What does sport mean to me? I�??m going to start by explaining what sport doesn�??t mean to me. Sport to me is not who gets paid the most, which is in the news for legal or social matters other than sports. Sport is not a vice that should be used to clime up the bourgeoisie social latter. Sport is a way of life for some people; they respect sport and channel all of their physical and mental energy into it to excel. I would never try to take anything away from these bona fide athletes or coaches. However what really gets to me in sport, (like any other aspect of life) is when people abuse it, take it for granted, or in general just disrespect it.
In modern day society many people are so quick to pick up the sports page, leaving they rest of the paper behind. I feel that if you surveyed any group of young Americans about who is playing in the MLB playoffs, and who are the six primary candidates for presidency, you would get more baseball teams than presidential hopefuls. In the article by Gerald Merrell he sums it up quite nicely �??an estimated 140 million
Americans will watch the game (superbowl). Just over 105 million people voted in the
2000 presidential election.�?� (Merrell, Super Impact of Bowl Game, 1/31/04) At first glance, my pessimistic self thought to frown upon the ignorant future leaders of America , but on the other hand that is what is so amazing about sport. It�??s that sometimes the world proves too much for some people, and sport is the instrument that plays their favorite song. That is what I truly admire about sport. It�??s an escape from John or Jane Doe�??s average boring monotonous day. They see these sport superstars on TV and idolize them. Sunday afternoon is the happiest time of week for some people. Some even go as far as living their lives vicariously through these athletes, and it makes them happy to do so. So how you can you fault anything that isn�??t hurting anyone, and makes them happy? The answer is that you can�??t, well you shouldn�??t try to at least

My sporting career and my life are basically synonyms. I have been involved in some sort of sport for as long as I remember. For the most part my life has consisted of school and sport, class and practice, homework and games (homework probably much less than games). Since sport has been such an integral part of my life all other aspects of my life have been affect by my sporting activities. The vast majority of my friends have come from sport. For better or for worse I am identified as T.J. Thompson the athlete (usually for the wrong sport but that�??s another issue). I often wonder what I would be doing if I wasn�??t a soccer player and oftentimes I can not come up with a good answer. It�??s not that I am incapable of doing other activities; it�??s that I do not have time for them. The fact of the matter is about all of my energy goes into focusing on sport so that I don't have enough left for much else.
I have always been encouraged to participating in the sports that I wanted to play. My parents were very supportive with whatever decision I made about the sports I played. I played baseball, basketball, and soccer all at competitive levels when I was younger. If it were up to my father he would have had me playing basketball because that was the sport he was most familiar with out of those three. I am grateful that he did not pressure me away from my favorite sport of soccer. If I had different parents I would most likely be playing basketball because I was always taller than about 90% of my peers. My parents never cared about that kind of thing they only cared that their son was playing what he wanted to play.

Good post C. Brown

Sports has played an integral part in shaping the person I am today. I believe that people are shaped by their environment in many ways, and I believe I am one of those people. Being involved with sports since the third grade proved to be the best thing for me and helped me make it when all the "statistics" were otherwise against me. Sports instilled in me morals and values I wouldn't have gotten any where else, and I think made me an overall good person. I always found that the people that surrounded, from the players to the coaches, were always positive influences. Sports has tought me teamwork, healthy competition and a positive sense of self.
Economically, I think sports generates enormous revenue for the American economy. Many people are vested in recreational activites, and the sports industry is a relatively positive industry to spend leisure money on.
Culturally, I think that being able to find role models in a industry that are making head way, yet look like you, is incredible. It is so important to have positive role models for the up and coming young peopl of our society and it is provent that we relate better to people of the same culture. The sport industry is so diverse that many young children can have someone positive to relate to. This was something that was not as prevelant many years ago, but has proven to be one of the advantages of the industry.
I think that poitics play a part in any industry, and sports is no different. Many of the players get away with this simply because of star power, as well as all ot the shinanagans that take place behind the scenes. However, I think many people like to see the game as something free of societal influences, just to have the means to get away from reality and the sense of something pure. I think that this is good in many ways as well as bad. It is unfailr to let anyone or any company get away with any type of injustice, no matter how good the game makes us feel.
It has been many years since competiting in any sports, but I don;t think I have necessarily been discouraged from participating in a particular sport. I know that I chose the sports I did for the love of the game and the feelings that surrounded it. After being an athlete for most of my youth, I decided to continue into adulthood by getting a degree in Sports Management. I have felt that working in the sports industry would bring me as much satisfaction as playing in it did.

I agree with Frank Bowen in that Sports brings family and friends together for a common interest. I, as Frank has, have followed sports since I was young and have met many people just from rooting for the same team.

Sports has played a huge role in my life. Ever since I was old enough to play sports, I was playing. These days, I play club indoor soccer and softball every year. When I am not playing sports, I'm watching them on TV or in person. I don't think there is a day that goes by that I don't find myself watching sports. Sometimes I think sports matter too much to me because of the emphasis that I put on supporting the home team. I have season tickets to the Ravens and have attended every home game that the Baltimore Ravens have ever had. One of my first jobs was taking tickets at Memorial Stadium during the Raven's infant seasons. I go to every Oriole game that I can make. No matter how bad or disappointing the Orioles' season is, the comaraderie at the game is like nothing else. Sports succeeds in getting everyone in the town together in support of the local team. I love the fact that I may not know the people at the game sitting next to me but I feel a sense of family with them just because we're cheering for the same result. Almost as good as being at the game is watching it on TV. The way I see it, sports are the ultimate reality television. They are unscripted and capable of throwing your emotions back and forth. It is this emotional rollercoaster aspect of sports that make them so appealing to the public and allow them to serve as an alternate train of thought in times of home town tragedy. Sports can draw communities of people together to lift spirits like none other. You did not have to be a sports fanatic to see how the whole city of New Orleans rallied around the Saints after hurricane Katrina. During the seventh inning stretch of every Major League Baseball game "America the Beautiful" is play after September 11, 2001. Sports have been played since the cavemen days and they still seem more exciting every year. Sports increased my understanding of teamwork, hardwork, and self discipline/determination. Three things that are not only essential in sports, but are also exelent personal characteristics to have for succeeding in everyday life or any career.

I agree with Andrew Offsey, because i also grew up on Long Island and was very close to New York city and all of the NY sports action. I have visited and rooted on my favorite teams from Madison Square Garden to Yankee Stadium, to the Meadowlands. I totally agree with him on the fact that i will not wear another teams colors or apparell, i always catch come comment while wearing a yankee hat in towson around October. It is also very true how New Yorkers will stay at the game until it is over no matter what the score might be.

I agree with Francesca Terrano when they say that politics can ruin sports. It does take away from the excitment of the game.

I think this topic was great, it made all of us think back to Rec. Leagues growing up. As for the way we relate sport to culture, politics, economics and social life, I would say I agree with Nychik1021 that its good too see women emerging more into the sports scene in America, as a male, who was directly affected when Title 9 came into play taking a devistating toll on wrestling in my community, I still believe in what it stands for women have been working hard to put them selves on the map in the sporting world.

I agree with Ashley Pirro, sports in general are extremely expensive. Economically, sports control many aspects of personal enjoyment. I have many friends who have changed their Comcast cable service to Direct TV, just for the NFL ticket. People will pay for sports entertainment to see their favorite team. Parents will always buy the newest and best equipment for their kids.

I agree with what J. Fewell said when he/she talked about kids getting burnt out because of being pushed since such a young age. I also that it was a good point that some kids continue playing in college just for their parents or because their friends do. They have played for so long and feel that if they drop the sport now they will be letting someone down; but like J. Fewell said that only end up hurting the team and the players that are truly out there to win and who love the sport. Some people may say that is quitting and that a child should stick out their sport because it builds character which I agree with as well, but at what cost is one playing a game for if they are unhappy.

I agree with Alex Levine about where he found his interest in sports, which is through his father. My dad grew up as a Giants, Yankees, and Knicks fan and thus I began to indentify with those same teams.

I agree with angie brewer. Sports teaches you a lot of lifes lesson that you need to live a good life in todays society. Sports teach responsibility, determination, teamwork, and all the necessities of what your going to need to mak it big in your career. If you think about it, you almost learn more of what your going to need in the future from playing sports than you do in class.

I don�??t agree with micsongy1 or Alex Levine. I think that the amount of money people spend on sport depends on them. People spend that much money on sport because they love the game. They choose to go the stadium and pay $50 a ticket. They choose to buy the $120 jersey for the love of the sport. Yes some of the prices are out of hand, I�??ll agree to that but at the same time, the prices reflect the market. I don�??t believe that what the players are paid has anything to do with how much tickets cost. Teams that can afford to pay such salaries obviously have enough money to charge what they think their fans will pay to come see the team, even if it is a bit outrageous.

Chris makes a good point about what sports has taught him and as sad as it is politics do play a major part in sports. I have seen it on my middle school softball team and it is in the media with professional sports as well.

I agree 100% with justin. I feel this exact thing happened to me in the same sport. I played baseball my entire life and I played all through high school, but it just wasnt the same the last couple years I played the sport. Coaches need to let the athletes do their own thing and just draw up plays and what not and not harp on the small things as much.

i agree with mark ingleman too. It is true that sports mean a lot on different levels and has shown to help people develop on many levels of age. It also helps you to dream as you try an get closer to your dream

i agree with awitmer. I mean it sounds like we have lived similar lives with our sports. I dont know their background but can totally see what they say.

i agree with david bowser. I am used to being involved with the bigger sports, but it gave me a different perspective on some of the other sports. I mean its nice thinking out of the box every so often and learning new things.

I agree with TKuhl, people can become too obessed with sports. I like to play sports more than watch professional teams compete. People get too emotionally involved in whats happening in professional sports when you can't change the outcome.

I agree with TKuhl in that I also look to sports as an attempt to escape regular life and stress. I can remember countless times last semester during exam week where my roomates and I were so stressed out we took time to just go through the football outside. I have found running a good way to relieve stress because you are alone and allows time to reflect on matters. Although I love the competitive nature sports offer, I enjoy the other hidden aspects that sports possess.

I liked what Chris Black mentioned about politics in sports being more focused on our own participation in sports and not so much in reference to the government and sport. When thinking about what to write I had never thought about the "politics" in high school sports and how something as simple as making a team can be affected just because you know someone who has an "in" with the coach.

