Analyze Thy Self Essay Example

I really care about sports, especially soccer. Besides football, I also spend time watching and even playing other sports such as basketball, netball, handball, table tennis, and squash among others. I have always developed a passion for soccer, and way back in kindergarten and primary school, I used to play soccer for my school. However, my ambition of becoming a professional football player was cut short due to the Achilles injury that I suffered while in secondary school. Despite the fact that I could no longer play soccer, especially at the competitive level, my passion for football has continued to develop immensely up to date.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

I have a wide range of international footballers who I envy such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Junior, and Luka Modric among others. In the just concluded FIFA World Cup Tournament that was held in Russia, my favorite team France won the cup and this has continued to make me develop more passion for this beautiful game. I often spend most of my weekends watching various sports but it is true to state that a huge portion of that time I spend watching football. Football is one of the most beautiful games that have ever been invented and when one gets to fully understand the way it is played and the rules that govern it, then it would be critical to aid one in unwinding in the modern society.

It is critical to state that like any other sports across the globe, soccer also has its ethical values that the players need to abide with so as to effectively enhance the progress of the game. One of the ethical values of soccer is the need to acknowledge that sportsmanship is a matter of being good and doing right in sports. There are various moral ways that sports; especially football contribute to the society. It has the capacity to integrate the community by bringing people together so that they can forget about their various differences in life and just enjoy the joy of sports. It is a peaceful tool that has often been used to bring people together and promote peace despite the hardships that people go through on regular basis (Plumley et al. 18). It is for this motive as to why footballers all over the world need to acknowledge that soccer is more than just a game.

Sports is a philosophical way of life that enhances the co-existence of people in various regions. Soccer has been used to enhance the living standards among the people in various ways. Like Heywood Broun stated "Sports do not build character. They reveal it." It implies that sports have played a vital role in augmenting the characters that people have and this improves the ways in which we relate with one another. Sports, especially football has been instrumental in contributing to various charity organizations in many parts of the world and this aids in uplifting the lifestyles of individuals from humble backgrounds. The development and realization of meaningful progress in the world of sports impacts in the ways of life among a significant number of the sports-people and their fans in so many ways.

The second ethical value that is often reiterated in sports is the aspect of ensuring fair play. All the participants in the game need to abide by the rules that have been put in place so as to ensure that the sporting activities is undertaking in a more effective manner. It is through the adherence to the rules and regulations of the game that the sports make people develop the discipline that enables them to effectively cope with the rest of the members of the society. The aspect of ensuring fair play in sports tries to make people acknowledge that in life there are rules that must be followed. Sportspeople and the rest of the members of the society need to realize that just like sports have its rules, the society also has rules that they need to abide by (Plumley et al. 23). It is necessary for people to follow the laws that have been set aside in life so as to amicably regulate the ways in which they live their lifestyles without facing the disciplinary actions.

As Michael Jordan once said "Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game," people need to acknowledge that the rules are there to be followed. The more people follow the laws that have been passed by the legislature to govern their ways of life in the society, the more they will find peace and enjoy life as the existence of various cases of breaking the laws would minimize. The existence of fair play in sports tries to make people understand that soccer is one of the most effective mechanisms through which people get to learn to develop discipline and become law-abiding citizens in life.

The other ethical value that sports try to instill in the lives of the people is the aspect of respecting the judgment of the officials. Every game has the officials who often make the final decisions that need to be not only obeyed but also followed by the rest of the players and their coaches. For instance, in the game of soccer, once the referee makes the decision such as the one of awarding penalties, the spectators and the players need to obey it. Sports make people acknowledge that there are authorities or personnel who are entrusted with the role of facilitating the ways in which various activities are undertaken in the society. It is the responsibility of the rest of the members of the society to accord such people and organizations the respect that they deserve and let them conduct their duties in line with the rules that have been put in place (Eysenck & Mark 32). It is in such ways that the various activities and conducts of the people would be properly assessed and monitored in life so as to avoid damages and the detrimental impacts.

William Arthur Ward once said "Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records." The game of sports enables people to gradually develop the respectful skills that enhance the ways in which they relate to the various provisions in life and find the common grounds in which they persistently abide by the rules and societal norms. Sports nurture people to abide by the values and moral behaviors that are generally accepted in the society. I love sports because it tries to mold people to appreciate the existence of the various structures in the society and find ways in which they cope with rules and regulations on regular basis.

Sports also instill the aspect of making people treat their opponents with respect. Once, the sporting activities are over, both the winners and the losers need to congratulate one another and make them to fully acknowledge that they were worthy opponents in the game. Sport is a way of uplifting the spirits of the people when they are down and make people appreciate that they are worthy. The development of respect for the opponents is one of the virtues that sports have enhanced among the members of the society in the modern era. Through sports, people have come to realize that winning is not a matter of life and death and it is critical for people to continue to co-exist peacefully even after they have recorded shocking defeats or downfalls in life. Sports have been used to create good understanding among the competitors in life by making people recognize the importance of being humble even when one is successful (Noetel et.al. 9). Respect is a critical value that sports have encouraged among individuals and this has gone a long way towards augmenting the ways of life among the sportspeople and their fans in the society.

Football and sports in general make people to persistently realize that the more they don't give up on their endeavors in life, the higher their chances of succeeding. Robert Griffin III reiterated "Football is football and talent is talent. But the mindset of your team makes all the difference." It encourages people to continue working together as a unit and striving to realize success in sports and in life as a whole despite the shortcomings that they face. Sports also encourage the importance of teamwork and working together as a unit so as to aid in the realization of the ultimate goal in life.

The last ethical value that sports instill among the people is the importance of being transparent in our undertakings. Sports, especially football often test the players to gauge whether they use the banned drugs or other forms of steroids to make them have undue advantage over their competitors. The situation helps in making the players and the general public to acknowledge the importance of working hard to be successful without deploying dishonest ways to do so (Noetel et al. 17). People need to be not only honest but also transparent in the ways in which they conduct their sporting activities in the society. It is through hard work and persistency that the sportspeople and the rest of the members of the society would amicably realize their potential in life. It is for this purpose as to why Bobby Unser said "Success is where preparation and opportunity meet." Sports have played a vital role in making the society realize that working hard in a transparent and honest way always pay off.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is critical to acknowledge the vital role that sports have played in the development of an individual. The ethical values that are being advocated for in sporting activities aid in making the society to fully recognize the ways in which it needs to cope with its ways of life on regular basis. Proper understanding of the various ethical values and philosophical sentiments from the greatest sports-people across the globe help in augmenting our lifestyles in the contemporary society. It is for this purpose as to why I will always remain passionate about sports and the virtues that it instill among the members of the community. It facilitates the realization of meaningful progress in life.

Works Cited

Eysenck, Michael W., and Mark R. Wilson. "Sporting Performance, Pressure and Cognition 14." An introduction to applied cognitive psychology (2016).

Noetel, Michael, et al. "Mindfulness and Acceptance Approaches to Sporting Performance Enhancement: A Systematic Review [accepted manuscript]." (2017):

Plumley, Daniel, Rob Wilson, and Girish Ramchandani. "Towards a Model for Measuring Holistic Performance of Professional Football clubs." Soccer & Society 18.1 (2017): 16-29.