...A proposal addressing the Texas University Scholastic League (UIL), the organization that creates rules for almost all athletic and academic contests for public schools in the state of Texas. The committee is hostile to changing their ruling that requires students to compete with athletes of their same gender, based on their birth certificate. Protecting Texas Transgender Athletes Sports play an essential role in the lives and development of children. As the Vice President for the National Alliance for Youth Sports explains, “Sports are the greatest tool we have in today’s society to help children develop positive character traits and life values.” Not only are they great for health and fitness but sports have been proven to boost self-esteem,...
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...Women in Sports Gender roles can be defined as a certain set of behaviors that are considered normal for a person based upon their sex. The male is viewed as independent, strong, and non-emotional, while the female is viewed as dependent, sensitive, and emotional. This concept brings upon the question of whether females can do things that are generally male specific and vise versa. In today’s society the female athletics are becoming very popular. New rules and regulations require colleges to have an equal female sport for every male sport that is offered. For example, if a college has a baseball team, then it is required to have a softball team. We are now seeing female athletes excel in sports like never before. Some females are now dominating their sport, like Serena Williams, a professional tennis player, and Ronda Rousey, a professional UFC fighter. These athletes make many question if they would be able to compete against male athletes of the same sport. Although female athletes are skillful, they cannot compete with male athletes in competitive sports. (Hockenbury & Hockenbury 2014). Today’s society would agree that female athletes cannot compete with male athletes in most circumstances. In major sports like baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and tennis the female athlete has not broken the gender barrier. This is because the male athlete is physically stronger than the female; we can look at tennis statistics to prove this statement. In 2012, Samuel Groth...
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...community adds a whole new dimension to social problems. Everyone is entitled to their own unique opinions which makes including members of the transgender community into the current society very difficult, especially when it comes to sports. Sports are a large part of today’s world from little league all the way up to professional. People...
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...Athletes as Role Models Learning Team A SOC/105 August 26, 2013 Michelle Gardner Athletes as Role Models The effect of professional athletes has always played a big role in society. Talented, young, charming, women and men smashing world records on the field or court seem to be natural role models for our youth. These athletes and their behaviors and actions are so closely observed and mimicked by the youth it makes you ask the question should they really be considered role models? Athletes throughout history have always been considered role models for young children with a gift for sports. There have been many misdeeds that have occurred that makes us question whether athletes deserve to be considered role models. Conversely, athletes make good role models for several reasons such as promoting physical fitness, educational success, self-confidence, and a strong work ethic. The role of being an athlete is a good goal to reach in itself especially with the obesity epidemic that we are currently having in America. Athletes must have a strong work ethic and devote a large portion of their personal time to training in order to become a professional. Athletes also need to display a high degree of self confidence in order to be successful. With the exception of a very small few most athletes do go to college, and are expected to be successful, which promotes children to seek further education (Williams, 2011 ). A current...
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...warm to hot temperatures. It was engineered to make the body stay cool, dry and light. To satisfy all consumers, Under Armour offered their HeatGear in a variety of tops and bottoms as well as in a variety of colors. To satisfy those consumers who participate in sports or recreational activity in cold weather, Under Armour designed ColdGear. ColdGear provided warmth and dryness to the body while wicking away moisture. ColdGear could be worn under a uniform or jersey, and it could also be worn as an outerwear. Lastly, Under Armour designed the AllSeasonGear for those who play in changing temperatures. AllSeasonGear kept the wearer cool and dry in warmer temperature while keeping them warm in colder temperature. In 2006, Under Armour began marketing footwear products to men, women, and youth. They offered footwear for sports such as football, basketball, soccer, lacrosse, softball, and many more. Their footwear was designed to provide cushion, stabilization, comfort, control, and moisture management. In 2013, Under Armour’s accessory line included socks, gloves, headwear, mouth guards, eyewear, and much more. All accessory items were designed to provide some sort of performance advantages, for example their sports gloves included HeatGear and ColdGear technologies. In December of 2013, Under Armour acquired MapMyFitness, which served one of the largest fitness communities in the world. They began to...
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...The Y chromosome: Male or Female? Today’s media reports have been inundated with information and life experiences of the transgender individual. The Oxford dictionary describes transgender as denoting or relating to a person whose self-identity does not conform unambiguously to conventional notions of male or female gender. Currently, you’re unable to escape the endless reports of Caitlyn Jenner; a biological male whom has recently decided to live outwardly as a female. When one lives as a different gender than their genetics encode, whether by choice or by a distinct medical anomaly, where is the line drawn? In the world of sports could a male presented as a female, compete as a female? Would the athletic abilities be comparable or even fair? Bruce Jenner has lived as a male the vast majority of his life, in which he won numerous athletic events. Including a gold medal in the Olympics and he was even voted the 1976 AP Male Athlete of the Year. (Wikipedia contributors) His strong athletic abilities and lavish relationships with women allowed the public to categorize him as a real “man’s man”. However, he had been struggling with the nuisances of transgender. Now, what if he would have chosen to live as a female earlier in life? Could he have enjoyed the same athletic splendor as a female? Competitive sports aren’t taken lightly, anything that may suggest an unfair advantage is wildly debated. Oscar Pistorius, a South African athlete, who has prosthetics in place...