I agree with L. McAfee the most, particularly about the social and economical aspects of sport. Mentioned in the post was how playing lacrosse at Towson has helped as an incoming freshman, something that is difficult for a lot of people. Another point that i failed to mention in my post was the endorsement part of sports, which are a huge contributor to economics in sport.

I also agree with g shaw and how he said that the athletic departments need the revenue from the sports teams.

I liked G shaws comments and its awesome to here someone talk so well about sport. I agree with him saying how football players get treated differently.

I agree with andrew offsey when he says that living so close to the NYC has influenced our lives in terms of sports. The whole city gets wrapped up in what is going on in the sports world. In NY, fans will love you one moment but if you screw up, well hate you.

I totally agree with A Pirro in what she said about spending alot of money whichbrings so much more of an economical standpoint into sports. I know I have been looking online and other places for tickets to some football games and i know that i will surely be spending over a hundred dollars at just one game including the tickets. Its completely obvious that when you do to a game they markup food and especially beer over 200% of what they originially pay from the manufacturer. It is kind of ridiculous, but they know the consumer will pay it for the love of the game and the experience.

I agree with Tkuhl in several aspects, and being an athlete myself i can agree with the fact that sports are undeniably a big part of society regardless of what people may think. Aside from it being one of the biggest forms of entertainment for our society, it is also a huge-money making scheme; whether it be paying athletes or spectators paying to watch the game. I do disagree however with the idea that in sports you can get rid of politics. Sports hold a different type of politics than "who will be president" or "What are the issues of today". Many times people can make teams or get recruited based on who they may know or what age they may be. That's just the politics of sports and they are different than every day politics.

I also have to agree with micsongy1, the coast to go to the super bowl is out of control. I also have a huge problem with the amount of money professional baseball players recieve, and the fact that they ultimatly have no salary cap. I think i really ruins the game when you have teams like the Yankees and Red Sox who can pay high dollar for any athlete they want.

Commenting on Mike V.�??s essay I must agree that sport is as much a part of our everyday lives as brushing our teeth and eating. I do not think I could imagine a day with out sports, whether I have a scheduled sporting event or just coincidently flip through channels and start watching a game. No matter who you are I feel that you are somehow involved in sports.

In response to J Fewll. I agree that sports affect and shape our economy in many ways that we cant even see and the fact that when someone is pushed into a sport, its very easy for them to get burned out. For example a friend of mine was always pushed into playing basketball and had a full court at his house. His dad would always stress him to shoot free throws in his spare time. Then in his last year in high school he played football instead of basketball and made a huge impact on the team. By switching sports he found a new energy to keep playing sports.

My reply isnt about anyone in particular's reply but just again about the differences geography plays in sports or also how quickly some sports become popular. Lacrosse in my hometown was never big but over the last 5 years or so it is rapidly growing. There are starting to be high school teams and travel teams in the area. Now, when i read that some people have played thier whole life and it is like religion in thier home towns (i.e. syracuse and maryland) thats crazy for me to think of since the reality of it being a youth game in my area is still relatively new. I have actually witnessed both syracuse and maryland lacrosse now and in those places it is as big as any other sport, and i feel it is only going to get bigger as time goes on.

Chris Black makes a good point about the politics involved in sports. As much as people say sport is talent based, who you know and who will put the most people in the seats have a great effect on how far someone will go in sport.

Sport greatly affects the way I live my life each and every day. It is a part of my daily routine, whether it be watching the New York Yankees on TV or looking to see if I can see my brother on the sidelines working for Texas Tech football. Socially through playing baseball, basketball, racing BMX bicycles, and snowboarding, I have made many life long friends. Starting at a young age sports have taught me how to interact with others, and play fairly. It has taught me how to enjoy success, as well as deal with defeat. I have also been involved with sport socially while attending high school and college sporting events cheering on my team. Culturally sports have affected the way in which I live, because it is part of our culture in the United States to watch your favorite sporting teams on TV when you can not be in attendance. Also it is culturally involved in my daily life when I discuss sports with friends Economically sport affects me in a huge way, because people in our country spend billions of dollars a year on attending and supporting sporting events whether it be early childhood, high school, college, or professional. I have spent lots of money to participate in sports for equipment, as well as fan apparel. Politics run the game, and also control who is fortunate enough to participate in the game. This is seen when certain individuals make a team, over other for the simple face that they know someone. I have been discouraged from playing baseball when I was younger, because I attended a large high school where politics played a big role on who made the team. I do think if I went to a neighboring high school on Long Island it would have been different because I would not of been overlooked by other kids.

Sports matters to me so much it is kind of my life. I have grown up in great neck new York (long island) which is about 30 min ride to the city despite being only 10 miles away. I live and die with my teams and have followed them since I can remember. Growing up with the Knicks, Mets, jets, and rangers have had a lot to cheer for and be disappointed about, but it means more to me than the average fan. I started being taken to the Mecca of all sports Madison Square Garden and it has become a home just as much as Shea. The meadowlands its been tough. I have seen what it takes to bring in but grew up seeing that sports was much more interesting here as we expected the best and strived for it. The Knicks selling out for a decade and competing every year with the bulls, pacers and heat every year. We had the cockiness and well deserved swagger, which went into the fans. MSG was so loud on a regular night that you could scream to your neighbor and they could not hear you. You meet friends and always have something to talk about anywhere. People of all cultures have grown up and got excited about it. Economically sports have been a fun business with so much to do from the concessions, to selling tickets. In addition, I am used to most of the games being a hot ticket. Politically many people have gotten involved trying to make a name for themselves with what people know. Many people have shown up to events or gotten to try to become friends with the payers. Such as the governors of New York have the teams ring the bell at the stock market and be well known within the community and give back to make sure that they help people too in more ways than just entertainment. I tried to be able to peruse playing sports of basketball, football, baseball to play and have fun doing it. Hockey was too hard for me and other sports I could not do. I perused them into high school and did a sport every season to stay in shape, have fun, meet people, and try to get better to hopefully make something of it. I ran too in high school when I got out of the hospital of appendicitis and could only run but found it as a way to get in shape. Tiring but it did the job. Sports would be different for me if I was from a different area. New Yorkers will stay at games no matter what. Los Angeles people leave early. I wont wear another teams colors or root for other teams. Transportation to the games has been amazing in addition, which makes it easy to go and be safe and have a good time. I saw many famous moments and every time I see something, I still am in awe. But when I see bad things like my Knicks now it just sees sports isn�??t for anyone and I think what I can do differently if I had the job or what I can do to try and make a name for myself in the world of sports.

Sports matter to me greatly, as they have my whole life�?�I play sports, I watch sports, and I even plan on a career in sports as a physical therapist.
My sports history began when I was young, being a girl of middle class status. I was encouraged to participate in dance because it was socially and culturally accepted for girls of my age and economic standing. This phase of my sports history lasted until 1994, when I moved from Upstate New York to Fairfax Virginia. In Virginia, the focus was soccer; therefore, that is what my mom signed me up for to help me make friends. My interest in sports did not peak until the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, when the United States Women�??s Gymnastics Team and the Women�??s Soccer Team both won gold medals. From then on I lived and breathed all aspects of gymnastics and soccer. In 1999, I moved to Great Mills Maryland, where soccer again was the dominant sport for my social group. That same year, the United States Women�??s Soccer team won the World Cup and my passion for gymnastics faded and my love for soccer grew. Politically, this was great moment in history, giving the public new ideals of American heroes. During Women�??s Soccer cultural peak I supported the sport by purchasing season tickets to Washington Freedom games until the WUSA was disbanded in 2004 because of insufficient finances and lack of interest.
When I came to Towson University in 2005, my first job became selling tickets to sporting events through TicketMaster (yet another way of economically supporting sports). In my sophomore year of college I wanted to try something completely different: Women�??s Club Rugby. I chose to play rugby because as a soccer player I was always the most aggressive person on the team and received yellow cards at almost every game. Thus rugby became better suited for my aggression in competition. Much to my disappointment the women�??s team does not get equal support as the men�??s team. This was proved by the September 3, 2007 issue of The Towerlight where the impression was given that the Women�??s team does not exist here on campus.
That is how sports have affected me thus far and will hopefully continue to affect me for the rest of my life in my chosen career.

In response to Tkuh1 i have to agree about sports being a getaway from stress. When I play sports I do not think about anything else but the game being played. Not only does it reduce stress but it is fun. Sports being fun should be the number one reason to play. For me I have fun playing any sport even if it is not the top four sports in this country. When your a kid you want to have fun and that is capable through playing sports.

Sports are a major part of our society and culture whether you follow it or not. Having grown up with baseball as the prominent sport in our household, I have learned tradition, dedication and support for what I believe in. All of which are qualities everyone should be able to say they have developed and take pride in. Although I am not from New York, my father is and his whole side of the family still lives there. He has grown up playing baseball across from Yankee stadium and in turn is a die-hard Yankee fan. That is the way I was brought up and will stay despite the criticism of joining the "bandwagon". It is carrying on the family tradition and my beliefs; holding on to where I came from.
Going to a game with the family always held that community feeling and the feeling of a country that is able to still come together. We are lucky enough to have a minor league baseball team in my hometown that unfortunately many people are taking for granted. They are forgetting the community that is built when everyone takes the time to put everything else aside and the memories made. There has not been much support for our team in the recent years because of how poorly they have been playing and that shows me the values have changed. It's disappointing to find our culture has changed and lose interest in something that does not benefit them. I think it is important to remember what it brings to the family and individual person and how it helps the culture to develop.
Some of society's views have changed as discussed in class with the differences of the video to how it would be now. I started out playing baseball, which is where I first experienced the gender differences in sports. After moving up so far in the league, I was encouraged to play softball instead because it is more of a girl's sports and girls just cannot compete against the guys as well when playing in the same game. As much as I wanted to play and be a part of the team the coaches made it very clear it was not in my best interest to continue baseball if I wanted to still play. Having a father who is a baseball coach and knew the game better than my little league coaches, it was an underlying struggle within the league for every girl that played. However, it taught me to be tougher, play harder, and practice more, which put me at an advantage when I did switch to softball where those girls were use to being treated like girls and not pushed as hard.
At that time in our history, I do not believe things would have been any different and the gender differences would have still been just as clear-cut as they were because women were not as accepted at that time. It has taken a lot of hard work for women to be viewed as great athletes as well and not incapable of comparing to men.

