SMT 314 Exam Questions Answer the questions with at least 4 sentences on each question, if required

Subject:BusinessPrice:12.89 Bought3

Share With

SMT 314 Exam Questions Answer the questions with at least 4 sentences on each question, if required. 1. Based on what you know, what you’ve experienced, and what has been discussed in class, do you believe you can confidently say that playing competitive sports helps develop good moral character in young people, or not? Explain your answer. 2. Compare/contrast the drug testing policies of the 5 major professional sport leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS). Include what is tested for, how often testing occurs, penalties for positive tests, etc… Why do you think there are differences between the policies for each league? 3. In your opinion, does on the field/court violence lead to increased off the field/court violent behavior? If so, what could be done to decrease that transfer of violence by athletes? If not, what factors do you think contribute to off the field/court violence by athletes? 4. In your opinion, does on the field/court violence lead to increased off the field/court violent behavior? If so, what could be done to decrease that transfer of violence by athletes? If not, what factors do you think contribute to off the field/court violence by athletes? SMT 314 Exam Questions 5. Explain the 3 ways schools can be Title IX compliant. What impact does having a football team have on collegiate athletic departments in terms of gender equality? Discuss the issues associated with enforcing Title IX. 6. Compare/contrast the world of sport for women BEFORE the passing of Title IX and AFTER (be detailed). In what areas has the world of sport improved for women since 1972? In what areas does the world of sport still need to improve for women? 7. Discuss 5 barriers to gender equity described in the PowerPoint. 8. What are 3 things you have learned in this class that were most surprising/impactful to you? DO NOT DO QUESTION 8. ONLY DO 1 TO 7. Girls still have fewer opportunities than boys. Girls still generally get inferior facilities, equipment, coaching, and publicity. Less than 2/3 of African American and Hispanic girls play a sport, whereas more than 3/4 of White girls do. College females have fewer sport participation opportunities than males do. Females receive $183 million less than males in NCAA athletic scholarships. Females have fewer opportunities for careers as athletes, coaches, and administrators. https://www.wsn.com/nba/nba-vs-wnba/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/ryanlake/2019/07/02/uswnt-fight-for-equality-in-the-us-while-taking-on-the-world-in-the-worldcup/?sh=3f3d2f827b68 RACE, ETHNICITY, AND SPORT SMT 314 NFL – THEN AND NOW CLASSIFICATIONS OF RACE AND ETHNICITY 1. Race 2. Ethnicity 3. Minorities 4. Racism a. The cultural heritage of a group of people b. The belief that racial differences result in the superiority of a particular race c. Social category constructed to describe people with genetic similarity d. In the United States, any group that does not identify as White; they constitute a smaller percentage of the population than the majority group CLASSIFICATIONS OF RACE AND ETHNICITY Racial classification in the United States was traditionally based on the “one-drop rule” ? Any person with a black ancestor was classified as “negro” and could not be considered a white person in legal terms, even if he or she appeared to be white ? This approach to racial classification was based on decisions that white people made in an effort to: ? ? ? ? ? perpetuate slavery maintain the “purity” of the “white race” discourage white women from forming relationships and having children with black men deny interracial children legal access to the property of their white parent guarantee that white men would retain power and property in society There is no evidence showing that skin color is related to physical traits that are essential for athletic excellence across sports or in any particular sport ? When 8 “black” athletes line up in the Olympic finals of the 100-meter dash or play in the NBA All-Star game, many people talk about “natural speed and jumping abilities” ? Scientists study dark-skinned bodies to discover the internal physical traits that will explain why they outperform white athletes ? When white skiers from Austria and Switzerland win World Cup championships year after year in cross-country skiing, people don’t say they succeed because their white skin is a sign of genetic advantages – they are good skiers because they live in the Alps and learn to ski at a young age! "HOW DOES ANCESTRY AND ETHNICITY AFFECT SPORTS & ATHLETICISM?