Aggression Behavior in Sports By John Dorsa
Aggressive Behavior in Sports
By John Dorsa
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
KNES 443
11/16/12
Aggressive Behavior in Sports In the dictionary, aggression is defined as “a behavior that is forceful, hostile, or attacking. There have been studies showing the connection between aggressive behavior and sports. According to Singh and Tomar’s “Aggression in Athletics: A Comparative Study”, aggression in today’s society is applauded rather than shunned. Sports are the only place, outside of war, where aggression is acceptable. The attitude is to “win at all costs”. Most aggression results from frustration. Some aggression, where people are injured, outside of the rules of the game, is becoming a problem in today’s society. However, not all aggression is bad. The word “aggression” is derived from Latin and means “to work towards”. Coaches were surveyed and asked to list qualities of a successful athlete. Aggression was high on the list of all of the coaches. Sports give aggressive people the opportunity to let off some steam, in an organized fashion, rather than having a person act out in society. Aggressive people need some form of physical contact or competition, and sports give them the perfect opportunity to channel their anger towards some good. An athlete needs some type of aggression because it is what motivates that athlete to perform to their best ability. Sports, such as football, require so much physical contact that players need to play with some passion; otherwise they are no good to their team. An aggressive person is highly motivated, demonstrates great realize of physical energy, and not inhibited by fear of potential injury. This does not only apply to playing physical. Mental aggression is also a key in sports. Having aggressive behavior can benefit athletes because it allows them to get into their opponents’ heads, thus giving them an advantage. However, verbal aggression can be bad as well. Too much talking can lead
By John Dorsa
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
KNES 443
11/16/12
Aggressive Behavior in Sports In the dictionary, aggression is defined as “a behavior that is forceful, hostile, or attacking. There have been studies showing the connection between aggressive behavior and sports. According to Singh and Tomar’s “Aggression in Athletics: A Comparative Study”, aggression in today’s society is applauded rather than shunned. Sports are the only place, outside of war, where aggression is acceptable. The attitude is to “win at all costs”. Most aggression results from frustration. Some aggression, where people are injured, outside of the rules of the game, is becoming a problem in today’s society. However, not all aggression is bad. The word “aggression” is derived from Latin and means “to work towards”. Coaches were surveyed and asked to list qualities of a successful athlete. Aggression was high on the list of all of the coaches. Sports give aggressive people the opportunity to let off some steam, in an organized fashion, rather than having a person act out in society. Aggressive people need some form of physical contact or competition, and sports give them the perfect opportunity to channel their anger towards some good. An athlete needs some type of aggression because it is what motivates that athlete to perform to their best ability. Sports, such as football, require so much physical contact that players need to play with some passion; otherwise they are no good to their team. An aggressive person is highly motivated, demonstrates great realize of physical energy, and not inhibited by fear of potential injury. This does not only apply to playing physical. Mental aggression is also a key in sports. Having aggressive behavior can benefit athletes because it allows them to get into their opponents’ heads, thus giving them an advantage. However, verbal aggression can be bad as well. Too much talking can lead