I've noticed that a lot of people have made a comment along the lines of sports being the most important thing in their life. I think that is interesting to see. Americans, as a people, put so much emphasis on sports that it actually takes away from other things in peoples' lives. And I think that is a shame. Sports are fun and entertaining and serve purposes for teaching things, but anything more than that and I think it becomes detrimental to the person because it becomes an obsession at that point. And obsessing over anything can cause more harm than good.

Sports have been a very important part of my life. They have always served as a kind of escape from regular life and the stress associated with it. I have played or watched sports for my entire life. I was always encouraged to play sports by my dad for the reasons that you always hear, like building discipline and teaching the value of teamwork. But I never played for those reasons. I always played because it was fun. I played a few sports but soccer was the one that I played for the longest time. I played all seasons of the year and in many competitive leagues. I played soccer because it was the sport that best suited my physique and athletic abilities. And since soccer is the most popular sport worldwide, I would not have played a different sport if I lived somewhere else.
One of the greatest things about sports, to me at least, is that it is one of the best things at relieving stress. But sports matter for more than just that. Many people will say that sports matter economically, culturally, socially and politically. The first three are pretty undeniable. Sports are tremendously important in the economy. Whether it�??s the athletes making a ridiculous amount of money or the fans shelling out the money to watch these athletes, there is a lot of money flying around. I consider sports to have the same effect in terms of culture and society. I think sports are an incredible rallying tool and may be the most effective thing when it comes to bringing people together. Sports are a way for people to let loose or relax or just something for people to be excited about. And I think we, as a society, need that. The thing that I don�??t agree with is that sports matter politically. I hate politics. I think they are unnecessary and just cause trouble. And the great thing about sports is that, for me at least, you can separate them from politics, and sports are just about the only thing you can do that with. Now I know a lot of people will probably disagree with that, but this is just my personal opinion. In my opinion, sport is just about gifted people making great athletic plays, and sometimes not making those plays, while thousands of people cheer them on, no more, no less. I like sports because of the purity of the games that they are. A game is a game, what the gas price is has no effect on that game, nor does the players�?? political party choice. Again, I know people may not agree, but in my eyes, everything else just goes away a game is on and it is just about the only time that I actually have nothing to worry about. No schoolwork or wars or relationships, just pure entertainment and that is why I love sports.

I completely agree with Mike V. about sports being a daily routine like brushing your teeth and eating. It definitely is something that I do almost unconsciously like he says. And when I am not around sports or can�??t look up scores, I feel like I�??m missing my arm or something. My life just isn�??t complete without sports.

Also, in response to A.Witmer and J.Hyson, lacrosse isn�??t that big everywhere in Maryland. I�??m from Charles County and we just started having lacrosse teams. I didn�??t know anything about it until I came to Towson.

Sports have been a very integral part of my life for as long as I can remember. Growing up in Charles County everybody played soccer as a child. My dad, my brothers and my sister all played soccer, so naturally I would play too. It�??s not that I was pushed to play soccer, it was just what came natural to me and I loved playing. I played for 10 years and could play any position on the field. I was never discouraged from playing other sports, I just didn�??t want to. Oddly enough though, my true passion lies in basketball, even though I never played. I remember as a child sitting and watching college and NBA games with my father. I even went with my dad and did stats for our church team and have been a part of basketball ever since. There is a not season that has gone by since I started high school that I haven�??t been on the sidelines with the team. I eat, sleep, breath basketball!
Economically, sports have played a huge part, whether it�??s buying tickets to a game or getting the J.J. Redick jersey or even my education (being that my major is in Sport Management) all has to do with sports. In the future, sports will be what will make me economically stable considering I�??ll be working in that field.
Culturally sports have affected me because I invest most of my time into basketball and football, which are the biggest sports in the United States. If I would have been raised in Europe I would probably be more invested in soccer.
Socially sports have taught me so much. Just the other day my aunt said that my cousin wanted to quit football but she wouldn�??t let him because then he would quit in everything else in life when things got tough. Sports teach you to not give up and that you�??re going to make mistakes but its how you recover that matters. It also teaches you respect; respect for your coaches (elders), your teammates and most importantly for yourself. Most of the traits I have today I learned from some aspect of sports.
Politically is where my biggest issue with sports lies. The politics of it all have really affected my life. When I was in high school I played varsity soccer from the time I was a freshman, but the politics got in the way so much that I lost my passion to play the game. The way the coaches and the system were was such a turn off for me and eventually what caused me to not play anymore. To this day I still don�??t have that passion for soccer that I once had. Also, politics have been an obstacle for my career. Being a female in the sports field is very difficult, especially since I want to end up working in basketball (the NBA not the WNBA). It�??s a constant fight to show that I belong.
As for where I grew up, I think has a big impact on the sports that I played and that I watch. If I had lived even an hour north of where I�??m from I would probably have played lacrosse. Lacrosse was not big in Southern Maryland at all and is definitely not a sport that I knew much about until I moved to Towson. So, I think geographically where you grow up has a big influence on the sports we love and associate with.

Sport is more than just fun and games, it�??s something that infects life in all aspects. Its seen on a daily basis, on television, in the news, in schools, and almost anywhere else you could imagine. Its something we live through, starting with rec league all the way up to the professional level for a large number of our population in America. Ecomically, in the aspect that you just have to have that new jersey and maybe even a hat to go with it. Culturally, almost every American, sits down to watch the Super Bowl or in some cases just the commercials. Socially it brings us together with our friends or families or teammates. And politcally, for instance as Ryan referred to in class when our President goes to a game to show support or when we all stand up before any game, match, whatever and sing the national anthem.
But how does sport matter to me? To put it simply sport is my life, it made me into the person I am today will only help me grow more though out life as I persue my career as a Physical Education teacher, and aspiring high school wrestling coach. I started wrestling in 5th grade and have been hooked ever since. You learn disipline, sportsmanship, leadership skills and are exposed to competition at levels some would think unimaginable. Through out my career in the sport, I�??ve established friendships that will last a life time and have been exposed to a network of people that�??s unlike any other. Everyone involved in this sport is in for life, and everyone is a resource, from ideas for fundraising, to how to perfect a certain move. So wrestling to me is life just like I�??m sure for anyone else their sport is their life.

I have always been more of sports spectator than a player. Other than my two years of little league baseball, I have never been intensely involved in organized sport. This gives me a unique prospective into how such activities affect someone in our society. Early in my life, I felt a tremendous amount of pressure to be involved in a sport. Most of my friends participated in some extracurricular sport, but I was never motivated to join the team. I have always been physically fit and that aspect has never stopped from playing. My biggest issue with joining a team is the amount of practice and dedication involved with a competitive sport. Many people would interpret this as a lazy attitude. However, I consider myself to be a very active person. I work constantly to support myself and maintain a hectic school schedule. In my small amounts of free time, I would much rather relax and enjoy my time by watching others compete on television. I have limitless respect that work hard to achieve greatness in sports, but I see no wrong in abstaining from hours of grueling practices and ruthless routines.
As for sports' affect on our economy, I am able to provide prospective through my work. I am a manager of a Gamestop (a nation-wide video game retailer), which includes a vast variety of sport based video games. Each year, these games grow in popularity, resulting in one of the highest grossing game genres. These games incorporate every aspect of the actually sports, including in-game advertisements for companies such as Nike, Axe body spray, and assorted products that appeal to the "typical" athlete.

Looking back at my childhood I can not remember a day without sports, whether it was tee ball, biddy basketball, or neighborhood kickball and wiffle ball. Growing up my parents had always encouraged me to keep up with the boys when it came to sports, (mostly because I was the only girl my age in the neighborhood). Over time I began to love sports. Throughout high school I played soccer, basketball, track and field, and field hockey. Two of these sports truly made an impression on my life.
During my Junior and Senior year of high school basketball it taught me more life lessons than anything I had ever experienced. Socially it gave me the skills to be a competitor and learn how to work as a team. Basketball taught all of my teammates and I how to be there for each other when times and friendships got rough. We also learned how to get through the hardships of losing family members and going through the transition of losing a life long coach.
Field hockey is the sport that has taught me what it really means to play for the love the game. It taught me the determination of working towards a goal, which in my case was to play Division I field hockey. To this day it is the sport that I continue to play at the collegiate level here at Towson. It has also affected me and my family economically. Like all travel sports it was costly to be part of a club team and trek up and down the east coast for tournaments and camps. Tournament fees, hotel accommodations, club fees, cost of equipment, and camp prices were expenses that all added up in the end. Most people forget about the political side of sports until it affects them. Field hockey is very political when it comes to trying out for ranked teams and being recruited to play college field hockey. This is especially true when it comes to areas where the sport is more popular and competitive. Culturally my home state, Pennsylvania, along with the rest of the northeast has a strong field hockey foundation compared to other western states where some do not have field hockey at all. Considering that, my location definitely has affected the sports I play.
Choosing to play sports throughout my life has affected me in numerous ways including economically, socially, culturally, and politically. It has also taught me things ranging from teamwork, determination, leadership, and competitiveness. Sports have always been a large aspect of my life and I hope for it to remain that way.

Sports have mattered to me since I can remember. Picking up a lacrosse stick at age 7 and playing until age 21 has really impacted my life in many ways. Even as a kid younger than 7 I played soccer, I swam and dove. Playing sports has helped me meet many of my friends and has grown to shape me to the person I am today.
I think sports shape our economy in more ways than we could ever know. Like we had discussed in class, people and businesses' get rich off the ever growing industry of sports.
Growing up in Baltimore, as many of the other students have stated, lacrosse is a second nature to me. Almost every person I know either played lacrosse or had someone in their families play. Being that we live in the world capital and breeding ground of this sport, lacrosse, we all know someone with a scholarship to play or that plays pro. I myself owe much of my college career to lacrosse and where it has taken me. I had a scholarship to UMBC and played Division I until I hurt my back. Injuries have plagued many of my friends, since we all have played since around the second grade.
I do believe that many people are pushed into different sports and do end up being burned out, like many I have seen. I was never pushed, but thoroughly enjoyed the game and all it has given to me. I was asked by one of my doctors a few years back, "Would you like to keep playing, or be able to walk when you're 40?" Obviously my answer was easy, but to some they are pushed so hard that they feel it is impossible to give up.
I believe this is true with any sport and what really makes a difference are the people around you like your friends, family and teammates. I really do wish that all the friends I have that play in college and kill themselves for something that really doesn't matter to them, would stop. They all feel like they can't let their parents and friends down by quitting, but in the long run what they are really doing is hurting the team and themselves. Having played on a team where people really don't have the drive is so much harder because their is no fire inside them to do what someone like me would love to do and play everyday of my life.
I love the people I have met through all the sports I have played throughout my life and the friends I have made. It really brings a lot of people together that you may have never met.

