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Luis Orozco

Dr. Brian Barnes

Business Ethics

December 6, 2017

Risks in Basketball

Every day, people risk their lives just by doing their day to day activities.  These

activities range from driving and getting a car crash, overdosing on prescribed medication or

even being bitten by a dog. A study conducted by the Insurance Information Institute in 2014,

showed that 1 in 645 Americans die from a car crash every year (statistics are based on the

population of the United States).  Sure, there’s a high possibility of dying from a car crash, but

we still take the risk and drive around the city to accomplish our daily activities.  This may be

because we evaluate situations based on the Risked-Reward Ratio. The Risk-Reward Ratio is a

concept used in business that helps businessmen and women to evaluate what are the expected

returns on an investment to the amount of risk undertaken to gain these initial returns. Based on

this calculated ratio, people know on which business to invest and the quantity of the investment.

But we use this risk ratio formula for our everyday activities.  An example of this risk-ratio

calculation can be when we decide to go out and drive on the highway. We know that there is a

possibility of dying from a car accident, but we still take our cars and take the risk. Because we

know the risk is minimal and the reward is greater than the risk.  Everybody experiences this

risk-reward ratio every day in their lives. I experience it when I play basketball. Sports can be

one of the riskiest activities to take part of. But also, it can be one of the most rewarding

activities to do on an everyday basis. In this essay, I will talk about the mental and physical risks

of playing basketball and also the rewards I get from playing basketball three times a week.
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One of the most common risks of playing sports is getting injured.  Injuries are damages

suffered from parts of your body that disable the performance of certain motor activities. For

example, you can suffer an ankle sprain by running and that injury restricts your ability to play a

sport. When you are a professional athlete, injuries are your worst enemy. They are so common

in sports and can damage your athletic career in a heartbeat. The types of injuries that are most

common in basketball are ankle sprains, injuries to the hand, injuries to the knees (Tear of the

ACL/MCL tendons) etc. These injuries can vary from being very harmful to my body or being

very easy to heal from. For example, if I tear my ACL I can’t play sports or do any physical

activity for six months. I also need to undergo surgery on my damaged knee.  But if I suffer a

low-level ankle sprain, I can be back on the court in two weeks. I take the risk of suffering an

injury every day by playing basketball.

People don’t really think about it, but sports can really test your mind. You need to think

clearly in a game so that you can make the best decision to help your team win. But also, playing

sports and doing other activities can damage your mental health and well-being. With so many

activities that I do every day, with school and sports, stress levels can rise and that can really

damage my mental health. By definition, stress is the way your body responds to a demand or

threat. When someone senses danger, the body's defenses kick into high gear causing a "stress

response”. This response system is the body’s way of protecting yourself. A limited amount of

stress can be good for your mental health, but a high amount of stress can really take an impact

on your life.  You can suffer from chronic stress, which can be triggered by constantly

experiencing these situations in which we feel serious threats. By suffering from chronic stress,

every system of your body tends to fail. Your immune system weakens, and your chances of

getting a heart attack easily rise.   With basketball and school being a part of my life, I am
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exposed to high levels of stress. This stress is caused by not having enough time to focus on my

studies. It also sacrifices time that I can use on leisure activities that promote my well-being.

We all know that our actions have consequences.  We decide every day to live with the

risk and assume any consequence that our actions create.  You really have to analyze your

situation and see if the risk is worth taking. I play basketball because it is my passion. I enjoy the

competition and just have a pure love for the sport. I feel great while playing basketball and I

feel great emotionally and physically. That’s why I decide to play basketball and deal with the

risks that come with it because for me the reward and satisfaction I get from it are worth the risk.
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Works Cited

"Facts + Statistics: Mortality Risk." Facts + Statistics: Mortality Risk | III. N.p., n.d. Web. 06

Dec. 2017. https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-mortality-risk.

Powell, R. "Mind, Body and Sport: Risk Factors in the Sport Environment." The Official Site of

the NCAA. N.p., 18 July 2017. Web. 06 Dec. 2017. http://www.ncaa.org/sport-science-

institute/mind-body-and-sport-risk-factors-sport-environment.

Stress Symptoms, Signs, and Causes." Stress Symptoms, Signs, and Causes: Improving Your

Ability to Handle Stress. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Dec. 2017.

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/stress-symptoms-signs-and-causes.htm