Conclusion

I have come a long way since I first began writing a blog for my sport management class. I am so thankful I took this class because it encouraged me to learn more about sports and how gender makes an impact on society and other athletes as well. I also had the opportunity to learn more about specific athletes, their struggles in athletics, their triumphs, and their lives.

I also highly enjoyed being able to post my reflections about readings and discussions in class as there is not always time to talk about a situation in depth in class. It has been interesting covering topics such as female body builders, women athletes and sex appeal, and the reasons why professional players would pay money to watch other athletes perform.

I enjoyed having the freedom to discuss topics more int depths and provide my own opinion. I never thought I would have such a strong stance on certain topics in sports as I do, but it was great learning about them and evaluating them. It was also great viewing other classmates opinions and providing feedback. I think this is a great way for students to get involved in the classroom and allow them to express themselves in class.

For me, the most impactful discussion was that of athletes with disabilities. Like i previously mentioned, this discussion made me open my eyes and realize not everyone can perform in the same way. Some people struggle to do simple tasks that athletes without disabilities can do with such ease. It was also valuable to realize that it is important to understand how those athletes feel and that one should take the initiative to perform on their level. I am so thankful that I was able to realize that, especially since I have a passion for working with the Special Olympics.

Overall, this course was a great opportunity to expand my knowledge of sports and the importance of viewing athletes for their talent, not their race, sexual orientation or gender. It is amazing how society is so quick to judge others that step outside the normal and succeed because of it.

Once again, this was a great class and I would recommend it to anyone.

The Blind Side

This past weekend I had the opportunity to watch the recently release movie, The Blind Side, a story about a pro football player that had to go through great lengths to become the man he is today. If it weren't for the help of a christian, southern women who had great compassion and care for this young man, he most likely would have ended up dead before his high school graduation.

As you may or may not know, this athlete is Michael Oher, an athlete for the Baltimore Ravens. Like I mention in my first blog, I am the last person to know anything about personal lives of athletes, but this movie was so touching and emotional on so many levels.

It was incredible for the mother of two children to be so willing to bring a stranger into her house without knowing anything about him or his situation. Eventually, the family makes the decision to legally care for Oher and officially become part of the family.

Although, what is more incredible is the living conditions Michael Oher had to endure before a caring family took him in and cared for his well being. It was amazing that this young man was not in a more physical or emotional state and was willing to trust others after his family was torn apart at such a young age.

Because the family took the time to care for Michael, they showed him how to become successful and strive for better things in life. The family coached him on the fundamentals of sports and Micheal took each piece of advice to heart and put in hard work and dedication to reach his goals of becoming an athlete, and a great one at that.

In the mean time, not only did he Michael have to put forth hard work towards football, he was also encouraged to succeed academically and many people were more than willing to assist him. I understand the movie portrayed the main reason the family encouraged a good education was so he could further his football career; however, I feel as though the family wanted him to achieve all together. If they were willing enough to take him in off the streets without knowing anything about him, they would be more than willing to help in other areas.

I think this is an important movie for people to see as it has many great values that people sometimes forget in the shuffle of every day life. It show shows the importance of family relationships, taking chances, changing lives, and has a strong sports background.

This is a success story that everyone will enjoy, even sports lover.

Oh Tiger!

OK, I know I have been stating that it is not the responsibility of society to judge athletes and their lifestyles, but when one makes his faults somewhat public, it is hard not to talk about it.

I feel bad for Tiger Woods and his wife because the issue of their marriage is being displayed to the public and that is a personal matter that does not involve others, especially all of society. However, I am the last person to stick up for someone that has cheated on their spouse or significant other, and find this to be an awful circumstance for everyone.

Now I understand it was not Woods' intention to make his situation public, but with the way the media works, it was bound to come out. Why would someone want to stay with his wife and children if he has no desire to be with them? If it is so difficult to have any type of relationship with your spouse, then why not end it before everyone gets hurt?

Because Tiger Woods was a selfish man, not only did his wife and children have to bear the news of his cheating on another women, but more women claimed they also had relations with him. I know many people like to spice up stories in the media and improvise, but this is still an awful thing for a family to hear.

If it was so important for him to be with other women, he should have solved thing with his wife and civilly ended their relationship. Now they both have to determine the outcome of their future in front of the public and make so many people go through such awful things.

Tiger, was it really worth it?