Sports have had a significant impact on my life. This may sound like a cheesy anti-drug advertisement, but sports kept me out of trouble in high school. Most of my friends back in the day would just want to blaze and sit around and do nothing for several hours at a time. I felt that sports for me was what made me who I am today. From playing high school football and lacrosse, I've learned values, morals, and responsibility. Economically, sports equipment is insanely expensive. Of course you get what you pay for, but is it really paying more for something with a name on it? Socially, I spent more time with my teammates than I did with my family. Being involved with a team builds a tight bond that never goes away. Thinking about how well you need to trust and depend on others in order to function as a team brings people closer. Culturally, it is pretty much a religious event for monday night football or UFC fights on Saturdays. Highlights just aren't good enough for me. It's just something you have to watch beginning to end or else, whats the point. I was never discouraged from playing a sport. I was a fairly big guy for my age and was always encouraged to play sports, which is what got me suckked into lacrosse. I choose football because, as I said, I was a pretty big guy for my age, and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to put it to use. Lacrosse was a more like blackmail. My footbal coach just happened to be the lacrosse coach also, so I was pretty much forced to play lacrosse if I wanted to keep getting that play time in football. I believe it would have been different if I were somewhere else. At a university level, I would not even be able to make it on the field with the skills I had in high school. Even back in high school, some places were not fond of minorities. It was bad enough to be the only asian kid on my team, but to take crap from other teams, I don't think I would've survived long anywhere else. Sports have made me the man I am today and I am pround to go into a field that introduces children into the thing that they'll grow to love, sports.

Sports have become second nature to me, I've been playing sports ever since elementary school. It just came natural to me, and was and still is something I really enjoy. My primary sport is soccer, and was the first sport I ever engaged into. I started out playing recreational soccer, and then I was "recruited" to play on an all boys travel soccer team, which I really didn't like, but it gave me a lot of challenge and learned me to play differently than with all girls. I've played soccer up until my second year of college, I got recruited out of high school to play at Wesley College in Delaware. When I was in high school I played a sport every season. Soccer, basketball, and softball. I loved playing sports because socially it gave me the opportunity to meet new friends, and learn from them. In high school, sports were pretty much my life. Weekends I even spent playing soccer because I was on a WAGS girls club team, and we would have away games in Virginia a lot. This was also enjoyable at the same time, a time to hang out with my friends. Economically- it was definately a good amount of money ( for my parents though). The fees to play in the tournaments, the money they had to pay for gas to get there, eating, hotels. Sports have definately taken a huge toll in my life, they help shaped who I am today and has helped me been able to accomplish things with a group of people, rather than just individualized. My dad was also big in sports so it helped pushed me towards playing, and doing the best that I could. He taught me a lot of tips in basketball and softball. As for football goes, my parents grew up right outside of Pittsburgh, so they are fanatic fans of the Steelers, so it's kind of hard to be a Ravens fan.

Being an athlete since age five, sports are clearly a large part of who I am. It is what I do, its how I know people, it has taught me life lessons and has even helped me learned to cope with tragedy. Sport is something that defines me and has helped mold me. It is just an everyday thing that goes unnoticed just because that�??s how my life has always been. It has also changed the way I see things going around me. Sports gave me the competitive streak that drives me through so much. The discipline I learned from trying to perfect that craft of playing lacrosse, soccer, basketball, track, and baseball has displayed itself in all the facets of my life, including academics. Without the drive and the structure in my life, I would probably be a different person. Sport affects the society around me; the people I know and spend time with everyday are people I have met through sport. My endeavors into sport and a lot of my purchases go to sport related things. Probably a third of things I own endorse some team, sport, or athlete. And all of that is without consideration to the equipment I had to get over the years. I was encouraged to just play and do what I wanted growing up by my parents; it turned out to be the coaches that caused me to burn out on serious competitive play. Time was also a factor in my experiences, playing the same sports for so long all year round just to keep up with the curve can do a lot to effect a player�??s mentality. While I am still as competitive as ever, I get to play and work on my own schedule and not some coach with an agenda and politics. I don�??t regret the sports I picked. They have given me something to do, a way to be active and I don�??t think it would be any different growing up elsewhere, except for lacrosse only because of its limited availability.

As far back as I can remember sports have been a huge part of my life and I cannot imagine not participating in them. I guess you could say sports were a social thing to me at first. I began by playing soccer when I was younger then picked up lacrosse and track as I grew up. Soccer is like the universal sport that almost all little kids play; I would say that and maybe T-ball or baseball which I never really had an interest in. For this reason I staretd making friends and playing soccer because it was "the thing to do". I grew up in Syracuse, NY where it is almost considered a sin not to play lacrosse. I was most definitely encouraged strongly by my family friends and family to start playing lacrosse. My parents had never forced me to choose a sport based on what others thought and only wanted my brothers and me to choose activities that made us happy. Though I continued to play soccer throughout high school, I dropped the travel leagues and club teams because I felt it was just too expensive and inconvenient. For some teams, (ODP-Olympic development program) I would be forced to drive two hours three days a week for practices, and for me it wasn�??t worth it nor fair to make my parents do that for me. With lacrosse I realized how many more opportunities were opened up for me in the future and that was something that I considered of great importance. I also feel that growing up in a different area, lacrosse would not have necessarily been pushed on me as it was by my community, but I am actually thankful for it. It brought me here to Towson, where I play on the Women�??s lacrosse team and I know that in a different situation I may not have even considered Towson as a university to attend. The one thing I do get frustrated with concerning lacrosse, is when I am coaching camps and I see parents who are bringing five year old kids who can barely hold a stick and sit there and watch them and yell at them while they are playing. I hate the idea of kids playing because their parents want them to; I want THEM to want to play. Even at tournaments I see sixth graders who are already getting looked at by college coaches, and it just shows the advancements and changes that have happend to lacrosse in the past couple years. I just hope that as the sport grows the whole political aspect does not begin to take over, and that people remember the true important parts to playing: The teamwork, making frirnds, the adrenaline that goes through the body, and of course the feeling of victory and success.

Like many others, sports have shaped who I am today. Growing up I was always the tomboy looking to play basketball or soccer with the boys, while the girls were playing Red rover on the blacktop. When it came to summer camps I picked only sports camps. My parents would try to encourage something educational, but that never happened. At age 8 I decided that I wanted to tryout for the local Travel soccer team, and ever since then I�??ve stuck with playing soccer. Socially everything I did was with the girls on my Travel team, not the friends I had at school. You create a different type of bond with your teammates. I�??ve found that throughout my whole life. I now play soccer for Towson and every one of the girls on my team is like family. Through sports you are taught so many important lessons; commitment to a team (teamwork), discipline and competitiveness. One major aspect that I�??ve learned is time management. Playing a sport has helped me tremendously academically. Especially in high school, academics never came easy to me. I learned early on that if I wanted to be able to participate, I had to get the grades. Soccer saved me. After being so successful in high school, my habits now have carried to college.

Sports are not only important individually but as a whole it brings people together. You can make friends simply by liking the same team. I live near right near Baltimore so it�??s not uncommon to go to an O�??s game on a Friday night, $6 student tickets is a great price to spend an evening out with your friends and watch a game.

More than anything sports have affected me socially. Economically I lucked out. However I know my parents have spent so much over the years to fund all the fees for my club team and training, and I don�??t think that tournament in Italy for 14 days was what you would call cheap. Parents these days are spending a ton to fund there kids through sports, but the memories and lessons you learn from team sports are worth every penny

Commenting on marialisa5 post, about her being one of many girls in her family makes me wonder if my outlook on sports would be different if I had sisters. I feel that sports were such a big part of my childhood partly because I have a brother who bonded with my dad and spent a lot of time together watching and practicing together which I was constantly involved in. I think if I did not have a brother, and a sister instead, I don't know if sports would be focused on as much.

Sports to me are an escape from reality. While at the same time it is a place (event) where people no matter what their background, beliefs, religion, culture, etc. can come together. Since I was a young child I have been active in participation and knowledge of the sports world. Growing up I was active in many sports including: swimming, track, dance, diving, and softball. I would not say that I was discouraged or encouraged to participate in a certain sport. My parents raised my brother, sister, and I to take part in what we liked to do, although we all turned out to be swimming stars. I would say the greatest influence I have comes from my parents and that is where my beliefs and understanding of the sports world come from.
I was raised to believe that the New York Mets was, and still is I might add, the greatest baseball team. Although many will disagree with this statement I still believe it. This might be because over the years I grew up with the team with their triumphs and �??slumps�?� but I still as many Met fans do �??Believed!�?� Now many might say I am a bit crazy when it comes to this topic but I believe that baseball for me is an escape from reality. At the ballpark you are there to enjoy the thrill and excitement of the game and that is what makes it so great!

I dont know how else to say it but just like a lot of the other comments, sports are my life. My family and friends can rarely get me up from the couch when I am even watching Sportscenter. During a game that means something to me everyone knows to not even bother trying to get me away from the television. Throughout my childhood and young adult years, I have attended numerous sporting events from things like Orioles games, Redskins games, minor league games, hockey and basketball games, soccer games, and I also went to the Presidents Cup two years ago which was an awesome experience. I am also from Maryland, and people around here live around sports. I have been a consumer of sporting events, hats, jerseys, aparrel, and even food at the games. There is nothing like going to a Redskins game with a bunch of the guys at 10am for a 4 oclock game tailgating and just hanging out with your friends that like the same team. Not only tailgating brings people together, but even on a Wednesday night, if theres a game on, the guys are going to want to relax and hang out. I dont know what I would do if sports werent such a big part of our culture. It seems to be growing and growing with more sports becoming more popular. I was always encouraged to play baseball because I was always good at it and I had a lot of friends on my team. I also playes basketball, tennis, golf, and soccer. I dont really know why i chose these, I just always had to be playing a sport because I loved the competition. It may have been different but my dad helped me realize I would like to play sports. I miss those days when I'd have a double header for baseball and then I'd have to rush over to my basketball game. Overall, sports were, still are, and will always be a huge part of my life.

