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Commencement is less than two weeks away for seniors, but unemployment rates for Marist Alums are higher than ever.
Posted: May 4, 2012 in Uncategorized0
Baseball has come to be known as America’s pastime. It is a game of patience, anticipation, and character. In this day and age professional baseball players are seen as role models for young aspiring children. As role models, they demonstrate qualities such as: loyalty, respect, and courage. But, outside of school it is difficult for young children to practice these fundamental qualities.
Little league baseball allows children the opportunity to grow into a well-rounded adult through team sport. Founded in 1939 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania by Carl Stotz, little league baseball prepares children for greater life endeavors. It began as a three-team league and grew into an international phenomenon. It was Carl Stotz’ dream of establishing a league that would teach children the dynamics of teamwork and fair play that has lead to the great little league organization of today. Where there are nearly 200,000 teams in over 80 countries of the world.
Little league baseball is functionalistic in nature. Functionalism helps preserve the status quo of the society. It ties sports to the society’s beliefs and ideologies. It creates a system that socializes people to accept societal values and protects those people from disruptive outside influence. This functionalistic nature is great for kids because it allows them the opportunity to contribute to the larger social system. So, it keeps children out of trouble by giving them something to look forward to that is fun and influential. Carl Stotz in essence, knew that what he was creating was going to be functionalistic. Stotz wanted, “A little league for youth baseball players in which rules, equipment, and life lessons were designed to suit them.” (Hyman1).
One major aspect of little league baseball that is functionalistic in nature is the pledge. The little league pledge is said before every game. This pledge was created by Peter J. McGovern to replace the use of the “United States Pledge of Allegiance”. He wanted to give all little leagues across the world a pledge with aspects of the pledge of allegiance while adding elements of sportsmanship and the desire to win. Every statement in the pledge is made to teach those who are playing societal values. “I trust in God, I love my country, And will respect its laws, I will play fair, And strive to win, But win or lose, I will always do my best.” (Peter J. McGovern1). This pledge was designed to motivate kids to accept social norms by instilling values such as religion, determination, and nationalism, during a simple little league baseball game. But, it is not just the pledge that promotes aspects of functionalism; it is the entire organization as a whole.
According to an article in “Science Daily” entitled “Youth Clubs Strengthen kids’ self image to keep them out of trouble”, children that belong to a youth organization such as little league baseball, gain a stronger sense of who they are as a person. There was a study done by Dawn Anderson-Butcher, an associate professor of social work at Ohio State University, where nearly 300 children from ages 9 to 16 where surveyed. About three-fourths of the kids participated in and organized league, and the rest where just children who lived in the surrounding community. The survey was entitled, “The Utah Division of Substance Abuse Needs Assessment Survey”. It asked questions such as how the children felt towards their families, schools, neighborhoods, and drugs. The study revealed, “the more children participated in the club, the stronger their sense of self. Participation in the club boosted their social skill, as well as the positive reinforcement they felt they received from the community” (Anderson-Butcher1).
This article is a great example of how organizations like little league baseball are functionalistic. It promotes values needed in society like co-operation and allows children to develop high self-esteems so they can succeed in society. Children are learning from sport instead of class. “If a kid has to choose between playing basketball, or going to a life skills class, which are they going to choose?” (Anderson-Butcher2). Sport as an engagement technique helps them learn these life lessons without making them sit in a classroom and be lectured. Though, classrooms do keep children out of trouble.
Another aspect of functionalism that goes hand and hand with little league baseball is the idea of protecting the children from disruptive outside influence. If these young baseball players are on a baseball team making friends and enjoying the game, it takes away their free time. Theodore Roosevelt once argued, “The way to cut the alarming rate of juvenile delinquency was to build more playgrounds. “The young criminals are created not by their school life, but by what is done in their leisure hours.”” (Hyman4). Therefore, little league baseball allows young children the opportunity to stay out of trouble. It gives them time during the day to go out and have fun. But, not just any fun, they have controlled fun that will develop them into a mature adult. Theodore Roosevelt felt strongly about this issue. He truly believed that if children had more time to play and have structured fun, they would not have do mischievous things because they are bored. Roosevelt also stated, “By striving for a proper opportunity from outdoor recreation… for all of our boys and girls we will do a great work towards cutting down crime” (Mark Hyman4) So, by creating little league baseball Carl Stotz theoretically lowered the crime rate. “Prevention is better than the cure” (Wright1). This quote from the article “Keeping Youth Out of Trouble” describes Theodore Roosevelt and Carl Stotz’ idea for creating an institution that would protect children from disruptive outside influences and keep them out of trouble.