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkD03U9NNyw CLASSIFICATIONS OF RACE AND ETHNICITY Where members of minority groups choose to live in the United States could affect the popularity of sports in those regions Research indicates: ? Blacks are returning to the South (New South – TX, NC, GA, FL) ? Hispanics are dispersing throughout the country ? Asian Americans tend to concentrate more heavily in traditional immigrant-magnet areas (NY, LA, SF) Hawaii, New Mexico, Texas, and California now have minority populations that when combined exceed 50% of their total population (“minority majority”) In terms of both participation and spectatorship, racial groups tend to favor certain sports and ignore others U.S. POPULATION BY RACIAL GROUP **Totals may not add up to 100% because people may choose more than one race to indicate a mixture PERCENTAGE OF GIRLS PLAYING EACH SPORT BASED ON RACE AND ETHNICITY White adolescent girls are more likely to play softball or volleyball Black girls are more likely to participate in basketball Hispanic girls are more like to be engaged in soccer PROFESSIONAL PLAYERS BY RACIAL GROUP PERCENTAGE NCAA DATA https://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/research/diversityresearch Biological reasons • Not supported RACIAL DIFFERENCES IN SPORT Cultural and social reasons • Emphasis on activities varies by culture • Sport as means of social mobility • Many athletic role models Opportunity structures • Facilities, resources (money, programs) SPORT PARTICIPATIO N AMONG RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITIES African American Athletes Latino and Hispanic Athletes Asian American Athletes Native American Athletes Pacific Islander Athletes AFRICAN AMERICAN ATHLETES It wasn’t until after WWII that integration became a reality in most U.S. sports In 1947, Jackie Robinson broke through the color barrier in MLB Today, Black athletes are overrepresented in basketball and football and underrepresented in most other sports ? Many people assume Black athletes dominate sport because of the overrepresentation in larger spectator sports NCAA DATA https://43530132-36e9-4f52-811a182c7a91933b.filesusr.com/ugd/8a f738_3b5d1b6bdb10457ebe8d46cc 5a2fcfd0.pdf Quarterbacks vs Wide Receivers STACKING IN SPORT Centers vs Cornerbacks Running Backs vs Tight Ends STACKING IN SPORT Stacking: an unusual distribution of White and Black athletes in certain sport positions that cannot be explained by a random distribution ? Centrality Theory ? Attraction Theory Can you think of other sports where this “stacking” takes place? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx 6XggsyRNQ Hispanic: all people whose ethnic heritage is traced to a Spanish-speaking country Latino/a/x: a person of Latin American heritage Great diversity among Latino groups LATINOS/LATI NX AND HISPANICS As compared with the U.S. population at large, Latinos are younger, have more children, trail other ethnic groups in high school and college graduates, and earn less per household than the average Latino girls have the lowest sport participation on high school teams of any ethnic group at just 36% (56% for White girls, 47% for Black girls) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNzPUZmWQDk Most male Latino and Hispanic athletes are recognized for ________ and ________ ? https://visme.co/blog/mlb-demographics/ As more Latino players find success in MLB, young Latinos look up to them as role models and pour their energies into honing their baseball skills To capitalize on such hopes, MLB has established baseball academies in many Central American countries - https://www.mlb.com/trainerpartnership LATINOS/LATI NX AND HISPANICS Soccer is the most popular sport in the world and is the king of sports among Latinos – MLS in the U.S. has not been as successful as other professional leagues ? https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/2020-mls-roster-rules-and-regulations Latino representation in sports such as NASCAR, boxing, tennis, and golf According to NCAA, Hispanics are underrepresented in virtually all sports – making up just 6% of male athletes in all divisions and 5.5% of female athletes in all divisions (18.1% of overall U.S. population) ASIAN AMERICANS Along with Latinos, fastest-growing U.S. minority population Difficult to generalize about sport participation due to their varied countries and backgrounds Different path from African Americans and Latinos—sport not used as means to economic, social, or educational goals ? Census data supports that Asian Americans have higher household income and higher graduation rate in HS and college than any other U.S. group, including Whites Different sporting choices due to culture and perhaps body type ? Overrepresentation at all NCAA Divisions in women’s equestrianism, men’s and women’s fencing, men’s rifle, women’s gymnastics, men’s and women’s squash ? Most of these sports put a premium on skill but do not require a large physique ANTI-ASIAN HATE https://www.usatoday.com/videos/sports/2021/04/14/team-usaasian-american-athletes-address-anti-asiandiscrimination/7214472002/ https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/31208951/i-feelaccepted-why-chloe-kim-spoke-anti-asian-hate NATIVE AMERICANS As of 2019, Native Americans and Alaskan Natives made up 1.3% of the U.S. population Sport participation is not easy for many Native Americans – more than 1 in 5 Native American people live in poverty ? Education is part of the challenge – as compared with Whites, almost twice as many native people have less than a high school education, and their rate of completing college is half that of Whites Native Americans tend to have limited time, money, and access to sport – and culture may limit assimilation into the U.S. sport scene Native Americans who can play intercollegiate sports often fear being cut off from their cultural roots and support systems ? Possible tensions between the larger U.S. or Canadian culture and their way of life ? Native American athletes face the challenge of preserving their cultural identities when their orientations don’t fit with the culture of the power and performance sports sponsored by most schools Discrimination against Native Americans is widespread Legacy of Lacrosse NATIVE AMERICANS ? Considered America’s first sport ? Lacrosse was created by North American Indians ? Lacrosse was the fastest growing sport at both high school and collegiate levels between 2013 and 2018 NATIVE AMERICAN MASCOTS NATIVE AMERICAN MASCOTS Complaints about Native American mascots is that the use of stereotypical team names, mascots, and logos perpetuates an ideology that dehumanizes and demeans the cultures of Native Americans • Defenders of such practices claim that they were and are meant to honor the legacy of Native Americans and perpetuate memories of brave and heroic warriors • Those who object argue that these practices blatantly stereotype Native Americans, ignore racist attitudes and displacement of populations of Native Americans, and encourage White European Americans to arbitrarily define Native American culture and experience 2006 NCAA issued a policy advising schools to specifically forbid the displaying of hostile or abusive racial, ethnic, or national origin mascots, nicknames, or imagery • Schools with team nicknames such as Braves, Redskins, Indians, Tribe, and Savages were put on notice to make changes • More than 1,400 professional, collegiate, and high school teams have changed offensive names, and 20 colleges have changed their mascots • 4 universities have been granted a waiver to retain their nicknames after proving that they had support from the relevant tribe: Central Michigan (Chippewa), Florida State (Seminole), Mississippi College (Choctaw), University of Utah (Ute) PACIFIC ISLANDERS Pacific Islanders make up less than one percent of the U.S. population and include people identifying with the three major sub-regions of Oceana located in the Pacific Ocean: ? Polynesia – Hawaii, New Zealand, Easter Island, Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands, Tuvalu, Tokelau, Niue, Wallis, Futuna, and French Polynesia ? Micronesia – Palau, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, and US. Territories including Northern Mariana islands, Guam, and Wake Island ? Melanesia – Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu PACIFIC ISLANDERS Popular sports in Polynesia include surfing, outrigger canoe racing, fishing, football, soccer, and rugby. There has been an uptick in Polynesians playing American football at both the intercollegiate and professional level. ? https://gvwire.com/2019/08/15/why-samoans-are-40-times-more-likely-to-playin-the-nfl/ Haka ? Traditional war dance connected with the Maori people of New Zealand ? Represents a performance of strength, unity, and toughness and includes slapping the body, showing the tongue, and stomping the ground; lyrics describe protection, being able to stand up against enemies, and not being fearful of what is to come ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYVvGMZbYzk SPORT AND PROMOTING EQUALITY Negative: Sport as an Unrealistic Dream in the Black Community Positive: Sport as a Force for Racial Equality “Suburban kids tend to play for the fun of it. Inner city kids look at basketball as a matter of life and death.” Sport success is linked to self-confidence (role models can be positive). “Black families are 8 times more likely to push youngsters into athletics than are White families. The disparity is glaring, if you think of the Black parents’ involvement at a sporting event compared to a PTA meeting. We need to turn that around.” – Arthur Ashe Sport offers a way out of poverty for some. “Sports are a detriment to Blacks…not a positive. You have a society now where every Black kid in the country thinks the only way he can be successful is through athletics. People look at athletes and entertainers as the sum total of black America. That is a terrible, terrible thing, because that ain’t even one-tenth of what we are.” – Charles Barkley Outreach programs to attract minority youth Integration is often easier in sport. School-based sport programs are free. Unique travel possibilities raise awareness. Sport encourages a healthy lifestyle. The lack of minority leadership in key positions in sport is sobering MINORITIES AS SPORT LEADERS https://www.si.com/more-sports/2013/03/06/50-mostpowerful-people-sports https://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/research/diversityresearch STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE RACIAL DIVERSITY IN SPORT QUESTIONS??? Deviance, Doping, and Violence in Sport SMT 314 Who are These People? • When we study deviant behavior, we are dealing with behavior by a person who is either unaware of the norm or simply rejects it • Underconformity: behavior that does not conform to the generally accepted rules of sport • Breaking team rules, school rules, or rules of competition Underconformity vs. Overconformity • Overconformity: behavior that conforms, without question, to the expectations of high-performance sport • Drastically altering food intake to gain or lose weight and using supplements to improve strength or bulk up muscles • Putting too high of a priority on sport and ignoring other critical areas of life (friendships, academics, families, etc) • Behaviors are considered deviant only if it goes beyond certain accepted limits • Modern athletes use three distinct types of drug: • Prescription and over-the-counter medications • Promote healing from sickness or injury or mask pain to Performance Enhancement Through Doping allow athlete to return to competition • NFL Lawsuit • Stimulants • Caffeine, cocaine, Ritalin, etc. • Use them to get hyped up before competition and heighten arousal levels • Anabolic steroids • Increase muscle size, decrease fat, produce secondary sex characteristics • U.S. professional sports leagues allow each sport to formulate and enforce its own policy for drug testing, and there is little uniformity between the different sports • Each league policy must be negotiated with its players union during CBA process Steroids • Key factors negotiated: • Type of testing: blood, urine, saliva, or a combination • Random player testing in season and out of season • Number of times per year any athlete can be tested • Announced or unannounced drug-testing days or times • Substances covered by drug tests • Penalties for failed tests – mandatory treatment requirements • World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) purpose: Responding to Doping To protect the athletes’ fundamental right to participate in doping-free sport and thus promote health, fairness, and equality for athletes worldwide and to ensure harmonized, coordinated and effective anti-doping programs at the international and national level with regard to detection, deterrence and prevention of doping. • Other organizations work to discover new masking agents that hide drugs and new combinations of substances that cannot be detected by current testing • Seems that the perpetrators are always just a step ahead of the enforcers • WADA publishes a summary report of its activity annually – 2017 report: • Rule violations were committed in 89 different sports by athletes representing 111 countries • Percentage of rule violations by gender: 78% males, 22% females Responding to Doping • Percentage of rule violations by sport: 20% bodybuilding, 20% track and field, 18% cycling, 10% weightlifting, 8% powerlifting • Percentage of rule violations by country: 21% Italy, 15% France, 12% United States, 10% Russia, 10% Brazil • IOC continues to lead the world in drug testing • Can be relatively nimble in adjusting policies because it does not have to secure approval from a players union before taking action • Similar situation with NASCAR • Continued drug use in sport could lead to the following issues: • Fans, parents, and kids might reject sport as an activity that is unhealthy and not worthwhile • Corporations that follow public sentiment might withdraw their financial support Responding to Doping • Widespread drug use would affect athletes’ long-term health long after their use had been discontinued. It would become commonplace to see athletes with shorter life spans and diminished quality of life • Young athletes would be enticed at an early age to follow the example of their sport heroes • Female athletes who use drugs in their early years might risk their ability to bear children later • Genetic engineering might produce athletic capabilities now only dreamed of and thus relegate even performance enhancers to being a thing of the past One example of overconformity in sport involves athletes who develop eating disorders Eating Disorders in Sport Athletes in sports that focus on physical appearance are at high risk for developing eating disorders • Gymnastics, dance, figure skating, diving, cheerleading Athletes in sports that reward leanness or have specific weight classes are also at higher risk • Track and field, cross country, wrestling, martial arts, horse racing, rowing, swimming Eating Disorders in Sport • Anorexia Nervosa: exhibited by people who starve themselves in order to achieve what they perceive as an ideal body weight; no matter how thin they are, they may still regard themselves as fat • Bulimia Nervosa: involves binge eating following by purging • Compulsive Exercise: characterized by overexercising, not undereating • https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/07/opinion/nikerunning-mary-cain.html Hazing in Sport Hazing is humiliating or dangerous activity expected of a student in order to belong to a group regardless of their willingness to participate. Hazing usually takes the form of a rite of passage that one must endure in order to gain acceptance into a particular group, such as a fraternity or athletic team. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1D1kh5uG58 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isVwAeUPPBg • Gambling: a broad, generic term for placing wagers on the outcome of any event with an uncertain outcome • Betting or Wagering: an agreement between at least two parties where one party makes a prediction and loses or wins money based on that prediction • Gambling on sport is not something new • Black Sox Scandal – 1919 World Series Gambling and Sport • Pete Rose • College Basketball • NBA – Tim Donaghy • Soccer – Europol investigation • Pee Wee Football • The problem with gambling on sport is that it calls into question the integrity of the performances delivered by players, officials, coaches, and others. • Once the public loses confidence in the integrity of the sport, its popularity is certain to decline. Gambling and Sport • In 2018, SCOTUS struck down a previous ban on sports betting (Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act) and allowed each state to decide whether to allow sports betting in that state • Initially seen as a major defeat for the NCAA and four professional leagues • Professional leagues now see potential for increased revenue (combined more than $4.2 billion/year) • Prevalence of gambling among college students is about 3x higher than it is among the general population Sports Wagering on College Campuses • According to NCAA, in 2016: • About 24% of male athletes and 5% of female athletes admitted wagering on sporting events within the past year • Students who were identified as problem gamblers were more likely than other students to be heavy drinkers and regular users of tobacco and marijuana • Problem gambling was also related to binge drinking, marijuana use, cigarette and illicit drug use, unsafe sex after drinking, driving under the influence, and a low GPA • Majority of sports wagering by college student-athletes is focused on just a few sports (NFL, college basketball, NBA, college football – in that order) • Men’s golf poses a particular problem across all three NCAA divisions because 20% of male golfers report wagering on sport at least monthly • No other sport even reaches double digits Pros and Cons of Sports Betting Pros • Can provide a bailout for local and state governments • Revenue can be channeled into education or youth programs • Profits go to worthy causes instead of illegal operations and organized crime • Better regulated and fairer to bettors • Protect integrity of games by monitoring and eliminating betting fraud, setting limits, and helping those addicted to compulsive gambling Cons • • • • Corrupts youth Allows organized crime to become directly involved in sport Takes money from people who can’t afford to lose it Benefits of legalized gambling have typically gone to bookies, a few gamblers, and offshore Internet betting sites • Risks outweigh the benefits when people bet more than they can afford, fall into debt, and become susceptible to loan sharks who charge exorbitant fees to bail them out Emotion and Sport • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfMLgwhNnmc • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhrIneNY9QU • In sport we are free to express emotions—as long as we do so within reason • When emotion overcomes us to the point where we stop thinking clearly, deviant behavior can result (egregious foul, profanities, violence, etc.) • Successful athletes need to be able to assess and regulate their “emotional temperature” before and during a contest – especially true for some positions and sports • Spectators are also affected by the emotional excitement – especially in certain situations Aggression and Sport • Is aggression in sport a positive or negative? • A form of behavior directed toward another person; it is not an emotion or attitude • A forceful action of attack intended to dominate or master something or someone • Intentional; and that intent may be either good or bad, depending on one’s perspective • Seen in athletes, coaches, and spectators Violence in Sport • Violence that takes place during an athletic contest may carry over into violent behavior off the field, and then both athletes and society suffer the consequences. • Violence is highly visible in U.S. sport because it is so prevalent in televised events. • Violent plays are shown over and over in instant replays, announcers exclaim over what happened, etc. On-Field Violence • U.S. society seems to be confused about the place of violence in sport – particularly when the sport itself promotes aggressive play and physical abuse of an opponent’s body • American football, wrestling, boxing, UFC/MMA, ice hockey, lacrosse – all require violence just to play the game • Examples – • Northern Colorado punter • “the Bite Fight” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkejICrvfpY ; World Cup biting incident