Sports without a doubt are my life and then some. Whether it would be from playing to watching sports or interacting in fantasy sports, it takes over my life. I can credit my social growth solely to sports. Sports from a young age have allowed me to adapt a �??second family�?�. It introduced me to new people with characteristics similar to mine and now have become my friends. Sports allow me to just go into a conversation and start arguing or disagreeing whether I know the people talking or not know them. Sports to me require all the characteristics of a family from time management to dedication. Sports can teach us many lessons socially, especially on how we should behave as an individual. Economically, sports are considered one of the biggest industries in the world. Like most of the world I contribute to the industry. I�??m always shopping around for the newest apparel, equipment, and tickets. Not only do sports generate money from memorabilia, but it generates an immense amount due to betting. Just like apparel, everyone has spent some money on betting on their favorite sports team. It is astronomically on how much money is generated from the entire sports industry. We all know sports are a major part of our economy and increase our social growth, but sports seem to have taken over our culture here in the United States. In fact, it seems that sports equal our culture. There are very few people in the U.S. that aren�??t watching football on Sundays or never attended a sporting event here. Baseball is considered America�??s pastime and the oldest sport in the United States. Baseball is very popular here and to me when someone is wearing a shirt that says �??I bleed Yankee Blue�?� that pretty much means that is their culture and cannot live without it. Even our own President is involved with the Texas Rangers ownership. Since the USA basketball team has not finished with the gold within past years, basketball has grown to become very popular in foreign countries. Some may see this as a bad thing for the US, but in fact it allows us to have similarities with other countries which in return allow us to interact with the other countries. So many foreigners come here for the American dream. Now there coming to become superstar athletes. To me this seems to be working since our NBA MVP was a native of Germany. Just maybe sports can resolve conflict between different countries without plans or money.
In conclusion, sports matter to me and this country with great importance. Without sports I believe the four categories of social, economical, cultural, and political development would never develop.

.Sports have mattered to me mostly in a social way growing up, and still do to this day. Growing up being the youngest of five girls we were always encouraged to both play sports and to watch and learn about them. From a very young age I was always a part of a sports team. Whether it was soccer or lacrosse I was encouraged always to give it my best shot and try my hardest and to learn what it means to be a part of a team. With that said I do think that where you grow up and are from do play a huge part on what sports you play. I don�??t believe that if I had grown up in California I would have had a lacrosse stick in my hand at such a young age. Had I grown up somewhere else another sport may have been more important to me and the people around me.

Not only did I grow up playing sports but I also grew up watching sports. I can remember from when I was a very young age my father taking me and my four sisters to the Orioles games in the summer and the Redskins games in the winter. To this day these are traditions my sisters and I carry out. Though the traditions have changed, going to a Redskins game is still a social event that means something different to us now.

Being from a family of five girls I have gained a different perspective on sports. Having a father who didn�??t have any sons to teach about sports us girls were the ones he talked to. Given this perspective I have gained a love and appreciation for sports and that is why I plan to pursue a career in public relations for a sports team.

How does sport �??matter�?� to me? Sports have been a part of my life since before I can remember. The first sports I played were soccer, basket ball and baseball. The a football team started and that�??s what I played until I graduated from high school. I think the main reason that I chose to play football in high school was because our school was always known for it and I wanted to be a part of that. I think that if it was known for another sport perhaps baseball or soccer, I would have been playing that. I was never pushed into playing football but I didn�??t know what the word quit meant either. So once I started playing when I was in 6th grade I was in for it for the season and then the next and the next. My mom did try to sway me from playing football because she thought it was dangerous and that I would get hurt, but through all the years I played I never had any serious injuries.
Now after graduating high school and on my way to graduating from college sports now take on a little bit different meaning for me. Now ill only be a spectator of the sports I once played in high school, and I have come to find interest in other sports such as rock climbing, snowboarding, surfing, and other outdoor activities. Rock climbing was always something I had an interest in but never had time for and now that I�??m not devoted to one sport anymore I have all the time in the world. Iv meet many good friends and learned many good lessons through sport and still am, sports are for life, no matter how old you get you can always be a part of sport.

As most who have replied to this post, i too have grown up knowing nothing but sports. Sports were my life, not to say that they still arent, but now there are many more things contending for what takes precedence in my life. Looking back now, how couldn't sports be #1? Having seven uncles who are into sports and a neighborhood full of similar aged males who also lived and breathed sports how couldnt it be? I played almost any organized sport you could think of before age 10, from hockey to golf to cross country. At around the end of middle school and entering high school age, i narrowed my serious sports down to three; hockey, baseball and golf. Them being in all different seasons, would mean that i would be in season all year, with one overlaping the other. After high school i played junior hockey and eventually ended up playing college hockey at Morrisville State in upstate NY. After many shoulder injuries I have sinced transfered to Towson to get my degree.
Playing sports in high school and college always game me that feeling that i was a somebody at where I was at. I felt like i was there for a reason. It also, like many other people, gave me the incentive to stay in shape, lift wieghts, and try to stay out of as much trouble as possible. Building on top of that, I know that being on teams, especially close knit teams, has helped me to make some of the best freinds that I have today.
Getting on the topic of how I picked my sports I would have to say that many different things came into the factor. In general I feel that where you live is a major factor in what activities you participate in. Football and basketball, I feel are the only exceptions to that, in that they are played everywhere. Where I grew up (Erie, Pa, on lake Erie) ice hockey is way more popular than it is in Maryland and having a family background in the sport is what got me started skating around age 3, like many other kids i know. I started in golf early also because of family interest.
The main sport of the three that I played that i am going to touch on is baseball. I feel baseball has dramatically decreased in American society. I started to play organized baseball at around age 4 or 5. Most all of my friends played in T-ball. It was what everyone did. In the summers we played all day, whether it was organized, pickup at the park, yardball, stickball on the street corner or wiffle ball, it was what we liked to do, it was life! Now days you never see that, every once in a while when i drive by the old park i see kids playing but i never see full games everyday like we had. I never see stick ball games in the streets, the intense arguments about balls and strikes, or even something as simple as two kids playing catch in their front yard. I feel that one of the major reasons for that is kids are just lazier these days. TV, video games, etc are changing the way American youth's are being raised and it's sorta sad to see America's "game" being turned into Latin America's "game" or even the worlds game because our kids are inside trying to beat Bowser, instead of throwing the ball around. Finally, like i said before i think that if i were to have grown up in Florida, ice hockey or snowboading wouldn't have been for me, but i do not think that i would have played football or basketball because they are so widely played in every American culture, but seeing as that didnt happen, who knows?

Sport has always been a major part of my life. Sport matters to me in so many different ways, particularly socially. Playing lacrosse here at Towson has taught me dedication, teamwork, time management, and sportsmanship. Coming into college as a freshman and knowing no one, I was immediately given friends. Now I am best friend with all of my teammates. I also love soccer and played it along with lacrosse in high school, however I decided to give up soccer in college. Economically, sports are a huge part of society. People spend large amounts of money on sports equipment, jerseys and other paraphernalia, betting, and in endorsements. Lacrosse in particular is one of the more expensive sports; especially men�??s. From the sticks to helmets and pads, lacrosse is an expensive sport. Parents are willing to spend hundreds and even thousands of dollars for their children. From club team payments to equipment to getting a child recruited, parents are willing to spend the cash. The amount of money professional athletes are making is crazy. With the amount of money Tiger Woods is making in endorsements and A-Rod is making, it seems as though they will never be satisfied. As a women's lacrosse player, we are strictly playing for the love of the game because there is no next level for women's lacrosse like their is for men. A. Witmer said earlier, lacrosse is primarily an east coast sport which I completely agree with. Growing up in South Jersey I was lucky to be introduced to lacrosse at such a young age. Lacrosse is one of the fastest growing sports and will perhaps become as big as other sports one day. I chose to continue to playing lacrosse at the collegiate level because I love how lacrosse is such a fast and intense game. I have played it since I was in 8th grade and still love the sport. I am also a huge college football and the Philadelphia Eagles fan. I grew up living across from Randall Cunningham and am now within a mile of Jevon Kearse and ex-eagle T.O. which is why I am such a big Eagles fan. Sport means so much to me and is a part of my every day life which is why I believe I am going to continue in the field of sports management.

Overall, I feel that sports affect me in a social way more than all other aspects. I was constantly surrounded by sports ever since I can remember. My dad, being an avid football and baseball fan, would always take my older brother and I to the batting cage or would pass the football around with us in the front yard. They would always play sport video games, go to redskins games, and it would constantly be a dinner table topic. When I was in elementary school, I remember I would always get dragged to all my brothers�?? football games. As I grew up, I began to appreciate the game. Fall is no longer called fall; it is called football season. It�??s a part of my life. I join a fantasy football team and look forward to every Sunday. I�??m surrounded by such enthusiasm for it with my family, significant other and my friends. It�??s in America�??s culture to be passionate about sports; it gives us something to be excited about. I feel that it is a way to escape. It is pure entertainment with a competitive edge. The craze for sports allows opportunity for mass advertising. Millions and millions of dollars go into commercial advertising for the super bowl that is it literally unbelievable what a company will pay to have their product shown during super bowl. Economically, it is impossible to go to a sporting event and not spend a ton of money. For parents, it costs a lot to fully equip their child with all necessary gear for their sporting teams. Sports in general are extremely expensive. I know that my boyfriend cancelled Comcast and paid more to get Direct TV just so he could receive the sporting package that shows all the football games instead of just the local games. Lastly, I think that in sports, social opinions help form political opinions. I think the belief and opinions in sports are closely like political beliefs.
I played basketball and tennis when I was younger. My parents never discouraged me from any sport. They allowed me to do or play anything I wanted, and let me stop whenever I wanted. I would have liked to try lacrosse or soccer, but I did too many other things and didn�??t start playing early enough. It takes years of playing to make a high school sports team, at least in the town I grew up in. I played what I played simply because I enjoyed it. I think every town is different, and certain games are bigger than they would be in other towns. My high school was big on football and lacrosse and the games brought the biggest crowd. Different sports may be more popular in some towns but one thing is for sure and that is that sports are a huge part of everyone�??s lives.