Little league baseball is seen as functionalistic because it is strongly integrated into the community. According to the article “Baseball Tomorrow Fund Helps Small Town Prosper”, the Baseball Tomorrow Fund (BTF) awarded $80,991 to Lincoln Parks and Recreation Foundation in Nebraska. The BTF is a joint initiative between the Major League Baseball Players Association and Major League Baseball designed to help promote and enhance baseball throughout the world. (Davis28) They awarded this money to these organizations, so that they can construct baseball fields and a new little league for the roughly 500 children in the area. The BTF believes that this will give the children of the community the opportunity to learn the game of baseball. But, they will not only be learning about baseball, they will also be learning life lessons, just as Carl Stotz dreamed. But, some of the most important members of the community are the coaches that run the little league teams.
When most people think of little league coaches, they tend to think of a coach who yells, screams, and punishes his team in defeat. Coaches who are more worried about reliving their own little league experience rather than developing the children that he has been placed in charge of. But, that is not always the case when Jerry Dunnack is spoken of. Jerry Dunnack has become very successful with his little league team because he never puts them down. “He yelled, but he always yelled encouragement. ‘You can do better,’ he’d say. He never belittled or berated anyone.” (Ryan1). This coach believed that he was there for a higher purpose. He was not just there to help a team win, he was there to develop boys into well-rounded men. He taught teamwork and co-operation passionately and the team won many games with this coaching technique. Both the children and the parents were happy to have him as the coach. Carl Stotz would be proud of him as well because he is doing what Stotz had intended.
Another aspect of functionalism is nationalism. According to the article, “A Kid’s Game?: Little League Baseball and National Identity of Taiwan” little league baseball actually helped Taiwanese Nationalism. Since the 1940’s Taiwan’s international relations have dominated by the People’s Republic of China (PRC). In 1949, the “One China” doctrine was created. This doctrine states that, “It is the shared belief of both governments that the separation of the two was a temporary anomaly.” (Sundeen255). But in reality, both continued to view themselves as two separate legitimate governments. But, Taiwan was constantly in the shadow of the PRC and competing for global recognition. So the Taiwanese people had no nationalism because they were in the shadow of the PRC.
Little League baseball helped the Taiwanese people to believe in themselves again. This sport of values allowed the creation of a team that could not be defeated easily. The team played to win, and to gain recognition for Taiwan. Carl Stotz’ international competition provided a place where the national community of Taiwan could be symbolically represented by teenagers. “It has been long recognized in both scholarly and popular literature that sport can be a major force in international politics.” (Sundeen255). On that stage, those Taiwanese teenagers secured sovereign recognition for their country. These kids were able to be a part of something bigger than themselves, which is one of the main goal of little league baseball.
Therefore, the functionalistic nature of little league baseball is good for kids and good for society. It allows kids to learn the necessary values needed to succeed in society today. It aids the social system by developing hardworking and value based individuals to keep the society working. Carl Stotz’ grand scheme is a success for society and the children who have fun along the way.
Works Cited
Anderson-Butcher, Dawn. “youth clubs stregthen kids’ self image to keep them out of trouble.” science daily. 12 june 2010: Print.
Davis, Sean. “baseball tomorrow fund helps small towns prosper.” parks &recreation. 39.9 (2004): 28. Print.
Hyman, Mark. Until it Hurts. Boston MA: Beacon Press, 2009. 1-14. Print.
