to the team and the game more important than a cultural barrier that can be as simple as a foreign language. By and large, when sports unite athletes, racial issues, cultural upbringings, and foreign languages do not matter. A new mold is ultimately created for society to pursue. 

     As we speak, sports are continuing to transform and impact our society/culture. Initially, athletic competitions help to build up the ethics and character of modern athletes. Playing sports can change who you are in so many ways. Your coaches and peers can teach you many lessons that help to build up your character and ultimately make you a better person. Those who have the opportunity of being a leader, have the power to uplift their players and potentially become their role models as well. Sports always bring people together no matter what cultural barrier may hold them back. They always have a positive influence on their patricipants and inspire them to be the best that they can be. For someone who has a low self esteem/low confidence, sports influence them to try things that they never would have imagined.

     In today's culture, sports have many positive and negative impacts. Many people love sports because they are a good way for them to have fun and enjoy themselves. Some people see it as a way to get away from everything and just focus on the game and having fun. People also enjoy sports because they aid them in remaining physically fit. For most people, being in shape makes them feel very good about themselves and is a sense of accomplishment and hard work. Along with a sense of accomplishment and hard work comes the positive impact of winning. Everyone who is competetive understands how it feels to win. Nobody likes losing especially after all of the hard work they have put in. Winning is such an incredible feeling. It proves to yourself and to your teammates that it was a well and hard-earned victory. As mentioned before, there are many ways in which sports impact our culture negatively. To start off, when playing sports participants can get seriously injured. When you are someone who is so passionate about that sport and can't play because of an injury it kills you. Not being able to what you love is so upsetting to the players that suffer from these unfortunate injuries. Another negative impact of sports is that they are very costly and expensive. But why is it that you need to pay money in order to do what you love? As you grow older, you improve immensely and sports become more and more competitive. The more you improve and earn your spot on a good team, the more it costs. There needs to financing for fields/complexes, uniforms, coaches, tournaments etc. In order for someone to be on a good team, all of those things come to mind and make it very expensive to play. On-field cheating is a very large problem with sports. The use of performance enhancing drugs, tampering of equipment, and recruitment violations are all huge issues that sports can cause. Lastly, unsportsmanlike conduct is another negative impact of sports. The competitive atmosphere can encourage athletes to fight, taunt, and be disrespectful toward one another. Sports can teach athletes to be disrespectful and sometimes even cocky. Athletes that are unsportsmanlike tend to be disliked by a lot of people. 

      Sports have impacted my life in so many ways. Ever since I was little all I would look forward to was going to my soccer games, kicking the ball around, and having the time of my life. Once you fall in love with a sport it becomes something you always want to do. I guess you could say that was what happened to me with soccer. To me, playing a sport is not just a hobby it is a lifestlye. Whenever I play, all of my worries or cares disappear and nothing else matters. Sports have taught me to always strive to be the best that I can be and never give up. If you really want something you have to work hard to earn it. Soccer has kept me in great shape over the years, and to me, doing what you love and having fun while getting excercise is unbelievable. Soccer has whole-heartedly changed my life and made me who I am today. It has taught me so many life lessons that I will never forget and will always be thankful for.