Helicopter Sports Parents

How much parental involvement is too much? Are parents overstepping their parental boundaries? In an article from Azcentral Sports "Blurred lines: Are parents getting too involved in high school sports?" posted July 2016, it discusses the typical "helicopter parent" and the problems that arise because of it.

A helicopter parent is defined as a parent who takes an overprotective or excessive interest in the life of their child or children. In a study conducted by the National Alliance of Sports, 70 percent of children drop out of athletics by the time they are 13 years old and according to Youth Sports, 37 percent of youth that were surveyed wished that their parents wouldn't even watch them play. Parents are inadvertently going too far. They may mean well and may not realize that this constant hovering is essentially hindering their child's learning experiences. There is too much pressure to succeed. A professor at the University of Mary said it best, " With Sports, there involves so much passion. There are two types: Harmonious passion, the stuff that makes us better, and obsessive passion, the helicopter parents. They're trying to help the kids but they're killing them". 

Parents think that if they have their kids just choose one sport that it will be better for them. That this will help the kids have the greatest success at that one sport, become an elite athlete, and ultimately hope this will pay for their college careers.  Unfortunately, this is doing the complete opposite. This is driving children to "burn-out" a lot faster than if they were able to have a variety of hobbies. Disappointment reigns over everything. If children are feeling more pressure to stick with the sport than to quit in fear of disappointing their parents than this becomes a real problem. It is the parent's responsibility to support their children, not stress them out. Parents should be creating a positive motivational environment for their children playing sports. 

Helicopter parents can lead to depression in adult children. Whether it be in sports, school, work, parents need to let their children learn and sometimes that means they need to allow their children to fail. As hard as it may be, this is the best thing they could do for their children. Failure promotes learning opportunities like understanding hard work and how to deal with defeat. 

Parents need to realize that the way they act on the sidelines or during their child's sporting event will eventually teach their children learned behaviors on how to act. How far will parents go before they realize the damage they've done to their kids? There needs to be boundaries set among parents and children in sporting events. There shouldn't always be a pressure to succeed, what about the idea of just having fun? Is that not a thing anymore? Does the fact that children by the age of 13 are dropping out of athletics mean anything to parents? When are they going to learn that they are the problem and when are they going to change their ways? 

The article continues to talk about how kids actually prefer JUST their coach to coach them. Parents need to get out of the way and stop interfering. They can support but not criticize. They need to understand when they can't help their children and embrace the coaches who can. Parents need to find an appropriate balance of supporting, but not interfering. Otherwise, when their children grow up, they will have bigger problems to face. 

In conclusion, parents should enjoy the game and let their children enjoy the game. Being moderately involved in their children's sports activities is the ideal amount of support and creates a healthy balance between competition and the overall enjoyment of the sport.

Race & Ethnicity in Sports

Let's talk about in August 2016, when the 49ers quarterback willingly refused to stand for the playing of the national anthem. Colin Kaepernick was protesting the wrongdoings against African Americans and minorities in the United States. Kaepernick states, "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder". 

I fully support how Colin Kaepernick feels and I agree with the reasons behind his protest. I may not agree completely with his form of protest but all he was trying to do was bring to people's attention a political issue that he genuinely believes in. 

The only reason that this brought real controversy among millions of people was because people know that there is a problem in our country but they just do not want to address it, they are scared of it. Instead of being mature about the protest and trying to better understand Kaepernick's view and where he is coming from on the situation, they get upset and create hate towards him. 

This is not what Kaepernick was trying to do. He was not trying to be disrespectful to our country or those that serve it. He was trying to bring awareness that there are certain things in our country that need to be changed. Coming from a biracial upbringing, adopted, and then raised by white parents and white siblings, he decided to be more active and involved in the rights for black people. This was in no way meant to show disrespect to white people or to those men and women who graciously serve our country in the armed services. He stated that after months of witnessing some of the civil unrest in the United States, he wanted to make a stand for civil rights. Would this have been as big of a controversy if a white football player was the one that made this stand instead of Kaepernick? I honestly do not think so. I do not think that people would have gotten so upset about this whole thing and thought it was as disrespectful if a white player had been the one to do it. This is the problem in our country. There is racism and people refuse to acknowledge it.

What happens to Kaepernick now? Well executives state that because of his actions to take a stand they believe he will be released from the 49ers and he will never play in the NFL again. Are you kidding me? Just because he had a political view and he is in a more public position, being the quarterback for the 49ers, he should lose his job for this? What about all the negative tweets, posts, and videos that show such hate and disrespect for him? Doesn't this just prove Kaepernick's point? That there is a big problem with racism in our country. If there wasn't a problem, people would not react this way. It would not have caused the controversy that it did. People get too comfortable with the way things are. It is too much work or effort to change the way things have been for years. Those that are comfortable with oppression seem to be the  ones that are the first to criticize others that are willing to speak out against it. 

Let us all think about this: 

Race and ethnicity are present in sports. Whether we want them to be or not. It is a fact. Where there is diversity there will be problems that arise and different opinions to be heard. This country is full of different political views that are shared by different types of people. It shouldn't matter who you are, we should all be allowed to express our 1st amendment: the freedom of speech. Whether that be in the environment of sports or in a political debate. We should all respect each other and the views each one of us share. 