https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy31pdfntUw • UNM women’s soccer defender - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJiRQsyrBoI • Should fighting be allowed in ice hockey? • Unfortunately for athletes in violent collision sports, the price of their participation may not become clear until years later – by that time, the damage is done • It is not clear whether on-field violent behavior leads to off-field violence Off-Field Violence • Domestic Violence • Sexual Assaults by Athletes • NFL receives more negative publicity relating to players’ behavior than any other professional sport • Ray Rice, Kareem Hunt, Chad Wheeler • When comparing crime statistics between NFL and general Domestic Violence population, must be careful to consider who and what we are comparing • When athletes’ behavior is compared with that of other young men (ages 21-35), athletes’ behavior is markedly better; even the arrest rate for DUI is about half the rate for all men under age 30; arrest rate among professional athletes for assault and domestic violence is about 1/3 of the rate for all males in the U.S. population • Not just men • Brittney Griner/Glory Johnson, Hope Solo, Riquna Williams, Natasha Howard • Latest story regarding this topic??? • Sexual assaults on college campuses – between 2015-2019, 26% of female Sexual Assaults by Athletes undergraduates reported they were victims of nonconsensual sexual contact since entering college; 4x higher for women than for men; 85% of assaults were perpetrated by someone they knew • College male athletes are over-represented in sex assault cases in spite of the fact that some universities attempt to ignore or cover up these infractions • Over the past 5 years, NCAA athletes were disciplined at more than 3 times the rate of the general student population with 2/3 of the offending athletes being football players • Brock Turner • Similar incidents have occurred at high school level as well • NCAA now requires college athletes, coaches, and athletic administrators to complete annual sexual violence prevention educational programs Questions??? Sporting Behavior, Ethics, and Moral Behavior SMT 314 Sporting Behavior ? Newer term (replacing sportsmanship) to remove gender bias ? Interchangeable with sportsmanship Ethical behavior involves the following: ? Participation for the pleasure of a hard-fought contest ? Refusal to take unfair advantage ? Courtesy toward one’s opponent ? Graciousness in both winning and losing Good vs Bad Sporting Behavior ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJ2g85eju84 ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGD5Jw6g3Rw ? Examples of good sporting behavior? ? Examples of bad sporting behavior? ? Sporting Behavior at Different Levels of Sport Professional athletes are role models who influence youth athletes ? ? Is this a fair expectation? Media and coaches tend to emphasize winning and competition ? More media/social media attention ? Research shows that when children are systematically taught about fair play and moral development, character can be enhanced through sport ? Participation sport tends to be more balanced in terms of approach to winning Girls practice better sporting behavior than do boys. Behavior is worse in some sports than in others. Youth Sport Attitudes Coaches don’t always set a good example. Many high school athletes break rules and engage in unsporting conduct. Winning is more important than sporting behavior. Hazing and bullying seems acceptable to many high school athletes. ? Moral vs Ethical ? Development of Moral and Ethical Values ? ? Moral beliefs tend to be more abstract and subjective and typically reflect your personal, religious, or cultural environment ? How you should treat others with respect, loyalty, patience, kindness, etc. ? How we should exhibit honesty and trustworthiness Ethics reflect the practical application of character to our actions ? Associated with a set of principles to guide behavior in the practice of law, medicine, or business ? Our actions are the result of our personal beliefs, such as what is right or wrong, just or unjust, fair or unfair Both ethics and morals can be applied to sporting behavior that can be defined, taught, and learned through experiences in competitive or recreational sports Barriers to Good Sporting Behavior What keeps people from being a good sport? Heavy emphasis on winning in sport competition Barriers to Good Sporting Behavior Influence of coaches, parents, spectators… Media’s glorification of winners Media’s broadcasting of bad behavior Moral Values Applied to Sport ? Socialization: the process of interacting with other people and learning social customs, morals, and values. As we interact with others, we form beliefs that affect how we think we should act ? Socialization is a dynamic process, and our understanding of our social world changes as we accumulate experiences ? So… does sport participation build character or negatively influence character? Or does it have little influence at all? Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for them become actions. Watch your actions, for them become habits. Watch your habits, for they become character. Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny. -Author Unknown ? Sport as Character Builder ? ? Does sport participation build character? ? Do sports develop positive traits in participants, or did they already possess said traits? ? Can people who do not participate in sport develop positive traits through other experiences? Does the type of sport experience have an impact on character development? ? Participation vs competitive excellence? ? Coaches’ influence? Does the position someone plays influence their character development? ? Defensive end vs placekicker in American football Sport as Character Builder ? Character Development in Sport ? Performance sport emphasizes: ? Winning ? Pursuit of excellence ? Attaining the highest possible level of performance Participation sport emphasizes: ? Game play ? Enjoyment of physical movement ? Connections between mind/body, athlete/nature, one athlete and another ? Which type of sport puts more pressure on athletes/coaches? ? How might this impact moral reasoning? ? How are youth sports conducted? Defining Character in Sport Most resources that address good sporting behavior list the following attributes as essential: ? Knowing and following the rules of the game ? Respecting teammates, opponents, officials, and coaches ? Never using or threatening physical violence ? Abstaining from taunting, bragging, or excessive celebration ? Avoiding profanity and other hurtful language ? Demonstrating honesty and resisting the temptation to cheat ? Accepting responsibility for one’s actions ? Treating others as one would like to be treated Does setting these ideals/expectations help develop character in participants? Evidence conflicts on the question of whether sport builds character Defining Character in Sport Research evidence simply does not support the claim that playing sports will develop one’s character Ample anecdotal evidence of good sporting behavior in sport exists, but not proof that it was developed because of or through sport participation ? Social Character Versus Moral Character Social Character: involves relationships with other people, such as teammates, coaches, officials, opponents, and spectators ? Stresses loyalty, work ethic, perseverance, and discipline ? Moral Character: involves honesty, fairness, justice, integrity, compassion, and responsibility ? Study comparing the social and moral character of team sport athletes, individual sport athletes, and nonathletes ? Social Character Rankings: team sport, individual sport, nonathletes ? Moral Character Rankings: nonathletes, individual sport, team sport Some researchers believe the key to sports building good character in athletes lies in the behavior and leadership the coach provides ? Emphasize the effort and mastery of athletic tasks rather than innate ability and competitive outcome. Athletes cannot control genetic athleticism, but they can control their efforts and increase their skills through diligent work. ? Emphasize team cooperation rather than rivalry. Encourage team members to help each other and appreciate each athlete as a uniquely valuable individual. ? Help athletes appreciate the important role of mistakes as they learn and develop. Keep the atmosphere positive, focus on what athletes do right, and help them accept errors as part of the learning process. Powerful Influence of Coaches Additional actions that coaches can take in order to teach and reinforce good sporting behavior: ? Model the type of behavior they are encouraging. ? At every level of sport, actively teach athletes both the rules of the game and the unwritten rules. ? Reward and reinforce players who exhibit good sporting behavior and fair play. Do so in specific and tangible ways that are clearly visible to their teammates. ? When players fail to exhibit good behavior, clearly explain the infraction, suggest a better course of action, and punish habitual offenders through loss of practice or playing time or, in serious cases, suspension from the team. ? With the support of the athletic director, educate parents and fans so that athletes receive a consistent message about good sporting behavior from significant people in their lives. Powerful Influence of Coaches Making Good Ethical Choices in Sport ? Family influence: Would your parents or grandparents be proud of your actions? Why or why not? ? Role model or mentor: Would your role model (older athlete or sibling, coach or teacher) support your decisions or actions? Why or why not? ? General public: Suppose your actions were posted in detail on social media. Do you believe most people would endorse and agree with your behavior? Strategies for Good Sporting Behavior 1. Parents teach values to kids at a young age. 2. Coaches and officials prohibit play if rules are not followed. 3. Parents and coaches model good behavior. 4. Fans decrease rowdiness and alcohol use. 5. Professional athletes and organizations serve actively as positive role models. 6. We all reward good behavior! Questions???