- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 401,811
- Reaction score
- 43
Mar. 27—Anyone who has ever been a sports fan has probably had that moment where they saw an athlete and stood in awe.
I can remember exactly where I was when I had my first moment of being blown away by an athlete. I was living in Reeder, North Dakota, which is a very small town in Western North Dakota, when me and the other first graders were sitting in the school gym for a reason I can't recall. What I do recall was that one of the high school girls basketball players was in the gym working on her jump shot. We all watched her like we were watching a professional athlete in person and I couldn't even imagine being able to do the things she was able to do with a basketball. She weaved up and down the court with the greatest of ease, she could make three-pointers and she was barely breaking a sweat!
In that moment, it was hard for me to see that girl as a person just like me. She had to be specially gifted or flown in from some other town.
That is exactly the illusion that sports can create.
We see athletes on television, or in a stadium full of thousands of people and we assume that they must be different, think differently and even feel differently than the rest of us.
That is where the mirage can cause some real life problems.
When we see other human beings as something different than ourselves, we are more likely to treat them harshly. I've often heard fans say that professional athletes should just deal with things like hate mail and death threats, because "they're paid millions."
I don't agree with that sentiment at all.
People should not be punished for success and I think athletes, famous or local, should be treated with the same dignity and respect that we would give to any other hard working person. Just because somebody has developed a special skill, does not mean that they are immune to depression, anxiety or hurt feelings.
Far too often, sports fandom can become tribal and it becomes OK to say or post horrible things about athletes in online forums, where everyone can see it. The athletes themselves may not see it, but their friends or family could.
So when you attend a game, or watch one on television, try to remember that the players competing are simply chasing a dream. Behind them are loved ones who live and die through each and every play.
The higher the level the athlete is competing at, the bigger the burden they carry on their back. It can be a long fall from the top when you've spent your whole life climbing to get somewhere.
In sports and in life, please be compassionate.
Continue reading...
I can remember exactly where I was when I had my first moment of being blown away by an athlete. I was living in Reeder, North Dakota, which is a very small town in Western North Dakota, when me and the other first graders were sitting in the school gym for a reason I can't recall. What I do recall was that one of the high school girls basketball players was in the gym working on her jump shot. We all watched her like we were watching a professional athlete in person and I couldn't even imagine being able to do the things she was able to do with a basketball. She weaved up and down the court with the greatest of ease, she could make three-pointers and she was barely breaking a sweat!
In that moment, it was hard for me to see that girl as a person just like me. She had to be specially gifted or flown in from some other town.
That is exactly the illusion that sports can create.
We see athletes on television, or in a stadium full of thousands of people and we assume that they must be different, think differently and even feel differently than the rest of us.
That is where the mirage can cause some real life problems.
When we see other human beings as something different than ourselves, we are more likely to treat them harshly. I've often heard fans say that professional athletes should just deal with things like hate mail and death threats, because "they're paid millions."
I don't agree with that sentiment at all.
People should not be punished for success and I think athletes, famous or local, should be treated with the same dignity and respect that we would give to any other hard working person. Just because somebody has developed a special skill, does not mean that they are immune to depression, anxiety or hurt feelings.
Far too often, sports fandom can become tribal and it becomes OK to say or post horrible things about athletes in online forums, where everyone can see it. The athletes themselves may not see it, but their friends or family could.
So when you attend a game, or watch one on television, try to remember that the players competing are simply chasing a dream. Behind them are loved ones who live and die through each and every play.
The higher the level the athlete is competing at, the bigger the burden they carry on their back. It can be a long fall from the top when you've spent your whole life climbing to get somewhere.
In sports and in life, please be compassionate.
Continue reading...
