Violence In Sports

There are sporting bodies that earn more than some countries’ entire Gross Domestic Product for a calendar year. This is not even to imply that such nations are poverty stricken. It is simply that there are very wealthy sporting bodies. A few have even been in the headlines recently for allegations of corruptions among some of their highest ranking officials. This is clearly a problem that should be deal with but even so, there are many people who are just as eager to see violence cease in sporting competitions. Here are some aspects of the issue.

Lack of adequate protective gear

There are instances where a very common move in a popular sport has been proven scientifically to be as dangerous if not more so than being in a car accident in which some people might die. With this in mind it should be straightforward. If these people are to be expected to engage in such acts, they should be adequately protected. Unfortunately, the opposite often happens. They are sent to play in gear that is just shy of useless. In the case of cheerleaders, because they are not considered athletes, they perform dangerous stunts with no gear at all.

Desire for entertainment

If we know the acts are dangerous, why do we not ban them from their respective sports altogether? The answer, sadly, if that we enjoy watching them. In American football, the tackles that people are so entranced by are only possible when men who are several times average size run into each other at alarming speeds. It creates a very startling incident which is what many of the sports’ fans actually attend events to see take place. Similarly, when cheerleader routines are stripped of most of their dangerous elements, they become much less entertaining.

Long term effects

This can be one of the most difficult aspects of the sport. Years after they cease playing, some will begin to show the symptoms of dementia. Even more alarmingly, these symptoms can appear as early as their late thirties which is much younger than the average person who suffers in this way. This has been proven to be a result of repeated blunt force trauma to the head.

Athletes are the heroes of modern society whether we want them to be or not. The least we can do for people who bring us so much joy is to protect them.