Sports are known to build characters, embedding the moral value of teamwork and great sportsmanship. The latest news of alleged cheating in auto racing, controversies surrounding baseball players for using steroids, ugly brawls among the basketball players is the darker side of the game. It’s a cause of concern that American sports fields for the future generation are becoming corporate and political villains. A two-year study has shown a rise in the cheating rate among student-athletes. Furthermore, it shows a growing acceptance of cheating to gain benefits in a competition.
Read more: IS THERE A SOLUTION TO DECLINING YOUTH SPORTS PARTICIPATION NUMBERS?
Facts Findings:
The proactive finding is giving many alarming signs as several coaches are teaching students how to cheat and cut corners. James Staunton governs the high school sports section is hopeful that the situation hasn’t gone too far; we can still reciprocate the current scenario. We can work with athletes, coaches, and parents to reverse the ongoing societal pressures. He admits the fact that kids are motivated and encouraged for all the wrong reasons.
Latest surveys have concluded that 25% of the young and emerging athletes consider rule-bending and aggressive and rude attitudes to be fair enough. Although the vast majority fails to accept it, acceptance has alarmingly risen over the past few years. Other notable surveys suggest the following:
Read more: BEST SOLUTION TO THE DECLINING PARTICIPATION IN YOUTH SPORTS
Statistics Surveys:
- 72% of the football player’s concede cheating
- 65% of the young athletes recognize cheating once a year, in contrast to 60% among the general students.
- 48% thinks it’s acceptable for a coach to order a pitcher to throw at the rival batter in exchange for retaliation
- 37% of the boys acknowledge that coaches can use abusive language to motivate players.
- 43% of teen athletes validate show staggering during games
- 6.4% of the boys endorse drug use to enhance the overall performance.
Survey Report Suggestions:
Michael Josephson, a Los Angeles ethicist said that I am not trying to spread negativity or misguide people. I believe in facts and figures which clearly state that a large number of young athletes are learning to cheat which is a serious cause of concern. He further added this marginal rise is due to putting winning over and above ethics and moral values or a vivid reflection of the academic pressures and the increasing demand for sports.
Josephson clearly stated: ‘kids consider sports encourages cheating rather than curbing it’
Barbara Fiege, commissioner of the CIF City section in Los Angeles called the results to be ‘astonishing and surprising to me. She speculates that diminishing trends in recent times are because of a diluted pool of experienced coaches-teachers. 40% of the coaches lack training and education at the school level. When a teacher-coach has not undergone any learning process, inherent risk is evident is has on the kids.
Gregory, coach at Ayala who argues with Josephson’s fact-finding reports but agrees that the coach makes an impactful change.
Gregory narrates that I witness issues with undisciplined teams that their coach is young and inexperienced. Lack of sportsmanship is a by-product of the wrong precedence set by the less-than-perfect role models like Barry Bonds. Additionally, parents have become more aggressive towards kids plus, portraying kids as individuals rather than a team.
She further added that it’s normal to be abusive, rowdy, hostile, and provoking in behaviour. She believes kids are not to be blamed; it’s the teachers, mentors, parents, and role models who fail badly.
Bottom-Line:
Staunton, southern section commissioner seconds Josephson’s fact findings. He states; when kids learn it’s fine to cheat, they will do the same in their future lives. We can’t deny the facts, we must step ahead to do something purgative about it. The Southern section organized training sessions to discuss the dilemma and demanded an ethical vision statement from the athletic department. They further raised a point of penalties to be imposed for rude behaviour on athletes-banning another option.