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...The History of Women in Sports Throughout history, women have fought for equality against men, significantly in the last century, as women have taken on greater, and more equal, roles in society. There have been several fronts on which women have fought for equality and one of those cases is in sports. Sports history is filled with men popularizing athletics such as baseball, basketball, boxing, football, track, and many other sports. It is quite surprising to many that women, as well as men, should take credit for their effort in athletic competition. Women have been known since the 19th century to take part in sporting events when, back then, they were supposed to be confined to more prim and proper activities. Historically, a woman’s duties were to take care of the family, do all the domestic work, and basically enslave themselves to their husbands. Because of this stereotype, it was highly frowned upon that women were taking on a masculine role by participating in the sporting world. Throughout the history of human existence, athletic competition has been regarded as an exclusively masculine affair. In ancient times, athletic competitions were held among warriors to prove their fighting prowess or otherwise demonstrate their virility. The exclusively male origins of competitive sport carried over into the Olympics, where women were not allowed even to watch competitions, much less compete. However, a separate women's athletic event, the Heraea...
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...The Female Athlete (2009). The Olympic Textbook of Science and Sport, The Encyclopaedia of Sports Medicine An IOC Medical Commission Publication. Chapter 23 382 -397 Wiley- Blackwell , Chichester, UK Introduction Since women’s first involvement in the Olympic Games in 1900, great progress has been made in increasing the participation rates of women across most events. In 2000, women represented 44% of the competitors at the Sydney Summer Games, although this was not matched by coverage of women’s sports in the major newspapers of Belgium, Denmark, France and Italy. In these countries, women’s sport at the Sydney Olympics represented only 29.3% of the articles and 38% of photographs (Capranica et al. 2005). The number of published research studies on females to support the increased participation, can be reflected in the number of publications in the Journal of Applied Physiology in the first 5 months of 2006. This data suggests that there is still a short fall in the proportions of female studies when compared to those on male. Of those articles specifically referring to exercise in humans (n=36), 61 % were on males only, 5 % were on females only, 8 % were on males and females with the genders being studied separately and 26 % were on males and females, with no acknowledgment of the mixed gender. Collating these facts, together with the observation that many of the early findings on females and exercise have been found to be invalid because of poorly-controlled studies, it...
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...Chapter 10 – Nutrients, Physical Activity, and the Body’s Responses Chapter Learning Objectives 10.1 Discuss the short-term and long-term benefits of achieving cardiorespiratory fitness. 10.2 Explain how the fitness pyramid can be incorporated into anyone’s lifestyle. Suggest simple ways to increase activity level throughout the day. 10.3 Explain why it is important for an athlete to maintain blood glucose levels before, during, and after vigorous exercise. 10.4 Describe how an elite athlete’s body uses dietary protein during and after strenuous exercise. 10.5 Discuss which vitamins and minerals are essential for optimal athletic performance and why they are important. Discuss some reasons why female endurance athletes may be vulnerable to iron deficiency 10.6 Evaluate whether conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and other ergogenic aids are useful for obtaining an ideal body composition for sports. Comprehension-Level Multiple-Choice Items 1. Which of the following is not a component of fitness? a. flexibility b. muscle strength c. balance d. muscle endurance e. cardiorespiratory endurance 2. Which of the following enhances flexibility? a. weight training b. aerobic activity c. calisthenics d. stretching 3. Muscles respond to the overload...
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...this could be a free product or money off attracting consumers who would not be attracted under normal circumstances. This paper will investigate two top athletic apparel companies to understand their strategies. The two companies chosen for this project are Nike Incorporated and Under Armour. These two companies are two of the leading sports apparel companies. Both of these company’s focus their products on the athlete and specific sports. Nike Incorporated has been in business since 1964 and has a much longer history in the industry than Under Armour (UA) which joined the picture in 1996. Both companies make a variety of athletic apparel and a number of athletic shoes. This project will provide details on how each company compares in the athletic shoe market. 1. Compare and contrast the promotional strategies used by two (2) different companies for a similar product within the category that you selected. Nike promotional and advertising strategies include a mix of television advertising, sponsorship, print advertising and social media. Nike used to invest a lot in commercials and product promotions with a specific target the athlete. The company has shifted to social media targeting its...
