While getting up from the tackle, sophomore soccer player Bella Santini, and her opponent’s feet get tangled. Her opponent thinks it is intentional and violently shoves Bella to the ground. Luckily, the referee does call it and issues a yellow card to the opposition. What’s unfortunate, is that this type of aggression has been increasing in college sports, as well as professional and youth divisions.
There are multiple possibilities as to what the root of this issue could be. It could be due to increased pressure from coaches or parents. Or possibly they want to outshine other teammates. If an athlete is trying to stand out, being violent is one way to do it. Even though it is the most dangerous way, it is also the easiest.
In professional sports, particularly in the NFL, rules are being implemented to protect players from others that are too aggressive. Recently, a new rule regarding the sacking of the quarterback was placed that received a lot of backlash. Players believed the rule made it impossible for a defender to sack a quarterback in any way without being flagged. A lot of fans think it is pointless to try to take violence out of an already violent game, despite the fact that it would prevent a ton of injuries.
In professional sports, players are aggressive because it’s their job. In collegiate or youth sports, that aggression has to come from an outside factor. The stereotype in youth sports is that the parents care more about the result than the kids. The parents want their child to be the best on the field and will encourage them to do anything that will help them achieve that goal. However, once a child ages and reaches the point of collegiate athletics, their parents aren’t always at every game, telling them what to do every step of the way. Sometimes, the parents’ role is replaced by a coach. A coach who wants to keep their job could encourage the players to be aggressive, regardless of who gets hurt.
Regardless of an athlete’s motive, there is a clear increase of aggression in sports that exposes players of all ages to a higher risk of serious injury. Combatting this risk with stricter
rules seems like a solution until it starts taking away from the quality of the game. However, fans of professional sports must pick a side. Fewer injured players or a violent, quality game?