I would have to say that sport matters to me personally in a more social aspect. Sports, whether I am participating in them or watching a game with my friends or family, brings me together with people that I have a common interest with. I�??ve met plenty of people and made a lot of friends just by rooting for the same teams. On the participation side of the social aspect, getting together with my friends to play a game of basketball or football is one of my favorite things to do. I enjoy sports just as much with people I just met through a pick up game. The feeling of being competitive is why I enjoy sports the most. I do, however, believe sports is an enormous market and is a huge part of American culture. Although I encounter/am exposed to sports everyday I feel their impact in my life more when I am participating in them. I never have been really encouraged/discouraged from sports, except when I wasn�??t allowed to participate in them any longer due to injury. Of all the sports I have ever participated in I would say that I chose some that were �??individual�?�, such as wrestling, golf, track, and maybe even baseball. Other than that the only other sport I participated in was football. I don�??t think the sports I chose would have been different if I had come from somewhere else. I know that some sports are more popular in different regions in our country, but sports for the most part are availible to anyone that wishes to engage in them.

I agree with micsongy1. Sports today is getting a little out of control with the amount of money that people spend to go to a sporting event. What ever happened to just the love of the game. I wish sports was not as commercial as our society turns it into. Its not fair to the people that want to go watch their favorite team play, but do not have enough money to go because of the high priced tickets these days. If we werent paying people like Alex Rodriguez over 200 million dollars, ticket prices would not have to be so high and money would not be such a problem anymore.

I agree with micsongy1. Sports today is getting a little out of control with the amount of money that people spend to go to a sporting event. What ever happened to just the love of the game. I wish sports was not as commercial as our society turns it into. Its not fair to the people that want to go watch their favorite team play, but do not have enough money to go because of the high priced tickets these days. If we werent paying people like Alex Rodriguez over 200 million dollars, ticket prices would not have to be so high and money would not be such a problem anymore.

Sports is a huge part of my life hence the reason I want to become a Physical Education teacher for a living. It is my biggest hobby whether I am watching a game on T.V or playing in a pick up game or organized league. I can easily say that sport has affected my life in numerous ways especially in a social, economic, cultural, and political aspect. Ever since I was 5 years old, I have been playing league sports including soccer, basketball, baseball, and volleyball. Socially, this is important in my life because of the amount of friends that I have made over the years. In team sports, teamwork is most important in winning games. If a team does not work well as a group, then the team has a small chance of being successful. That is why making friends and feeling comfortable with other teammates is so important. Watching college and professional sports on T.V also brings a lot of my friends together whether were watching a big football game Sunday afternoon, or getting together to watch the World Series. Looking at sports through an economic standpoint, it is quite an expensive interest to have. If I could take back all the money that I have spent on sport jerseys, sporting equipment, football and baseball tickets, and 8-dollar hotdogs at Giant Stadium, I could probably buy a nice car with it all. But I don�??t regret any of it. So many of my life experiences have come from sports, and some of my best memories as well. I wouldn't trade that in for anything. Culturally, because of where I am from, (Fairfield, CT, only an hour from NYC) sports are huge. New York City, which consists of so many different sport teams, has affected me greatly. My dad who was born in Queens, NY, brought me up as a Mets/Jets fan and it stuck with me. Sports have brought family and friends together, cheering on the Jets in a big game. It also gives you that extreme sense of excitement during a big game. I don't think anything can replace that feeling. Sports in the area that I am from not only bring my family and friends together but I think as a whole, it brings society together. So many people rooting for one team, having that one main thing in common with someone else can bring people together like one big family. Lastly, in a political point of view, although many citizens hate certain political voices and like others, criticize the president etc, sports has a way of bringing all the criticisms to a halt and instead be proud to be an American. It's funny how that works. For example, after 9/11 took place, god bless America began to be sung often. Americans seemed to realize how proud they were to belong to this country, where we can all come together as one. All in all, I think that sports can raise your self-esteem a lot easier than it can lower it, as long as you have good teammates. Even if you make a bad play, you�??ll have teammates to pick you up and tell you its okay. That's what sports is all about.

*I copy and pasted the last paragraph twice on my previous post. Please ignore that one since I can not delete it*

As I have progressed through life and grown older my interest or dependence of sport has grown as well. When I was younger the only reason sports was important to me was because I used to participate in them. Therefore, since I participated in sports such as basketball or hockey I began to watch those sports. Now present day, sports have taken a whole new meaning to me. Now I see sports not only has something I enjoy to play and watch, but also something that has taken a larger role in my everyday life.

Sports have taken a larger role in my life through several different ways. First, I have chosen to now pursue a career in the sports industry. Instead of just viewing and participating in sports for the sole purpose of enjoyment, I now am looking at sports as an economic entity. Sports now �??matters�?� to me in a social sense as well. A good example of this is the Superbowl. The Superbowl is not only just about the game anymore, but it is now the �??Superbowl Party�?� is almost has important as the actual game. Sports have taken a bigger role in my life as I have grown up and as sports have grown in our society.

I do not believe that I was discouraged to play any sports, but I was definitely encouraged to play many sports. I have also had a desire to play sports through out my life and that is the main reason I have decided to be a Sports Management major. The sports I have currently played/play competitively are hockey, basketball, lacrosse, and golf. I took part in those sports because they were sports that my father enjoyed and played as a kid. So, when I was growing up I saw my father playing them and decided I wanted to play the same sports. I would have probably take interest in other sports though if I wasn�??t from the United States. This became clear to me after working at a summer sleep-away camp where I had co-workers who were from all over the world. For instance, I may be more inclined to like Rugby or Cricket, as I have found out are extremely popular outside of the United States.

As I have progressed through life and grown older my interest or dependence of sport has grown as well. When I was younger the only reason sports was important to me was because I used to participate in them. Therefore, since I participated in sports such as basketball or hockey I began to watch those sports. Now present day, sports have taken a whole new meaning to me. Now I see sports not only has something I enjoy to play and watch, but also something that has taken a larger role in my everyday life.

Sports have taken a larger role in my life through several different ways. First, I have chosen to now pursue a career in the sports industry. Instead of just viewing and participating in sports for the sole purpose of enjoyment, I now am looking at sports as an economic entity. Sports now �??matters�?� to me in a social sense as well. A good example of this is the Superbowl. The Superbowl is not only just about the game anymore, but it is now the �??Superbowl Party�?� is almost has important as the actual game. Sports have taken a bigger role in my life as I have grown up and as sports have grown in our society.

I do not believe that I was discouraged to play any sports, but I was definitely encouraged to play many sports. I have also had a desire to play sports through out my life and that is the main reason I have decided to be a Sports Management major. The sports I have currently played/play competitively are hockey, basketball, lacrosse, and golf. I took part in those sports because they were sports that my father enjoyed and played as a kid. So, when I was growing up I saw my father playing them and decided I wanted to play the same sports. I would have probably take interest in other sports though if I wasn�??t from the United States. This became clear to me after working at a summer sleep-away camp where I had co-workers who were from all over the world. For instance, I may be more inclined to like Rugby or Cricket, as I have found out are extremely popular outside of the United States.

I do not believe that I was discouraged to play any sports, but I was definitely encouraged to play many sports. I have also had a desire to play sports through out my life and that is the main reason I have decided to be a Sports Management major. The sports I have currently played/play competitively are hockey, basketball, lacrosse, and golf. I chose the sports I did because they were sports that my father enjoyed and played as a kid. So, when I was growing up I saw my father playing them and decided I wanted to play the same sports. After working at a summer sleep-away camp where I had co-workers who were from all over the world I realized that if I was not from the United States I would probably not enjoy the same sports that I currently do. For instance, I may be more inclined to like Rugby or Cricket, as I have found out are extremely popular outside of the United States.

Sport matters to me in a big way. I don't know where I'd be without sports. They have taught me so much and have made me into the person I am today. Socially, I have learned about teamwork and striving as a team to achieve a desired goal. It has taught me that determination and hard work does pay off. Economically, sport effects my bank account from all the jerseys, hats and other equipment that I buy as a fan and as a player. I also invest in tickets to a baseball or football game or even joining a baseball or softball league. Politically, sport bring so many cultures together such as the Olympics. It helps us Americans learn about other countries and in turn also helps other countries learn about us. Being so close to NYC during 9/11, it really made me proud to be an American because we can all come together during such a sad time and support each other. When George Bush threw out that first pitch at Yankee Stadium, it gave me chills because he threw it from the mound and threw a perfect strike. Sport effected me culturally in the biggest way. Growing up close to NYC, I got to attend sporting events to see teams such as the NY Knicks, Rangers, Yankees, Mets, Jets and Giants. What affected me most growing up was the Spring of 1994. You had the Knicks and the Rangers both in the playoffs and you were wishing that both teams could win their respective championships at Madison Square Garden. One night you would be rooting for the knicks at MSG and the next night the Rangers in the same place. The city was electric. How cool would it be to have a double championship in this city. Even though the Knicks ended up losing the championship, I think that it made me want to go out there and play basketball because I wanted to have that feeling of winning. I wanted to feel the pride of playing in such a great city. That year definitely encouraged me to play basketball for as long as I can. I went on to play in middle school and Varsity level basketball. Even though I'm not a big of fan of the NBA anymore, because the game has changed so much, I still think it was that year that really got me excited about playing the sport. If I hadn't lived where I was, I dont think I'd be where I am today. If I didn't live close to NYC, I would of never been a NY sports fan and got to engage in all the excitement of the city. If I had lived in MD I probably would have liked soccer or lacrosse. Therefore I believe your surroundings or your environment directly effects your way of life.

Ever since I was a little kid, sports have always been an enormous factor in my life. I was never discouraged to play any sports but my parents were always a big factor in talking to me and figuring out which sports I wanted to play. I had to make a decision of whether to play lacrosse or baseball because the overlap in seasons and in games made playing both nearly impossible. I remember them asking me one simple question: �??which do you enjoy playing more?�?� I always knew the answer was baseball. I was always throwing a ball with my dad, the wiffle ball tournament in the neighborhood was the highlight of my summers, and it�??s the sport that seems so simple, yet it is full of minor details that unless you know the game you would never realize they exist. Had I been from somewhere else or had I not moved into my new neighborhood when I was six years old there is no telling if I would enjoy the game of baseball like I do.

