Violence in American Sports Today

Violence in American Sports Today

Participation in amateur athletic events has grown tremendously over the past few decades in terms of their scope, power, and economic status. In fact, in the United States alone, amateur athletics involve the lives and athletic experiences of people from their childhood through high school and college and beyond. Not surprisingly, then, high school and college sports are one of the most popular, and according to some observers, important aspects of academic life today. The camaraderie and fellowship that can emerge among sports players can last a lifetime, and practically all participants and spectators derive a great deal of entertainment from these events. The economics, too, of many high school and collegiate sporting events make these important components of the curriculum, notwithstanding the fact that college athletes frequently do not receive the benefits from the contributions their sports make to their universities. There has also been a disturbing trend towards violence in sports that has emerged in recent years. While injuries and mishaps can reasonably be expected to take place in any sporting event, there is frequently a fine distinction between intimidating tactics and violence that can result in serious injuries on the sporting field. Furthermore, a number of the incidents of violent conduct in high school and college sports appear to transcend the reasonable scope of risks that are typically associated with sporting events. For instance, the same type of acts that are clearly criminal in nonsporting contexts appear to be officially approved of if they take place on the playing field. In addition, a number of observers regard the punishments of fines and suspensions for violent conduct on the sporting field to be insignificant when they are compared with the nature of the actions involved.