Image Problem

As with men's athletes, women are encouraged to hide their sexuality, only if she is a lesbian, to keep others from feeling awkward around that athlete or from fans judging her because of her sexual interests.

Unfortunately, many women athletes are thought of as being homosexual because of a certain sport they play or the way she acts on the court. This fear and thought that all women are athletes are lesbians is known as the image problem. This in turn, causes athletes female athletes to hide their sexuality and act feminine in front of fans and other athletes. Because a female athletes portraits a lifestyle of femininity she is considered to be heterosexual.

This notion is very harmful for these women and society should have ashamed that these women have to go through such lengths to be considered feminine. Many athletes have to suffer in silence and go through a period of denial just to be accepted. Unfortunately, many of these athletes do not live a desirable lifestyle because of the rules society has set for them.

I have been saying this all along, why does an athletes lifestyle matter if an athlete has the talent and can perform on the same level as their constituents? Just because an athlete is in the public eye does not mean the should be held to a different standard as everyone else.

Female Body Builders

When someone mentions female body builders many people have a negative reaction to these women or body builders in general. Most people think this is a disgusting way for women to portray themselves and it should not be available to the public.

I once thought that as well until I came to realize that this is something that is important to these women and who am I to judge what is or is not important in a person's life?

If you stop and think about it, it really is not any different than a woman that finds working out and a healthy lifestyle as important. These women just go to more lengths than most and enjoy doing so. They find what they are doing is healthy and feel as though they portray the body of a beautiful woman, just as the other women I had mentioned.

Unfortunately, they are many magazines and articles, such as Women's Health, that would disagree with this statement since women are supposed to be fit, tight and thin according to society. Once someone steps outside the standards, people are so quick to judge that person and create a negative stereotype.

I personally think it is great for these women to step outside the norm and do what makes them happy, not what will make society happy. Obviously, I do not support women that are affecting their health and are taking their workout to the extreme, but I support female body builders and their attitude on life. It is important for everyone to remember that society does not make your life worth living, you do.

Disability Sports

I have always had a close tie in disability sports due to my childhood and family life. My cousin had an interest in athletics and carried out that interest playing in the Special Olympics. I remember attending softball games and basketball games and cheering the team on as they played their hearts out.

It never really occurred to me that these athletes had to play each sport in a way that was different from athletes that are not disabled. Even as a coach for the Special Olympics basketball team I did not take into consideration the way each player had to play based on their disability. I knew that some athletes that only had one arm could only dribble, pass and shoot the ball with that arm, but I never realized how much it would change the game for them until discussing it in class.

There were many athletes our team played against that were in wheel chairs, some only had one leg, and others could not see as well as the rest. While coaching those athletes I tried my best to accommodate to their misfortunes, but I wish I had thought to actually play the game the same as the athletes I was coaching had to play.

I give theses athletes even more credit than I had before because I can not imagine how difficult it must have been for each one to figure out how to learn the fundamentals I was teaching them. I was teaching them the way I knew how to play, but never adjusted to the ways in which they needed to learn them.

Disabled athletes are some of the most dedicated and hardworking athletes I have met and I would give anything to have the amount of endurance and dedication they have. It is amazing to think of the several different ways these athletes have to adjust to the game.

Girls should not play on boys teams?

While sitting in class and listening to my peers present topics that were most impactful to them, a student made a comment that I initially did not agree with, but once explained I could see her point of view. She stated that she did not agree that women should play on boys teams because it hurts them emotionally and with recruiting as well as other factors.

I know I have touched on this topic before and felt that women should play on men's teams if they had the talent and dedication; however, that was until a student mention that women should not play on men's teams because they should be setting goals for themselves to achieve if they know they are better than the rest. Instead of striving to play with boys, they should set personal goals that will help them improve on their own level.

I absolutely agree with this statement and thank that student for providing the class with her viewpoint. I always felt that hard work and dedication were enough for an athlete to be granted credit for their talent and challenging the opposite sex in the same sport. It was not until that statement did I feel otherwise, but now I realize that women are gaining more attention, not because of their talent, but for the simple fact that they are playing with boys and not girls.

It is important for women to realize that even though they may be better than the other women they are playing against, does not mean they are at the same level as males. I think it is great to challenge oneself and want to improve by playing with men because they are typically better, but I think personal goals should be set first.

It is not until a woman has met all of her own goals and accomplishments that she should begin playing with men. There are several ways in which an athlete can better him or herself that should be taken into consideration.