Реферат: Sports Violence Essay Research Paper Sports violenceThe

there frustration and anger. Young athletes often take sports heroes as role models and

imitate their behavior, which may lead to children imitating such aggressive behavior in

their own sporting activities.

Many continue to argue that sports have always been violent and that today

things are no better or worse than they were years ago. However, according to Berger,

evidence contradicts this and sources show there are more serious injuries and violent

acts on and off the field in today s sports than there were in the past(9-10). Violence in

sports is not a new concept, but it is more prevalent and harmful today than it was in

the past (Yeager 126). There has been an increase in the frequency and seriousness of

acts of violence, which is most prevalent in team contact sports, such as ice hockey,

football, soccer, rugby, and even basketball. This is likely due to the increased

competitiveness in sports. The strive for competitiveness starts in youth sports and

only escalates in college and professional sports (Berger 12). The greater the importance

placed on winning, the more violent the play is likely to become. Emotion is another

element of sports that can easily turn into violence. Competitive sports are emotional

events and when emotions get out of control violence is inevitable. According to Aaseng,

most of the violence in modern sports happens not because of the nature of sports, but

because society does not value the control of emotions held by the code of sportsmanship

(35). In sports, as in other aspects of our lives, the problem is not so much that we have

lost respect for authority, but that we have lost respect for each other. Our society s

preoccupation with winning has caused sports stars to play with the intensity of emotion,

which leads to violence.

While most occurrences of violence come from players, others, including coaches,

parents, fans, and the media, also contribute to the increasing violence in sports today.

Fans seem to emulate the violence they watch in sports and spectator violence is

increasing as participant injuries rise (Yeager 11). Mass media contributes to the

acceptability of sports. It provides exposure to sports-related violence via television,

magazines, newspapers, and radio, which provides many examples to children who may

imitate such behavior. Also it often glamorizes players who are controversial and