McGovern, Peter. “little league online.” little league pledge. N.p., 2003. Web. 7 Oct 2010.<http://littleleague.org/learn/about/pledge.htm
Ryan, Bill. “the little league coach who yells encouragement.” the new york times 28 May 1995, Print.
Sundeen, Joseph. “A kids game?: little league baseball and the national identity in taiwan.” Journal of Sport & Social Issues. 25 (2001): 251-264. Print.
Wright, Jacob. “keeping youth out of trouble.” ezine . N.p., august 2001. Web. 7 Oct 2010. <http://ezinearticles.com/?keeping-youth-out-of-trouble&id=298374
Millions of people watch sporting events every single day. It is up to the viewer’s preference which sporting event they actually watch, whether it be a baseball game, a tennis match, or an MMA competition. “Each sport calls upon its particular mix of physical talents. Every sport requires commitment to perfect those talents and to learn how to employ them skillfully and strategically” (Murray 13) No matter what the viewer’s sport preference is, there is a shared value among all viewers. Viewers want to see a fair competition, where athletes give their all and play hard for the thrill of competition. Viewers want the playing field to be level; they want talent and dedication to determine the winner.
When an athlete makes the deviant decision to use performance enhancing drugs, that athlete now has an unfair advantage against competitors that have decided to base their success on hard work, commitment, and dedication. This is not only morally wrong; it is cheating and harmful to the athlete. Performance enhancing drugs are detrimental to all of the athletes that use them, and should be banned from all sports to ensure the health of athletes. This will also help protect the integrity of competition.
A common term for the use of performance enhancing drugs is “doping” Doping as defined by World Anti-Doping Agency is the occurrence of one or more of the following anti-doping rule violations: presence in test, use, refusing to test, failure to test, tampering, possession, trafficking, and administering. Athletes doping is an issue that has arisen in all area of sport from high school to the pros. “A 1997 Sports Illustrated poll revealed that 98% or current and aspiring Olympic Athletes would take a banned performance enhancing drug if it guaranteed both winning and no suspension for drug use” (Mulcahey, Schiller, Hulstyn). These athletes would be making the deviant decision to break social norms by using performance enhancing drugs as an easy way to improve their performance and gain an “edge” on the competition. This is not a good model for high school athletes. (World Anti-Doping Agency)
Since the beginning of organized sporting events, there has been widespread use of performance enhancing drugs to gain an edge on the competition. “In ancient Greece athletes were known to eat deer liver or lion heart in hopes of gaining speed, bravery, and strength”(Woolf 88). Through advances in technology, science, and society, lion hearts have been replaced by anabolic-androgenic steroids. “Anabolic-androgenic steroids are synthetic derivatives of testosterone, modified to enhance its anabolic actions” (Saudan, Baume, Robinson, Avois, Mangin, Saugy).
Anabolic-androgenic steroids act on the musculoskeletal system to metabolize protein and influence lean body mass, muscle size, and strength. The chemical structure of testosterone is modified by manufacturers to maximize anabolic effect. When taken, anabolic-androgenic steroids bind with DNA in the cell nucleus and increases RNA transcription. The binding androgen receptors produce an anabolic state where there is a positive nitrogen balance in muscles. This leads to the desired effect of muscle hypertrophy and increased strength. (Mulcahey, Schiller, Hulstyn)
There is no doubt that anabolic-androgenic steroids make athletes perform better. Many athletes have proved this already. But, there are many unhealthy side effects of doping such as decreased organ systems. According to Dr. Harm Kuipers, the influence of Anabolic Steroids on liver function has been studied extensively. One significant finding is that injections of testosterone may cause lesions of the liver. This can further lead to liver failure if not treated immediately. Further studies done by Dr. Kuipers, show that anabolic steroids affect the cardiovascular system. Anabolic steroids increase the body’s total cholesterol and decrease high-density lipoproteins. Depending on the dosage, anabolic steroids can raise blood pressure and may lead to increased chances of heart attacks. (Kuipers)
Even though there are many health risks, athletes continue to dope. The reasons for this deviance are hubris and over-conformity. Hubris is the expression of self-importance which leads to a sense of being separate and above the rest of the community. When an athlete decides to disregard the rules and use performance enhancing drugs, that athlete feels as if they above to community and can do whatever they please. Deviant over-conformity involves uncritically accepting norms and being willing to follow them to extreme degrees. This would be if an athlete feels undersized, that athlete’s over-conformity to the game and its social norm would drive the athlete to use performance enhancing drugs to “fit in”. Nonetheless, they are breaking rules.
