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Final Reflections

Before this semester, my thoughts pertaining to US sport were minimal. I have always been an avid Denver Broncos fan, but didn't know much of the politics surrounding the sport itself.  I've always seen sport as an entertaining, community-oriented pass-time.  I grew up in dance and soccer and have had my fair share of pushy coaches telling me I wasn't good enough or the right body type.  This knowledge of sport, however, never translated to my view of professional athletes.  Because of this class, I have become more aware of the complexity of US sport. One topic that really stuck out to me was our LGBT discussion.  As a dancer, the LGBT community is very large, expected, and widely accepted.  I never thought about what the lives of male rugby players must be like among their team members and fans.  After I move on from this class, I will ask more critical questions about the US sports world.  I have found myself doing so even while in the class on my own time.  I find what's happening behind the scenes of the glorified athletes and games very interesting.  

This class has been very interesting to me and has helped me to broaden my scope of what an athlete truly is.  I feel like this class could be useful in my future as I plan to create an after-school program of dance for children.  I would recommend this class to a friend. It is an interesting subject that can so easily relate to many people's everyday lives.

Why the 'Mans Mans' Game is an Insult to Men




According to the movie "Training Rules" and the article "Jason Collins came cut; NBA should let him play", sport is not a safe place for LGBT athletes.  Whether male or female, sport is a world with fixed ideologies.  The article about Jason Collins states "Change within the sports landscape doesn't come easily".  Although word of Jason Collin's announcement gave hope of change, it is obvious the expectations are for athletes; he never got invited back to play on any team.  The movie "Training Rules" is further proof of these ideologies.  Steps like enforcing Title IX were taken to push for equality, however, when one female athlete fought against the head coach at Penn State legally, it seemed as if the jury had turned a blind eye.  The female athlete didn't receive any compensation and the repercussions for the head coach who created a hostile and non-inclusive environment for lesbian players was far from severe.

There are other strategies that could be used to help crease a more inclusive culture in American sport. One is to raise awareness of the humanity of LGBT athletes and LGBT people in general.  There are major stigma's surrounding these labels and I think people just need to realize that they are humans just like the rest of the world.  Once people can get past the label, I think LGBT athletes/people would be widely accepted.