Gender & Sports

I found an interesting article on CNN titled "Should a Woman's testosterone level be tested in sports" by Susie East. This article talks about the International Association of Athletics Federation of the Olympics that implemented a regulation where woman with naturally high levels of testosterone were not allowed to race without undergoing medical treatment to lower their levels of testosterone. Having high levels of testosterone is known as hyperandrogenism and therefore the regulation was named the Hyperandrogenism Regulation. The purpose of this was to prove that the female athletes did not have an advantage in their sport because of their higher level of testosterone. Suggesting that men have the advantage in athletics because testosterone is the essentially considered the male hormone.

An example was when Caster Semenya won the gold medal in the 2009 World Athletics Championship for the 800 meter race, following the race the International Association of Athletics Federation launched an investigation. The investigation included having her testosterone levels tested. In which the results showed that she had naturally high testosterone levels and was thus compared to as "running against a man" (East, 2016). Because of this investigation the Association enforced the Hyperandrogenism Regulation in 2011. But come 2015, runner Dutee Chand challenged the association. She argued that she has the right to compete without having to artificially change her body. Now come August 2016, when this article was written, the Association could not prove that having higher testosterone really did give female athletes an advantage over other athletes that had regular levels of testosterone. Currently the Association has two years to figure out if this regulation should be continually suspended or brought back with new evidence proving their theory.

This regulation was depicting that female athletes could not be this good on their own. They were supporting the perception that men are superior. Although most sports commentary involves comments in regards to women athletes being more emotional or attractive, what about the commentary that should be discussed, about how these women are actually excellent and in their own way, superior athletes. Instead these women were investigated and tested on their testosterone levels. Would men be tested on their testosterone levels as well as part of this regulation? Or just females? Because it is okay for men to have high levels of testosterone because men are superior anyways and it is okay for them to have testosterone, since it is in fact already the male hormone. Just because women in sports are depicted in different ways, often as less superior than men, I do not believe it should be broken down to analyze the very genetic/hormonal make up a female has. This puts pressure on women athletes to be more feminine. The way this regulation was communicated to society was very discriminatory to any women who have naturally high levels of testosterone. It is unfair to tell a female athlete, I'm sorry, but you cannot compete because of the way that you were born.

I am glad that this regulation is currently suspended and I do not believe that they will be able to find adequate facts and other valid information to prove that just because you have a higher testosterone level means you are a superior athlete. This perception that men are superior and comparing good female athletes to men is a little outrageous if you ask me. This puts pressure on females to be feminine in hopes that they will not be compared to a man. I do not know about other females, but I do not like being compared to men, whether that comparison is in the commentary of the sport or down to the genetic and hormone make up of the body. I believe that women should be treated the same as men when it comes to performance in sports. Or at least judged the same.

Target & Soccer

Let's talk about how I am an avid soccer fan, I played competitive soccer all growing up and even played two years at the collegiate level. I am also a HUGE fan of Target! I was excited when I read the article "Target laces up its cleats in a play for these consumers' dollars" by Kristina Gustafson on CNBC. Target has announced that they will become the official partner of Major League Soccer. This partnership will include airtime during broadcasts, player appearances, and ownership of certain platforms. The senior vice president of Target's Marketing team stated, "there were so many different things that drew Target to choose soccer, the fact that it is multicultural, and watched and played by many families and is continually growing in popularity." Target is trying to invite soccer fans to engage with Target in many new ways. While I agree that this is a smart decision by Target because it will promote great opportunities for advertising and expansion, I do think that it will have some negative affects among other sports fans...those that are not soccer fans.

Sponsorship and other types of commercialism affect the way fans interact with the sport. I believe that those people who hate Major League Soccer but love Target will soon experience feelings of hate towards Target, because they will negatively associate Target with the MLS. It is a gamble when taking on a sponsorship and I believe the affects can be negative or positive. Although sports and media strive for a state of synergy, problems can arise. Fans can react one way or the other. They could feel really excited because they love Target or it could go in the absolute opposite direction and Target could actually lose more business.

This is a perfect example of the investment failure Disney had with the professional hockey team. Target is eager to exploit the cross-promotional potential they will have with the MLS, although they should make sure they factor in the negative effects that cross-promotion can have on both the sport and the media. There are billions of people who watch and participate in soccer games and there are also billions of people that don't. Using sports to sell more clothes or apparel at Target is dirty, "Sports dirt", in the sense that matter is out of place that doesn't quite belong where it has been re-positioned (Billings, Butterworth, & Turman, 2015). A phrase which involves "the power or logic of the association we have with sports to other products in the marketplace to make them more appealing" (Billings et al., 2015) Target is using soccer to make them look more appealing. It has no association with soccer whatsoever, it is simply using soccer's popularity to gain success for themselves.

Along with partnering with the MLS, Target will also sponsor the US Youth Soccer Program. Having this exposure to children might ingrain in their heads early to like Target, because they will associate it to positive and enjoyable times they have had while playing soccer. Or it might ingrain in their heads to hate Target from the bad experiences they had playing soccer. These could also be some positive or negative effects of cross-promotion.

