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Jackson Vaughn

Ms. Gardner

English 10H/Period 5

2 May 2018

Sports Violence

Sports have become very important to Americans, so much so that America has the

second most revenue from games in the world, closely behind China (Newzoo). In addition to

having the second most revenue in the world, sports have become a top contributor to violence in

America. With all the already existing violence going on we, as a country, do not need any more

unnecessary violence. If this violence continues in sports culture especially at a young age, those

child athletes will grow up to become violent adults and make America a toxic environment to

live. If sports violence does not cease, America will no longer continue to be a safe environment

for people , especially children, to live.

Society has made you believe that sports build character that allow the children to

become nurtured into young adults. Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa, once

claimed, ​"Sport can create hope where there was once only despair. It is more powerful than

governments in breaking down racial barriers. Sport has power to change the world," (qtd. in

Chatterjee and Jatta). This view of sports is seen from all around the world. Across the ocean

from Africa ​Laine Higgins, a journalist from the ​Wall Street Journal​, examines the view of

football enthusiasts from Alabama. According to Higgins, even though these enthusiasts

understand the risk of concussions from football, “participation in 11-man high school football is

up 40.8% since 2006-07.” Alabamians also claim that it is not about the sport, it is about the
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comradery that comes from it. Josh Niblett, head coach, at Birmingham's Hoover High School

once said ​"For us it's more than just football. It's the brotherhood you build within the​ ​locker

room, teaching young men how to be better fathers one day, better husbands one day, and

discipline," (qtd. in Higgins). It would seem that Niblett is looking out for these athletes, he

wants them to succeed in life. Yet, Niblett understands the risks for these children and still puts

them in danger of a concussion. To summarize, people that believe sports are good for children,

think that sports are fundamental for a child's upbringing. Indeed, sports can teach very

important skills to a child, but the violence that comes from it is absurd and unnecessary.

Yes, sports do teach children important skills for their life. Yet, are these skills more

important than an athletes safety? It seems to the coaches that the answer is obvious. Coaches

will not hesitate to put a football player at risk of a concussion. The science of brain trauma is

still in its early stages, but substantial research has been done. ​ Department of Veterans Affairs

and Boston University, top researches on this topic, discovered chronic traumatic head traumas

in 96 percent of the NFL players studied (Andrews). Additionally, an article from ​USA Today,

restates

“A study published in 2013 looked at 50 players on three teams, ages 9 through 12, who wore

equipment to count head impacts. On average, players incurred 240 head impacts, with some as

high as 585, in one season of practices and games.” This constant head trauma will eventually

lead to concussions as previously stated by Boston University. In the same article from ​USA

Today ​it was found that​ ​players who were exposed to head impacts at a young age are more

perceptible to brain trauma later on in life. All the evidence points to the fact that concussion are

not an if they are a when. Concussions are inevitable and are a leading source of controlled
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violence. Robert Stern, ​a neurology professor​ from ​Boston University claims, “If you subject the

brain to repeated blows at that age, it may get in the way of normal brain development and lead

to neurological problems later in life,” (qtd. in ​USA Today​). ​Brain injuries are commonplace in

sports for children and will then make those important skills that coaches and parents are trying

to push on these athletes moot. Concussions are an intended safety issue from sports. The idea of

football is to hit someone and to hit someone hard. These intentional injuries are just the surface

of the violence that takes place ins sports.

Parents have been known to put too much pressure on sport games, and in turn referees.

Referees have even been on the wrong end of physical and mental threats from these over

pressuring parents. In an article by ​The Washington Post, ​Kevin Griffin’s​, ​a referee, tells the

story of his life being in danger. According to Griffin, 6 irate parents approached him in the

parking lot after their child had lost the game. (Eilerson). Due to the continued threats, there has

been a decline in referee participation. According to Commissioner John Porter, Mid Atlantic

Officials are facing the worst shortage of referees in 25 years (Eilerson). Sports has continued to

push the agenda of violence in America by making a toxic working environmens for referees.

Now, sports is not only a violence ridden event for children, but now for the volunteers that are

only trying to help. This violence is not just put on by parents, coaches can become very violent

and aggressive towards their athlete. Sometimes they actually stoop down to physical violence.

Again, sports can provide helpful skills that will help an athlete later on in life. Although,

it also apparent that violence towards children can and will occur. Lisa Lewis, a journalist for the

Washington Post, ​retells the story of violence occuring at California's Beaumont High School,

from sports:
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In the cell phone video, a teenage boy stands at the front of the classroom as his football

teammates laugh. The coach walks to the door and closes it. "We don't want no

witnesses," he says, to more laughter. After hesitating, the boy complies with the coach's

orders to close his eyes and clasp his hands behind his head. Then the coach punches him

in the stomach. The boy doubles over and falls to the floor as his teammates laugh some

more.

This incident goes to show the violence that will occur in a high school, when high pressure is

placed on sports. Lewis also goes on to declare that “In one study of 800 youth athletes, more

than a third of the respondents said their coaches had yelled at a kid angrily for making a

mistake, and 4 percent said the coach had hit, kicked or slapped someone on the team.” Four

percent may not seem like that much, but it is over the number that it should be. A proper

number for the amount that a child is hit by a coach should be zero percent. It should be nowhere

close to four percent. ​Kristen Dieffenbach, an associate professor of athletic coaching education

at West Virginia University, claims "When a coach is yelling like that, they're modeling poor

emotional control," (qtd. in Lewis). How is that society expects these coaches to teach important

skills to children when they have poor emotional control themselves? These coaches are having

trouble controlling themselves, and yet society expects them to nurture this country’s next

generation. It is impossible for society to trust these uncontrollable individuals.

In conclusion, referees and, more importantly, athletes are being subjected to the mental

and physical horrors that come of sports. Sports for children and sport in general will continue to

make America more and more violent, if we allow for them to continue. It is just a game, and
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that is all it will never be so don't take it so seriously. Let the children be children, they are not

high paid athletes, mistakes are inevitable.

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Works Cited

Andrews, Travis M. “40 Percent of Former NFL Players Suffer from Brain Injuries, New Study

Shows.” ​The Washington Post​, WP Company, 12 Apr. 2016,

www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/04/12/40-percent-of-former-nfl-p

layers-suffer-from-brain-damage-new-study-shows/?utm_term=.5ad20ad84ecb​.

Chatterjee, Siddharth, and Ndong J. Ann Therese. "Let's Harness the Egalitarian Spirit of Sport

for Global Cohesion." ​Inter Press Service​, 24 Oct, 2017. SIRS Issues Researcher,

https://sks.sirs.com​.

Eilerson, Nick. "They'Re Out: Referees Becoming Hard to Find." ​Washington Post,​ 17 Jun,

2017, pp. D.1. SIRS Issues Researcher, ​https://sks.sirs.com​.

Higgins, Laine. "Keeping Friday Night Lights Alive." ​Wall Street Journal​, 08 Sep, 2017, pp.

A.12. SIRS Issues Researcher, ​https://sks.sirs.com​.

Lewis, Lisa L. "Why we Still Allow Bullying to Flourish in Kids Sports." ​Washington Post​ -

Blogs, 02 Jan, 2018. SIRS Issues Researcher, ​https://sks.sirs.com​.

Newzoo. “Top Countries by Game Revenues.” ​Newzoo​,

newzoo.com/insights/rankings/top-100-countries-by-game-revenues/.

Today, USA. "Are You Ready for some Football Brain Damage?" ​USA Today​ (Online), 04 Sep,

2017. SIRS Issues Researcher, ​https://sks.sirs.com​.