If I had to rank sports on a list of what is important to me, it would defiantly rank behind family, but while thinking about this I realized that sports make everyone fit into one �??family�?� or another. It seems to be one of few things in the world that can have people who come from completely different walks of life and who would probably never think twice of even nodding their head while passing on the street, conversing about a common interest. It could be a simple conversation about your team�??s game that was just played that brings these people together or an in-depth discussion about the past, present or future of whatever sport you find interesting. Just recently, the entire nation of Iraq put fighting on hold to watch their international soccer team defeat Saudi Arabia to win the Asia Cup. If that does not prove to people that sports can even bring together those with such extreme differences in their points of view, I don�??t know what can.

Sports have controlled many aspects of my life. I have always been encouraged by my parents to play sports as a child. I was fortunate enough to play on two championship football teams in high school. So I have experienced the joy of winning and the terrible feeling of losing as a team. Socially sports have helped me understand that team chemistry is very important to win as a group. Sports taught me how to work as a team, how to motivate others, and how to motivate myself. Sports allow me to start a conversation about my fantasy team, previous plays shown on ESPN, or tell my teammate �??Good job �??. It allows me in someway to connect with people. Sports effect me economically in many ways, from ticket prices, to what bar has a beer and wing special during a particular event. Unfortunately I feel that sporting events are getting out of control for the everyday average citizen. The five dollar hotdog and the fifty dollar ticket maybe double or triple that by the time I have kids and want to enjoy a game. I feel that in the future sports economically will only allow the upper class to attend games. Culturally sports have shown me how diverse our world is. It has shown me people from other countries appreciate different sports more than others . A popular sport in America may not be as popular in another country. Sports help bring cultures together, it helps to promote friendly competition within regions. Culturally sports is a language everyone knows or has a team they can relate to. Politically sports can show that government officials are real people, by throwing out the first pitch or rooting for a special team. Politically I feel sports give you a sense of pride with in your government or region. In the Olympics when America wins a gold medal, I feel proud to me an American. When the national anthem is played before sporting events it make you remember what country you live in and how proud you are to be apart of it.

The concept of sports in today's society, depending on how you view them, changes and alters many lives. There's one specific example that comes to mind, the TV show "Stump the Schwab". Hosted by Stuart Scott, Howie Schwab is a former ESPN statistician, that challeneges three contenders to providing the most knowledge in sports history. However, there are few, very few occassions when I have witnessed 'The Schwab' lose. My roommate watches this show religiously and knows many of the answers. It becomes evident that past, present, and future sport entertainment will continue to shape society.
As for my individual life regarding sports, I am consumed by them. Growing up my entire family (mom, aunts, uncles, grandparents) was athletic and constantly playing sports. It was only right that I followed in their footsteps. They played a wide variety of sports, so I was introduced to all of them and faired pretty well with each. However, soccer became my favorite and at age five I began playing on a team. I am still playing soccer till this day with a few teams and its by far my sport of choice. Don't get me wrong, I love watching football, baseball, and all sports; but given the chance I would much rather indulge in soccer. Soccer is a team sport so it helped me, and still does, in a social aspect. When I was younger, my best friend and I played on the same team. I have gained many of my current friends from playing soccer as well. Economically, sports have their advantages and disadvantages. My travel soccer team cost my mom a whole lot of money due to team fees, uniforms and equipment, tournaments, and travelling expenses. That's a disadvantage, however, some kids excel greatly and receive full-rides to colleges of their choice. I never pursued that aspect because I didn't want to attend college, but mom made clear 'no college' wasn't an option! Culturally, soccer is accepted all over the world. It has allowed me to play and appreciate the many different nationalities I come in contact with while playing. I also have a stronger appreciation for their style of play and sportsmanship presented. Politically, well I hate politics, but somehow they have become important if the President of the United States is showing up at certain sporting events!
Encouragement from my family and friends has turned me into the athlete I am today. The only discouragement I have ever received is from yelling parents on the sideline, but that turns into a whole different issue. There are many things that sway a child into playing a particular sport(s). If I grew up in a place where soccer wasn�??t offered or wasn�??t very popular, I definitely wouldn�??t be playing it still today. Sports are influenced by many factors, just as we and society are influenced by the many aspects sports offer. Every night or following morning I have smack dab in front of the television picking up the scores and top plays from the day/night before. I live and breathe sports!

I don't really agree with Marc's comment about race when looking at choosing a sport. To say that �??�?�as a society together the white people know what sport they should play in and the African American knows what he/ she should focus on�?��?� not only sounds offensive, but also demeaning. Sure, some sports have a higher percentage in terms of race demographics for one race over another, but when it comes to a choice of which sport to play, I don�??t believe race is a very large factor anymore.

When examining how sport affects me individually, it�??s hard to put into words how much sport has become part of my daily life. Almost like a daily habit such as brushing my teeth and eating, I find myself watching a game on television or researching scores on the internet almost unconsciously, and to describe it is difficult. To put it frankly, soccer is the only real sport for me. Though I do like to watch and talk about college basketball, the Orioles, and the Ravens, I feel like I have a natural love for soccer. This is most likely due to my father (born and raised in Greece) emphasizing the importance and beauty of soccer at an early age to me. He never forced soccer on me, but instead allowed me to play it for the pure enjoyment. Throughout the last 15 years of playing soccer and various other sports, I have gone through many of the same social situations my peers likely went through in sports such as making new friends, dealing with rejection, and of course, the jubilation and fun of playing a sport you love. Politically, soccer has given me a new outlook on the globalization of sport, and even how a simple rivalry between two teams may lie much deeper than just in proximity, but into the political backgrounds and religion of those teams fans. Economically, soccer was a great sport to play for myself because I only needed a pair of cleats and only the occasional out of state tournament would be a cause for concern. Hockey and Lacrosse however gave my parents a little more worry about the cost of equipment, so my involvement in those sports never really materialized. Overall, soccer is the sport for me because it was just the best fit for me on a cultural and social level. Even if I lived in Greece, Iowa, or even Canada, I feel that soccer would still always be the sport for me.

Sports have mattered a great deal in my life. I have been playing some type of sport since I was 8. It started with tee ball and soccer. I soon dropped baseball (to boring for me) and picked up lacrosse. From then on it�??s been all about lacrosse. In high school I stopped playing soccer and thought I would give football a try. It didn�??t work out as well as I had hoped so I ended up quitting that mid-season. I believe sports have helped me become a better person, and there fore more prepared for life. Socially sport teaches you so much, how to defend your self, discipline, how to listen to others, teamwork, I mean the list could go on. Sport is a big influence economically, and politically; politically, before every game our national anthem is played. After 9/11 during the 7th inning stretch at the MLB playoffs �??God Bless America�?� was played. After Katrina hit New Orleans one of the first things to be rebuilt was the Football stadium. If could be said that sport is used to revive a nation when hurting. Culturally the popular sports are different, but the same principles behind sport and what it does for the people is the same. I have played a lot of sports, for the simple reason to see what I liked the best. I was never really pushed, encouraged or discouraged to play a certain sport. However my mom would not let me play football as a kid because it was too dangerous and my dad said hockey was too expensive. Other then that I could play any sport I chose and my parents were behind me. I tried baseball, soccer, football, wrestling, track and field, and lacrosse. I liked being involved in sports and part of a team, I wanted to see what my sport was, and I found it to be lacrosse. I didn�??t like baseball because it was to slow pace of a game for me. Soccer was my favorite until I was cut my freshman year in high school, and I then realized that lacrosse was my sport. Soccer also seemed to be less active then lacrosse and football. I tried football my junior year in high school because the coach said I would start. I didn�??t start and ended up hating wearing the pads. So by trial and error lacrosse is my sport. I have always loved it; I could play it every day and not get tired of it. Now if I were to have grown up not in Maryland or not even on the east coast it would probably be a lot different. Perhaps if I were to have grown up in the mid-west I would probably be a football guy, in Europe most defiantly soccer. But I was born and raised in Maryland and lacrosse if therefore my sport.

I completely agree with Francesca Terrano in the ways that he described the way sports has shaped him socially. I also have friendships through football that I would have never had if I didn't play football. One of my closest friends is in California playing on a full ride at Stanford. If I hadn't met him and created a bond as strong as we have I wouldn't even know what he was doing. But through that bond he and I have been in contact at least once a week to talk about what he is doing.

Sport �??matters�?� to me due to the profound effects that it has had in my life. Through life lessons and experiences I have shaped my life around sports. Whether it is through participating in sports, or viewing sports everyday in my life I have always been deeply entranced in all the aspects of sports. Personally growing up in Pennsylvania had a major role in shaping my thoughts about football. I have personally played in stadiums that rival some college stadiums. My own high school stadium holds between 5000 and 7000 people. The movie �??Friday Night Lights�?� always makes me feel like I am back in high school. Due to the fact that football was such a major income for our high school it was quite apparent that economically its impact was great. Without that income the athletic department would be greatly strapped for cash. This would cause a lot of issues because without that money many other sports would less money to purchase equipment and pay for officials. Socially sports have been expressed upon me by my peers and coaches as a gateway to success. By participating it was expressed to us our peers would look up to us and follow our examples. Even though I disagree with the uses of political power through football in my high school it was quite apparent that if you were a football player you were treated differently. Most teachers knew you and you knew your teachers beyond the realms that are what some may see as normal. Not only did I participate in football but baseball as well. Growing up baseball was all that I knew and played. Yeah I watched football but if you asked me what I did last night when I was between the ages of five and ten, I would have said played baseball or wiffleball with my brother. But as I matured I moved on to football which is my favorite sport now and most likely forever baring a player hold out or strike. Personally from going to college in Maryland has greatly shown me that had I gone to high school in Maryland I would have not been as pressured to play football but maybe lacrosse instead.

I agree with A. Witmer. He makes a good point about sports can help form one person in a social aspect. People learn to form friends on sports teams.

I agree with A.Witmer he made some very good points about sports and how they affect our lives. Also we would be different people without sports maybe not 100% different, but our views and opinions would be different. Also I agree to a point that where and how we are raised shape us into the sport consumer and the person we will turn out to be.

I agree 100% with J. Hyson when he says "the good things that sports taught me were how to be competitive and to work as a team. Also sports over the years have help me achieve better leadership qualities that I can use hopefully in my career later in life". Sports have taught me so much about working together as a team and making it a necissity not only on the court or field but also in life. It has also taught me about how important iniative is and being a leader!