I believe that marketing cross promotions will fail. I believe that this new sponsorship might seem like it will be successful, but essentially marketers are just creating illogical connections between our positive associations with soccer and trying to find a reason that it will make Target a more successful business and increase revenue (Billings et al., 2015). Too bad people are blinded by the excitement of this new sponsorship to see that it will eventually fail, just like Disney and The Mighty Ducks. 

Book Referenced:

Billings, A. C., Butterworth, M. L., & Turman P. D. (2015). Communication and sport, surveying the field. Washington, DC: SAGE.

Fans, fans, and more fans

I bet you guys did not know there are different types of sports fans out there. You probably just thought there were fans and that is all there was to them. Just fans. Well, let me tell you, there are two different types of sports fans, not to mention three different classifications of those sports fans. A fan is more than just someone who is at a game to observe, commonly known as a spectator, rather a fan is a more devoted spectator who feels some sort of emotional tie towards the sport itself and the teams that are playing. A fair-weather sports fan is someone who usually only displays interest in their sport of choice if the team is winning, versus a die-hard fan who is devoted no matter the score, win or lose.

I would categorize myself as a fair-weather sports fan, I usually peak interest if a team I like is doing well, or wins something big. I would also classify myself as a social and focused fan. I’m there at the game because a team from the University my husband attends is playing and it is fun. My friends are there and the atmosphere is enjoyable. I could care less about the outcome of the game, I am just there to have fun and hang out with friends. My husband falls under the classification of a vested fan. He generally gets upset if the team he supports loses. During March Madness, I would rather be dead than mock any predictions he makes and I am smart to leave him alone if the prediction he makes for the championship game goes haywire.

This brings me to an article I read on Fox Sports News that was posted today, January 19^th,  about the Tennessee Titans NFL Mock Draft for 2017. A lot of football websites create their own mock drafts. Because a lot of these websites are pretty in tune with the players on each team, this makes the mock drafts they create something people take seriously. One die-hard fan made a comment about his man crush Jamal Adams and that man crush of his was reason enough for him to be his pick number 5. He also commented about being in a bromance with his top 18 pick. When a fan is making comments where he feels this strongly for the players, you know there will be some definite heartbreak if his picks do not get chosen the way he predicts.

After reading through each of the commentary on who the Titansized fans pick for their mock drafts, I can see how these people really believe that their picks are 100% accurate and are the best choices for the Titans to make. My argument to this is that these fans may believe they know a player and all his statistics, but just because a person is an excellent collegiate player does not mean they will be successful in the NFL. Professional football is an entirely different league and game than college. A player who one fan might think is the greatest of all time might get drafted and then fail immediately as a professional athlete. There are just so many unpredictable variables that could affect a player’s ability to succeed in the NFL. Having good statistics is not enough. I understand and respect the fans of the Titans but I think that their opinions are just opinions. I think people are wasting their time reading through their mock draft picks when there are so many things that should be considered that are just unpredictable.

Introduction

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog!

My name is Megan Keetch and I am 24 years old. I currently live in Orem, UT and grew up in Pleasant Grove, UT which is just 20 minutes North of where I live now. I have been married to my husband for 2 1/2 years and we both are graduating soon! We met when we were in the 7th grade and started "dating" our Junior year of High School. Both of our parents also went to High School together and live about 5 minutes away from each other. I guess you could say, the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree.

I currently work as a medical assistant to an orthopedic surgeon and I love anything medical. My job duties include rooming patients, obtaining vitals, calling in prescriptions, taking messages, ordering labs, MRI's, and scheduling surgeries. Prior to my current job I worked in physical therapy where I enjoyed rehabbing athletes and post surgical patients. I am a certified personal trainer and spent a lot of time training high school soccer players. After graduation I plan on applying to PA school to continue working in the field I love.

You might be wondering why someone like me is taking this class? Well, what you don't know is, I LOVE sports. I grew up playing all sorts of sports. From softball to gymnastics, soccer was my absolute favorite. I played competitive soccer all growing up and actually played two years here at SUU. I quit after my sophomore year to move back home and get married and not once have I looked back and regretted my decision. I grew up always wanting to play collegiate soccer and I did. I crossed it off my bucket list and moved on to bigger and better things.

After those two years of division one soccer and after two different ACL surgeries, I can officially say I am "retired" from playing soccer. I now just enjoy playing all sorts of sports just for fun, no more competition. Except, let's be honest, I am a very competitive person and I don't think that will ever change.

Here on my blog you will find bits and pieces of sarcasm hidden throughout my application of theoretical concepts. I am generally a sassy person and sometimes it is hard for it not to come out in my writing. I promise I will stay professional and honest, but I can't promise I won't have a little bit of fun while doing it.

I am looking forward to this class, as I am not good at knowing who played what or where and which team is better than who, but I generally enjoy sports. I enjoy reading or watching them, and analyzing and exploring the issues that drive sports communication research sounds just my cup of tea.