Whatroledidsportsplayinsocietiesbeforethe21stcentury?

AnnikaConstantino
9/2/15P1/2

Theviewthatsocietyhasonsportshaschangedovermanyyears.Sportsareahuge
contributiontoAmericanhistoryandhavealsotakenapartonchangingourlifestyle.
Ifeelthatthepurposeofsportshadstartedoutassomethingdonemerelyforfunor
entertainment.Butastimepassed,sportsbegantohaveabroadermeaningbehindit.Ifeellike
ashistoryprogressed,sportswerediscoveredtohaveamoresignificantvaluethanhowitwas
seenbefore.Aroundthe1600s,KingJamesofEnglandhadrecognizedhowsportswerenot
onlyagoodsourceofexercisebutalsoawayofpreparationforpossiblemercenarysituations.
Thevalueofsportsbecamemorethanjustamusementbutbecamesomethingbeneficialto
peopleslifestyleandhealth.
SportswereabigpartofhistoryandchangeofAmerica.Aroundthewomensright
movement,sportswereahugecontributiontotheliberationofwomen.Womenwere
underestimatedintheirphysicalstrengthandtheideaofthemdoingsportswasconsidereda
sin.ButsoonaftertheCivilwar,womenweregivenmoreopportunitiestoplaysports.Sports
werepartofthechangingoftheharshstereotypesofwomen.Womenbecameasableasmen
wereandsportshadservedasawayofrelaxationandfreedomforthem.Womenwerebeing
includedintheexerciseneededforahealthylifestyle.Thisisoneofthepositivewayssports
affectedourlifestyle,ushumansaremorefitandonmyopinionitpossiblystretchedourlifetime
byabitlonger.
InAmerica,muchlateryears,slavesandprisonerswereputtodosports.Landowners
sawitasawayofharmonyfortheplantation.Itservedasasenseofrelieffortheslavesand
hadbroughtthemasenseofcommunity.Thisagoodexampleofapositivecontributionsports
broughttoourworld.Sportswerethebridgebetweenpeopleinhistory.Evenduringtimeswhen
thingssuchascertainracismwasanissue,sportswereabletobringtogethertwoethnicities,
whiteandblack,toplayequallyandfairlywithoneanother.EvenbackduringancientGreecein
theearlyOlympics,sportsandcompetitionbroughttogethercitiesthatwereunderwarwithone
another.Theywereabletosettletoplaycivilizedgameswithoneanotherdespitedifferences.
Ifeellikesportshavegonefromhavingagoodimagetobadoneaswell.They
mentionedapartinthisarticleaboutRatbaitinginNewYork.Inwhichpeoplewaitedtosee
howmanyratsadogcouldkillinaportionoftime.Thethoughtofitwassaddening,anditmade
merealizehowmuchsportshavechanged.Theyhavetransformedandhavebecomemore
symbolictosociety,butthisexamplewasanexception.Itswhatthearticlehadcalledbad
sports.RatbaitingcouldalsobebroughttobackinancientRomangladiatorfights.Inwhich
slavesorprisonersofwarwereputtofightanimalsorgladiators,whichendedindeath.These
twoexamplesbothtieintoreligiousdebateaboutsports,andhowtheyareanissuetosome
religions.
Morallyandreligiouslyitisasintokillsomeoneonanyoccasionorterms.Andseeing
thatgladiatorfightsarepeoplefightingtodeath,formerepublicamusement,isabigissuefor
peoplereligiously.Youcouldsaythatthisimageofsportsisgonebutinsomewaysitisstill
there,justnotonaoutrageouslyviolentlevellikeitwasbefore.Therearestillsportsthatinvolve

violence,likewrestling,boxing,etc.Andstill,therehavebeenaccidentalcasesinwhichathletes
havediedinthering.Butallinallsportshavemovedawayfromcruelvalueandruthless
entertainment.Despitecertainsportsbeingviolent,skillhasgrowntobearecognizablevaluein
sports.Thesepeopleparticipatinginthingslikeboxingorwrestlingareprofessionals,andthey
arebeingpaidtodoapassionoftheirsthatdemonstratestruefightingorselfdefenseskills.I
believethatsportsnowareappreciateddifferentlythanhowtheywereinthepast.Theyarenot
simplyforfun,weappreciatesportsandtheskillsittakestoplayit,weappreciatethe
recreationalandhealthpurposes,andwealsogetalotofentertainmentfromit.
Laterinhistory,asthefirstrealcontrolledandcivilizedsport,(baseball),begantogrow
inpopularity,peoplesoonrealizedthattherecouldbeaprofitcomingfromsports.Theideaof
bringinginmoneyintothepicturewaslifechangingtosports.Sportsbackthenusedtoexist
withnoconceptofmoney.Yourkiddidnthavetopaytolearnorjoinasportsteam,youdidnt
havetopaytoseesportsgames,youdidnthavetopaypeopletoplaythegame.Sportswere
stillentertainment,butentertainmentthatyouhavetopayfornow.Skillandmoneyhavereally
takenoverthevalueofsports.
Thewholevalue,image,andconceptofsportshaschangedsomuchafterhundreds
andhundredsofyears.Sportshasnotonlytransformedandhaswideneditsfield,buthas
transformedourlifestyleaswell.Sportsstartedfromonething,somethingmerelyfor
amusement.Thenbecamesomanydifferentthings,somethingthatbenefitedphysicalhealth,
tosomethingthatbroughtpeopletogether,tosomethingthatdemonstratedfreedomofwill,to
somethingthatvaluedskill,tosomethingthatrevolvesaroundmoney,andfinally,somethingus
humanscannotlivewithout.Itwillremaininourlivesforaslongaswelive.