I feel as though sport plays a vital role in so many peoples' lives including my own. My interest and love for sports has molded my decision to become a physical educator. Sports are all around us, day in and day out. They are in the newspaper, on the homepage, on TV and the news constantly. It seems like where ever you look, you can find something to do with sports. Our day and age has boosted sports to even the top of priority lists! Sports affect me economically as well as everyone else. Whether it�??s that McGahee jersey you just need to have, or new basketball sneakers that I need to give me that edge on my game! Sports have also affected me culturally and politically as well. Culturally it has become a sin to not watch football on Sundays. It goes right up there with the day of rest doesn't it? Politics play a huge outcome of the organization, the team and who plays during the season, when they play and where. Politics in sports in my opinion ruin the love of the game. There is however, no getting around it. Sports have affected my life mostly socially. I have met some of my closest friends and friends that I will remain close to throughout life playing sports. I�??ve played basketball for 12 years now. I have met so many extraordinary people through that time by being involved in it. I was also always encouraged by my family and friends to play sports and be involved. Sports are not for everyone, but in my case they are everything! Even if I did not enjoy a sport I tried or wasn't good at it, I would have never known if I didn't try. I fell in love with basketball because it automatically felt comfortable to me. It was exciting and challenging from the minute I picked up the ball. It became more than a sport or a hobby, it became my life! Basketball was not just a winter sport. Basketball meant fall ball in the fall, in season during the winter, training in the spring, and summer league during the hot summer months! When I lived in New York there were not as many opportunities for me to play as there is in Carroll County. Moving to MD, opened my horizons to basketball and developed me into the athlete I am today. In high school I realized that I was very talented when it came to speed. After meeting with several of the coachers that had observed during basketball season, I was asked to run track and field. In basketball, running was always a punishment. That famous "get on the line" , just turned me off to running for leisure. Being the person I am, I had to try it and was pushed my coaches and my family to run. I ended up loving it and my senior year made it to the state finals for the 100m and the long jump! Some of my best memories that will last a life time have developed from sports. Sports have shaped my life by my own experiences and watching those of others. I can't remember a day when I haven�??t either played a sport myself or watched the Ravens, Orioles, Terps, etc. That would just be an incomplete day in my opinion!

Sports have always been an important part of my life. Growing up in Montgomery County, Maryland, I have played all kinds of team sports in my adolescent years. So many kids were good at sports, but I learned that playing well together made us better than our competition. The one sport that I loved and wanted to enhance my ability in was baseball. Baseball, ended up becoming my obsession and remained a passion with me all the way to the college level, where I played my freshman and sophomore years. Sports have helped me mature and shape me as a person over time. An essential lesson was learning to control your emotions; getting upset at one play only obscured my ability to try again for the next move. Outside the sport itself there have been some key components which have helped me develop skills in life situations off the field. Sports matter to me in four main ways: economically, socially, culturally, and politically. Economically, sports have had an impact on me in many ways. Investing in equipment for the different sports, purchasing food at the concession stands, and buying tickets to sporting events are just a few ways why economically sports matter to me. Investing in sports is a commitment. Playing when younger was a passion done on the local level. Eventually, this commitment could lead to being in a professional position in sports marketing on a national scale. Socially, it has helped me a lot, from learning how to form relationships with other players to knowing how to cope and curtail inappropriate behavior of other players on and off the field. Culturally, it makes you try your best, builds self confidence, and improves your playing ability. Lastly, politically it helps bridge different cultures together. For example, soccer, a very popular sport in many foreign countries, is becoming more poplar in the U.S since David Beckham�??s arrival. Basketball, baseball, and golf are some other sports which are popular in the U.S and also in foreign countries. All of these sports are good bridges to opening new doors, beginning a dialogue and promoting cooperation instead of tension. Sports is a draw for the young, and since they represent a country�??s future athletes, are to be encouraged and the government commended for accepting any overture that draws people together in friendly competition. Overall, the U.S. and will benefit from promoting the use of sports in diplomacy and international physical fitness.
Growing up my parents encouraged me to play any sport that I wanted to, except for one. Football was the one exception that everyone discouraged me from playing, mainly because of having open heart surgery as a baby. Baseball has always been my favorite sport and the one I was best at mainly because I wanted to follow in my Dad�??s footsteps and play baseball even as a professional. Location didn�??t alter my decision to play baseball even when I went away to college. My Dad is a great role model and my passion revolved around baseball and the dream we shared together.

Sports has played a major role in my life ever since I could walk. I always had a bat, ball, mitt, or stick in my hands. I started out playing bitty basketball and soccer. This is where i started to hone my skills not only on the field but skills i continue to use today. Sports is one of the greatest teaching tools to any age group in my opinion. It teaches things such as teamwork, heart, dtermination, hardwork, sharing, and sportsmanship amoung many others.
I can not go through a day without watching sportscenter, reading in the news or talking with friends about last nights games. It is a part of me socially becasue that is one of the main things that gets tossed around during breakfast lunch and dinner. Whenever my Dad calls he always informs me on what my old high schools team has been doing or the scores around the league. I feel sport is a strong part of my culture. After all I was born and raised with sport as a focal point. I used to watch football, basketball, and baseball with my Dad unless of course I was playing that day.
I would not say I have been discouraged from playing a sport becauce after all I feel as though anyone can play any sport. With that being said I do feel as a society together the white people know what sport they should play in and the african american knows what he/ she should focus on and etc ect this goes for every race out there. Lets face it if your not 7 feet tall your not playing basketball if your caucasian. If you are a burley white man that can skate on ice and hit people hockey may be for you. With all of this said I really believe that these are just sterotypes that the media and other sources have engraved on us.
I choose to play lacrosse in college. I chose this sport becasue simply this was the only sport that would take me to a division 1 team. You can always speculate that if I was from the west coast I may be doing something else but I dont really know what that something would be .

Sport is and always will be a huge part of my life. Growing up in Williamsport, PA baseball was my passion. It has given me my drive and determination to succeed in everyday life. I think kids should have some form of sport in there life at an early age because it teaches accountably which the next generation of kids is lacking.

Spending every waking second in high school playing baseball was fun for a while, but there is a point where I think coaches take the sport out of sports. They live vicariously through the kids and burnout is typically the result. It happened to me and it took a long time for me to truly say I love the game of baseball again.


There is a fine line and some coaches are great at recognizing the line but some lose focus which in my opinion has a direct correlation to burnout. My recommendation for coaches is to take into account how hard you push your players and keep sports fun.

I agree with J. Hyson that many kids are pushed to the point of burnout in their respective sports. I get burned out when playing soccer sometimes. Parents putting pressure on their kids to be better then everyone else, and to work at it all the time can turn their positive love of sports into a negative.
Also, I wanted to say that lacrosse is not the official sport of Maryland like A. Witmer�??s post says, jousting is. Lacrosse has been adopted as the team sport of Maryland as of 2004.

Over the years, sports have been an integral part of my life. Growing up in Harford County, Maryland, I did not see basketball or football that appealing. It may have been because I was a shorter white kid, but frankly, this area of Maryland is terrible at those two sports in comparison to other parts of the state. Seeing how bad my area was at these sports, I was driven to playing other sports as a kid. Soccer, baseball, and swimming ate up my summer vacations. Swim team was a great communal activity that brought together everyone in the surrounding neighborhoods. Many summer mornings were spent with friends at the pool for a very little cost. Baseball was another place to develop strong work ethics and teamwork skills needed later in life. However, I felt that soccer was the greatest tool in my development as a person. Playing club level soccer gave me the chance to travel the country and play against the top competition, not only from the country, but from other parts of the world too. To get to that point, I had to develop a great work ethic and to take pride in my sport. Without that pride or ability to focus, I would never have had the ability to play, and achieve success at such a high level in soccer.
Sports, in particular soccer, was my life. It�??s how I spent my summer vacations, and subsequently how my parents�?? spent theirs. It was not until I played soccer in college when I realized the effect it had on my parents. The money they spent to give me every opportunity was immense, but more importantly was their time. They paid a great price for my athletics, but never once complained because they wanted to see me develop as a person whether be in success (winning) or failure (losing).

Sports are pretty much my life and still are to a certain point. I too was born in Maryland where you pretty much live and breath sports. The one sport is lacrosse. I have played lacrosse since I was about 2 years old. I have always loved the game and was pushed very hard to play it along with basketball. I love sports they have taught me a lot throughout my life both good and also bad. The good things that sports taught me were how to be competitive and to work as a team. Also sports over the years have help me achieve better leadership qualities that I can use hopefully in my career later in life. The bad was how social class and as people say brown nosing really goes on in front of everyone; yet no one does a thing about it. Can anyone really do that much about it with the society that we live in? However sports have helped shape me into the person that I am today. I chose to play basketball and lacrosse because well that is what I was told to play and I did was I was told.
Throughout my sporting career especially in high school I didn�??t realize until now my sister being a junior in high school how much economically sports had an impact on my family and all families for that matter. Sports are my family�??s life and everything has always revolved around playing whatever sport was in season. I can say that I was pushed to hard while I was in high school to the point where I gave up the sport I loved for a while. However it molded me into the person I am today and also gave me the opportunity to help my sister with the same struggles that I went through when I was her age. Which is good because sports have a effect on just about everyone's life at some point.

Sport matters to me in everyway. Not to mention that sports management is what I am going to school for. At the same time, sport has taught me a lot over the years, especially socially. When I first started playing, I learned all about competition and teamwork. It has even given me a determination and drive to go after the things I want. However, economically sport has affected me not just as a consumer when I buy my jerseys or hats but when I eat a hot dog at the ball park or buy drinks at the hockey games my dad has been taking me to for years. Sport directly and indirectly affects so much of our economy, most of the time with out us even knowing. But I think it�??s the effect that sport has over our culture that is the most impressive. Soccer is loved around the world, except in the U.S. Though it may be growing bigger, U.S. �??soccer�?� is nothing compared to the game you see elsewhere. But the way that sport has impacted me culturally is through lacrosse. Lacrosse is seen as an �??east coast sport�?�, most states west of Virgina have no idea what it is. It�??s Maryland�??s state sport and it has grown to be huge all over the area. Being born in Maryland, lacrosse is what you played in high school and younger if you weren�??t already in another spring sport and has grown to be just as popular with younger kids as the infamous bumble bee soccer leagues. Sport is everywhere and with out sport, I�??d be a completely different person. If I hadn�??t played the sports my brother played or if I didn�??t live in Maryland, I would have never played lacrosse, which has become my favorite sport to play. Where you are, and how you�??re raised shapes a lot of who you are as a sport consumer, right down to who you cheer you.