Sport and Culture

1. Sport and Culture Sporting Behaviour & Race and Ethnicity in Sports By: Brianne, Adam, Tashaya, and Terrence

2. Facts: • Studies show that Canadian children are less active today then they were only 30 years ago • Girls are often less active than boys are, especially after age 12 • Sport encourages participation regardless of skill, ability, age, gender or other factors • Health risks from physical inactivity include heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis, stroke, depression, etc. • Sports help build personal development and they also build character

3. Sporting Behaviour: Sporting behaviour is exhibited by someone who respects the sport and plays by the rules, responds fairly, and generously, and has a good attitude towards the game and opponents whether winning or losing. It can also be exhibited in bad ways such as breaking the rules which are followed by consequences and being un sportsman like to the officials, coaches and other teams. Participation in recreation programs and community sports benefits individuals by it improves their personal development, each individual develops and is taught different morals through sports and it allows each individual to build character

4. Developing character • sports are a great way to build character in young athletes, but it doesn't just happen. • Sports, in the hands of the right people with the right attitude, can be a great character-building experience. • Sports have the potential to build character but parents, coaches and the sports society need to intentionally work towards that goal. • They need to demonstrate through their words and actions the values of sports and show them good character morals such as respect for themselves and others, fairness, grace and self-discipline

5. - parent should make an effort in making a good relationship with the other parents and coaches show the athletes that it possible to build a good relationship with others and helps to build good character skills. • -Parents should reassure their child that it is not about the scores or winning, but that it is about the experience and learning new skills and getting some physical activities. • Parents should demonstrate the behaviour they would like to see in their children.

6. Coaches should set specific expectations and encourage positive verbal reinforcement. • Coaches should make clear agreements and rules that should be followed through • Before and after game or practices, the coach should let the team know what they did well, what they should have learned from the game, • how they can improve or practice for next game and what they want to achieve next game. • “Talent may win games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships”(Micheal Jordan) • A good coach will make his players see what they can be rather than what they are” (AraParseghian).

7. Good/Bad sportsmanship: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75zZDpYeQWk&feature=related Sportsmanship is different for each individual and it also depends on the level of sports you play. Ex, house league teams vs. rep teams or amateur vs. competitive Most young kids who play in community leagues are just playing for fun but they still don’t want to lose. They are just beginning to learn what sportsmanship is about. They learn through their teammates, their opponents, coaches, parents and from watching professional athletes.

8. Recreation Programs and Community Sports: Programs such as these ones are mainly designed for kids because they promote sportsmanship, fair play, and they help build an individuals character and personal qualities while teaching them morals. They also teach them to have fun and work hard. Three main character traits/personal qualities that they help build upon are courage, integrity, and ability to commit to a goal. They also teach responsibility, respect to others, self- discipline, honesty and fair play. It also helps build their self-esteem, self-confidence and promotes motivation.

9. Race and ethnicity in sport • Sports aren’t just for one group of people, they are played through out the entire world. • Humans are competitive by nature, sport is an excellent way for people to compete and have fun together. • Sport also provides a way for different races to come together and compete where no race is discriminated against, examples of this are the summer and winter olympic games

10. The Olympics • The Olympics are one of the largest multi-cultural events in the world, different countries and different people come together for the sole purpose of competing with each other in sport. • Better acceptance and increased understanding of other races have come from the Olympics • Nations have also shown improvement dealing with each other after competing together in the Olympic games

11. Stereotypes and racial issues • Unfortunately, there are some racial issues in sport, both professional and amateur, it can be anywhere from a racial slur on the field to entire groups of people being barred from playing • Some races are stereotyped for being either better or worse at certain sports i.e. the Jamaican bobsled team of the 1988 winter Olympics • Other racial or ethnic groups have been restricted from competing in sports in one way or another, such as in South Africa where whites did not play with athletes from other backgrounds

12. A Better Understanding • Fortunately, many racial barriers are slowly being broken through sport • An example of this is when the first Jamaican bobsled team won gold in the 1988 Olympic games • Even though they’ve never seen snow before they still trained just as hard as the other teams • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaov7DNICPg

13. Sports as a Social equalizer • Sports are viewed in today’s society by most as a form of entertainment. • Since the industrial revolution and the abundance of information we can freely obtain about other countries, people have become more connected with other countries and races • The distribution of information pertaining sports allowed people to discover what is going on in other countries. People also have the chance to expand their knowledge, allowing for a more diverse audience for them to relate.

14. Sport and conversation • There are many topics pertaining sports that people can associate when conversing with stranger, or people that they have just met. • These topics can be seen as a “safe haven”, and can be discussed without the possibility of controversy. • Sports bridge gaps of social and economic differences and allow people to stay within their own comfort zone. • A sense of community is created when people of similar interests, even if from different backgrounds, get together to enjoy a specific sport.

15. Different classes and groups • Throughout history, different sports have been associated with different classes and groups. For example, the game of polo today is linked to white citizens, if you were to ask people from other classes about this sport, most would not know due to the lack of exposure. • Tennis is a sport that has evolved overtime, and a sport that was once inclusive to a group of people who were the upper class. For example, current tennis players Venus and Serena Williams and their noted struggle from a lower class origination, and their rise to the top of women’s tennis world.

16. Sport to unite • Society is now using sports as a tool for merging areas of grey that exist amongst people who come from different upbringings and opportunities. • Sports in the case of Venus and Serena were a tool to achieve ascension in social and economic status and in the process broke the racial stereotypes within tennis that existed for decades.

17. Racial Ideology • Racial ideology in sport has not promoted participation in sports. • Because of one’s nationality and background one in not suited to participate in different sports. • People who wish to participate in sports outside their racial and ethnic roots are being told they are unable to excel in the sport. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyCnJLNhQeE&feature=related