Week 8 Discussion Number 13
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American Military University *
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Course
460
Subject
Philosophy
Date
Jan 9, 2024
Type
docx
Pages
3
Uploaded by fernie.elias
Part 1:
As I reflect on my past experiences with basketball, my reasons for both starting and stopping basketball are the same reasons as posted in the readings. Most of my family and friends played basketball growing up, so I was always inclined to follow in their footsteps. In short, basketball was a form of connection in the family, with my friends, and even to myself. However, this did come with a level
of stress and pressure to perform, as I was always in secret (and sometimes not so secret) competition with my brother and friends. I wanted how I was treated when I performed well and saw the adverse when teammates and friends of mine didn’t do as well. I noticed that athletes who were not performing as well, or even times when
I was not performing to the best of capabilities, a level of anger and even anxiety that would arise, as also noted in a study by Marasescu (2013).
My reasoning for stopping basketball is one that I now regret. Like basketball,
my family was also very musically inclined. I felt as though I had to choose between being a basketball player and the social expectation that comes with that and being
a musician. In my family and in the community, it didn’t seem like I could do both. Basketball players weren’t seen doing artsy things when I was growing up. There was a perceived lack of support from my peers when trying to pursue both, which affected my motivation and confidence in playing basketball. So, in a way, social expectations and judgments are why I stopped playing basketball.
Part 2:
Stress comes from the fear of a real or perceived outcome. Therefore, as a young individual, the fear of not fitting in with your peers or disappointing your parents may cause anxious response or addictive behaviors that gratify your need to feel good or accepted. To combat this, there are a lot of things that adults can do
to mitigate this feeling. First, positive praise and reinforcement goes a long way. Often, we hear what is going wrong and what needs to be fixed to win a game or
succeed in a match. However, positive praise can go a long way in soothing anxiety and potentially bettering performance, as I have already written that increased stress hinders motivation and cognition. Secondly, meeting young athlete where they are developmentally is important. The expectations that some adults have for youth athletes matches that of where they want the kid to be, not where they are not. Modifying practice plans, techniques, and activities to slowly build a desired skill goes a long way. It also mitigates pressure from the athlete in allowing them to grow and practice with confidence, instead of thinking about where they should be and what they can’t do yet. Lastly, setting a good example as an adult is key. Young
athletes, even older athletes, adopt behaviors that are common around them. If you
are a yeller, a downer, aggressive, etc. these are things that will bleed onto young athletes. Setting a good example, being poised and calm in the face of both success
and failure will then be adopted by younger athletes.
Part 3:
There are many reasons for aggressive behavior in athletes. Sometimes its instinctive, like a bioaccumulation of aggression that comes out when it gets to be too much. On the other hand, aggressive can be a direct response to poor performance and frustration. Continuously, as stated above, aggressive behavior can be a learned response if the athlete is always or often exposed to adult aggression or even aggression from their teammates. Two ways to help athletes control their emotions are both by creating norms around the individual and the team itself. If you set high standards and standards of self-respect and sportsmanship, the aggressive responses won’t fester or spread throughout the team. Likewise, coaches need to be able to divert aggressive behaviors without
meeting the athlete with aggression. This continues the idea that coaches and parents need to set good examples for athletes in order to foster controlled and poised response to frustration and failure.
References:
Marasescu, M. R. (2013). ATHLETES' INVOLVEMENT IN VIOLENCE AND AGGRESSION WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF SPORTS COMPETITION.
Contemporary Readings in Law and Social Justice, 5
(2), 183-188. http://ezproxy.apus.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fscholarly-journals
%2Fathletes-involvement-violence-aggression-within%2Fdocview%2F1475144126%2Fse-2%3Faccountid
%3D8289
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