What is the appeal of dangerous sports, for atheletes and
for spectators? Can such sports be made
safer? Would you discourage those you
care about from participating in such sports?
Who is responsible when a player is repeatedly injured? To bring this closer to home, do the same
concerns apply to hockey?
Hi. Welcome to the blog for my IB English B class at Jur Hronec High School in Bratislava, Slovakia. Below you will find links to other websites and discussion questions. My students are required to comment on one of these postings every month and also respond to each other's comments. Feel free to add your two bits, but be aware that all comments are monitored before being posted.
The article discussed a very interesting topic. As an ex-hockey player and someone actively involved in basketball, this was definitely not the first time thinking about issues brought up. I’ve been previously thinking about the impact of sports on the human body and how it affects our health long-term. The author particularly describes his own experiences and injuries from playing American football, but I’m sure anyone who played some sort of competitive contact sport could relate to these issues.
ReplyDeleteFrom a player standpoint, I can totally understand the appeal of dangerous sports. They provide an intense adrenaline rush, a feeling that many of us enjoy. These sorts of sports are also usually connected with genuine passion and excitement for the game. On the other hand, I’m sure most viewers wouldn’t mind making sports a bit safer for the athletes because, as described in the article, seeing your favorite player fall to the ground in pain definitely leaves a mark. Developing better equipment and ensuring athletes use it properly could significantly improve safety. From my experience, many guys from the hockey team would purposefully misuse equipment to improve their style. For example, the cage hang, which is basically the act of leaving the front of your helmet a bit loose, would improve your swagger, but could result in some serious injuries. I’ve personally witnessed occurrences of such behavior resulting in long term medical problems. That’s why I believe there is a thin line between a player being comfortable and a player compromising his health for style points. To follow up with the next question, an irresponsible athlete in a similar scenario would be 100 percent responsible for his injuries, but who is to blame when the situation isn’t so black and white? One part of the problem could be the rulebooks. They often encourage risky behavior without proper safety precautions and don’t impose appropriate penalties for dangerous plays or fouls. I think implementing new rules prioritizing safety could be a big step in combating injuries linked to dangerous sports.
So would I discourage anyone from trying out these activities? Certainly not, as I believe they can evoke feelings and experiences other ‘harmless’ sports could never offer. Ultimately, the key is to find the right balance between excitement and safety. If done correctly, dangerous sports could become less extreme while still retaining their thrill.
- Elias
It’s not often that you see someone talking about the dangerous side of sport. Most of the time, sports are only mentioned in regards to the benefits they bring, which are important of course, but when making any decision, it is important to assess both the pros and cons, especially when it comes to children. The author remarks that he started playing football, a sport which is considered dangerous even for adults, when he was 14 years old. He even notes that the brains of children, which are still developing, are more prone to injury than those of adults. In light of these facts, should children be allowed to play such sports at all? Sports which could, and do, cause permanent brain damage? After all, they are just children, they don’t quite realize what the risks are, unlike adults, who choose to play football knowing that they could get seriously injured.
ReplyDeleteBut I don’t think that’s all there is to it. The author mentions that he was an avid football fan and that he wanted to continue playing football even after getting knocked out mid-game. He says that he felt compelled to prove himself, that he was just as good a player as the bigger guys. I think this shows a fundamental problem with how we perceive sports injuries. Football has a reputation of being a tough, manly sport, so injuries are often downplayed and swept under the rug, just as in the author’s case. I doubt many people would be surprised if I told them I hurt myself playing football. They would probably just say I should have chosen a different sport if I didn’t want to be injured all the time. However, when I hurt myself playing volleyball, it was a completely different story. Volleyball has a reputation of being a girls’ sport and not being too dangerous, so people are usually surprised and confused when I tell them my story. After they get over their initial shock, they shower me with sympathy, telling me how hard it must have been, how strong I am for going through all that. The bias is clear as day, but I’ve never really thought about it until I compared my experience with the author’s. It’s all rather disconcerting.
All that said, I don’t think I would recommend dangerous sports to children. To me, the risks are too high. But I don’t see the problem with an adult playing a dangerous sport, if that’s something they enjoy. The one thing I would recommend to everyone is being careful and not downplaying your injuries. Don’t take your health for granted, because one day you might come to regret it.
- Sofia
Sofia, I agree with all the points you have made except the one regarding the varying reactions of people to injuries based on the sport that was being played while the injury occurred. I consider it to be an adequate reaction to be more surprised when an injury occurs while playing a sport, during which statistically, fewer people get injured. It is simply logical to come to such a conclusion when some sports inherently expose their players to a wider range of potential risks. Injuries occur even during the most mundane of sports, but assumptions people hold about sports will be an average of the various events they have heard about or experienced relating to the given sport. They will not be considering the occurrences of severe injuries in sport A if they happen ten times as often in sport B. I would also find it interesting to hear your point of view on what the ideal reaction should resemble. Overall, I am not quite sure why you would consider a reaction expressing sorrow and pity to be insufficient.
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