Sport today is predominantly functionalistic in nature. Functionalism helps preserve the status quo of the society. It ties sports to the society’s beliefs and ideologies. There is an ideology in society the views sport in an honest light. It views athletes as hard working individuals that cherish the integrity of the game. This is why there are many different anti-doping agencies. These agencies set out to uphold the integrity of sport by banning performance enhancing drugs and drug testing to make sure that the athletes are abiding by the rules. And if they do not abide by the rules, a punishment will be implemented to improve conformity.
The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons takes a strong stand against the use of performance enhancing drugs. “The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons believes that anabolic steroids and their precursors should not be used to enhance athletic performance…and should be banned from all sports programs. To deter and detect drug use, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons suggest that aggressive drug testing programs be implemented, and harsh penalties be imposed for positive results” (Mulcahey, Schiller, Hulstyn). This is functionalistic because it promotes harsh punishment for those athletes who choose to ignore social values. It is trying to keep the status-quo. Deviance will not go uncontested in sport due to its functionalistic nature. What functionalism promotes if fairness.
According to “Making Sense of Fairness in Sports” by Thomas Murray all sports require many unique skills to achieve success. But, any minor random slip may give the victory to the opposing competitor. This allows sport have a fair playing field of competition where those who excel are talented due to their hard work. “If rules ban performing enhancing drugs, then using those drugs to gain an advantage over athletes who refuse to cheat is unfair” (Murray 14). It is unfair because it goes against societies shared values. Those who cheat to win do not understand the concept of importance of winning through hard work. “Sports are what can be accomplished under specific limitations” (Murray 14). Therefore, performing enhancing drugs make it much easier for an athlete to surpass their limitations which destroys the integrity of the game. To protect the integrity of the game performance enhancing drugs must be banned. There will always be competition because athletes will always strive to surpass their limitations.
In the highly competitive world of Mixed Martial Arts, every minute of training is crucial to prepare oneself for competition. Mixed Martial Arts is a combat sport in which competitors us interdisciplinary forms of fighting tactically and strategically in a supervised match. The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the premier professional mixed martial arts organization. The UFC is functionalistic because it strives for the highest levels of safety and quality in all aspects of the sport, and there is a zero tolerance policy for the use of performance enhancing drugs. The UFC wants to make every match a fair level playing field and there are extreme repercussions for those individuals who disrupt the status-quo. If a UFC competitor is caught doping, they are immediately suspended and charged a fine. (UFC)
On August 7th 2010, UFC 117 was held in Oakland CA. the main event that evening was a middleweight bout for the middleweight championship. Chael Sonnen was challenging the champion Anderson Silva. For four rounds, Sonnen dominated Silva and was one round away from becoming the new middleweight champion. But, halfway through the final round Silva caught Sonnen in a triangle choke and forced Sonnen to tap out. Sonnen was the aggressor of the fight and ended up losing in a split instant.
Following the bout he was scheduled to have a rematch with Silva in January. He was drug tested on September 18th 2010 and tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. He was immediately pulled from the rematch and suspended for a year by the UFC and the California State Athletic Commission. He was also charged with a fine of $2,500. This is how all positive drug tests should be handled all the time in sports. “As a physician, I look at fair play differently than most. I am less interested in who wins the contest as I am concerned about each competitor’s ability to fairly defend themselves” (Benjamin). This is significant because on August 7th, Silva nearly could not defend himself. He was on the defensive for the entire bout. Chael was just too strong for him to handle. Sonnen’s deviant over-conformity pushed him to use performance enhancing drugs. It also seriously injured Silva. Silva suffered two broken ribs and was put on the medical leave. Even though there is an accepted risk in MMA of getting this type of injury, it is worse because Sonnen dominated him for four rounds, and barely gave him a chance to retaliate. Sonnen’s deviant over-conformity led to Silva’s injuries. Silva won the fight, but the question remains, would he have done as well if he was not doping?