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...INTRODUCTION Transgender, Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual are not words you would expect to hear when being associated with sports and the steady growing field of coming out stories within sports. For just a moment, lets thing about what these athletes are going through and how hard they fight to be accepted or a part of a team. The question can be posed that should transgender athletes have the same rights as other athletes? The NCAA as well as various other sport affiliations agree that they should. The NCAA implemented a less somewhat rigorous guideline in 2011; within that guideline four major questions are being asked. Those questions include:” Why must we address transgender issues in Collegiate Athletics Programs? Why focus on college athletics? Should the participation of Transgender student athletes raise concerns about competitive equity? What are the benefits of adopting fair and inclusive policies?” The purposes of the guidelines areproviding equal opportunities in all aspects of school programming are a core value in education. As an integral part of higher educational institutions, college athletics programs are responsible and accountable for reflecting the goals and values of the educational institutions of which they are a part. It follows that athletics program. “The NCAA Office of Inclusion provides or enables programming and education, which sustains foundations of a diverse and inclusive culture across dimensions of diversity including, but not limited to...
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...Every spring avid sports fans look forward to the biggest college basketball tournament of the year, most commonly known as March Madness. This competition consists of both men’s and women’s NCAA basketball teams who compete in hopes of making it to the respected and heavily televised Final Four. The Final Four is the last game for each remaining team before the National Championship game, where the two deserving teams are matched up against each other. This series of competition creates a rich supply of content for sports media networks to influence viewer’s values and attitudes. Networks have become increasingly knowledgeable and schematic in using sport entertainment as a way to promote their ideologies, values, commercialization and interpretations of sport. Studies have found that people turn to sports in the media for entertainment. The different forms of media are evolving and moving in a more prevalent direction than they have been in the past. With the explosive growth of internet users in the past decade, media companies have created a domain where they can input their interpretations of sporting events and coverage. These domains have become dominated by the 18-34-year-old demographic (Kian, Mondello & Vincent 2009) who use websites such as ESPN, the most widely used website for obtaining sports related news (Lefton, 2006 as cited in Battenfield, Redmond & Ridinger 2014), and Sports Illustrated to read about upcoming games, watch live coverage, or get the low...
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...educational. Additionally, female athletes still trail behind males in scholarship opportunities even though there are currently over $1 million in scholarships for women at Division 1 schools. However, it has been estimated males receive $133 million more yearly in athletic scholarships. Another current widely publicized pay issue is that of the United States National Soccer teams. The National soccer teams were paid $35 million for the last men’s champions, and only $2 million for the women’s. The women's national team has put forth an effort to bring to the attention of society. They would like “ Equal pay for equal play.” Title IX...
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...1. Some of the reinforcement or motivation the GDR athletes were they got to travel to other capitalist countries. As well as good food and training. Yes, initially it was very successful. Katharina Bullin explained the reinforcements offered to her as a GDR volleyball team. Yes, I see similar motivation/ reinforcement all the time. I’ve seen it first hand at the high school and college level athletes. My friend was being recruited by a D1 university for football and was given multiple items of great value to play for them. 2. In 1972 a GDR sixteen-year-old swimmer was found dead in the pool from overtraining/ doping complications. Other examples of overtraining are the female/male now Andrea’s caused irreversible damage to her hips and thighs. As Katharina Bullin could play volleyball anymore because of the wear on her body. 3. Yes, I can make sense of the varying responses of the athletes being doped. These children and teenagers had no idea that they were being experimented on until it was to late and their bodies have already been broken down. No matter what the athletes think their medals are all tainted because they did not earn them the drugs did because of the physical advantage they offered the GDR athlete. 4. I feel that cheating in sports is a norm because it’s been around since sports have been around. Someone is always looking at how to beat the system and get a physical advantage over everyone and history has proven that. Alex Rodriguez, Chris Phillips...
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...Nichols College | Sport Seminar Final Research Paper | Professor Hendrick | | Sean Fleming | 4/29/2014 | | Abstract This is my final research paper in conclusion to my studies in the Sports Management program at Nichols College. This is a research study on the use of professional athletes from American sports leagues in the Olympic Games. Table of Contents Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….page 1 Table of Contents………………………………………………………………………………………………………………page 2 List of Tables and Figures………………………………………………………………………………………………….page 3 Chapter I: Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………………page 4 Chapter II: Review of Literature Chapter III: Research Methodology Chapter IV: Results Chapter V: Discussion and Conclusions References Appendices Tables and Figures Chapter I: Introduction This purpose of this study will pertain to whether the use of professional athletes from American sports leagues in the Olympic Games is a good or bad idea. Currently, players from the National Hockey League (NHL), National Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Soccer (MLS), Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the Professional Golfers Association (PGA TOUR) are allowed to participate in the Summer and Winter Olympic Games by their respective leagues. There are many problems that have arisen from the allowance of professionals in the Olympics. They range from injuries to star players, financial impacts on the leagues, shutdown of schedules...
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