Winning often defines success, which can motivate athletes to use performance enhancing drugs to gain an edge. The desire to remain competitive among rival athletes drives them to deviant over-conformity. But, when it devalues the integrity of the game and is harmful to its participants, it is wrong. Performing enhancing drugs should be completely banned from all sports to protect the athlete and the integrity of the game. Keeping drugs out of competition has been difficult, but those who are caught blatantly disregarding the rules, should receive immediate harsh punishment.
Works Cited
Benjamin, Johnny. “Zero Tolerance for Performing Enhancing Drugs in MMA.” Orthopedic Spine Surgeon medical Journal. (2010): Print.
Kuipers, Harm. “Anabolic Steroids: Side Effects.” Encyclopedia of Sports Medicine and Science. University of Limburg, 07-03-1998. Web. 9 Dec 2010. <http://sportsci.org/encyc/anabstereff/anabstereff.html>.
Mulcahey, May, Johnathan Schiller, and Michael Hulstyn. “Anabolic Steroid Use in Adolescents.”Physician and Sports Medicine. 38.3 (2010): Print.
Murray, Thomas. “Making Sense of Fairness in Sports.”Hastings Center Report. 40.2 (2010): 13-15. Print.
Saudan, C, N Baume, N Robinson, L Avois, and M Saugy. “Testosterone and doping control.” Journal of Sports Medicine. 40.1 (2006): 21-24. Print.
Woolf, Richard. “Banned Substances in Organized Sports.” Strength and Conditioning Journal. 27.2 (2005): 88-94. Print.
World Anit-Doping Agency. “Definition of Doping.” N.p., June 2010. Web. 9 Dec 2010. <http://www.wada-ama.org/en/Education-Awareness/Youth-Zone/Get-the-Facts/Definition-of-Doping/>.
UFC “History of the UFC.”. Zuffa, 2010. Web. 9 Dec 2010. <http://www.ufc.com/about/History>.
I attended Mount Saint Michael Academy for high school. Mount is a school which loves its sports. Its athletic department ranged from football to golf. But there was one sport in particular that caught my interest; lacrosse. The first time that I ever picked up a lacrosse stick I was 14 and completely dumbfounded of what to do. It baffled me how a person can keep a ball in a net at the end of a stick, while other players are trying to hit you.
My coach soon taught me all the basics of lacrosse and I was eager to test out my new found abilities. I was put into the first game we played, and it did not take me long to understand that my team was not as good as the other. Soon after that first lost, we lost again and again. The problem with our team was actually a lack of skill, myself included. Our team was led by a few elite sophomore players. These guys worked hard in practice and pushed us to better ourselves. By this time a few guys had quit due to our losing record, but the older guys encouraged us to stick with it. I was constantly told that hard work and teamwork would eventually pay off. I believed this mainly because, I was hearing it from guys who were only a year older than me. Coaches have to say nice and encouraging things, but hearing it from a teammate makes you want to work harder. This idea of hard work through teamwork inspired me to practice hard everyday.
The next game was at home. We exited the locker room with a confident mindset and it showed throughout the game. We entered the final quarter in a tie. We tried our best to score before the time ran out. But with less than ten seconds left in the game, the ball was dropped, recovered by the other team, and a goal was scored. We lost but on our way back to the bus, those older guys weren’t as upset as I was. They were proud of the teams overall hard work and determination. That year we finished 3rd in our conference and it was due to those motivating sophomores. Now I love lacrosse and it is due to those guys who just kept pushing me to work hard for the team, not for the outcome of the game.
Sport is an aspect of the social world that is created by people as they interact with one another under the social, political, and economic structure in society. Sport has become tied into societies accepted beliefs and ideologies. Theoretically, society constructs sport to preserve the status quo.
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