Survey: Sports may not build character

United Press International ^ | February 19, 2007

[Gil4]

My son played football for the first time this year. In one of the first games, someone on his team made a tackle and then stood over the guy looking down at him (like they do in the NFL after nearly every play). The coach pulled him out of the game, chewed him out, and sat him on the bench for a while, and I thought "I think I'm going to like this coach."

[WV Mountain Mama]

And for all the athletes you have heard of, there are thousands that you don't. I was a high school All-American in swimming and a college All-American in basketball. I even graduated... :)

[jpl]

Sports do build character and integrity, but only if they are conducted honestly and fairly.

It's when you begin applying double-standards to athletes of different ability and covering up wrongdoing by players for the sake of winning that you send mixed messages and defeat the purpose of competition and fair play.

[HEY4QDEMS]

Our league rules did not allow penalty shots if the infraction occured outside the blue line.

[ColdSteelTalon]

I can tell you that sports does not build character. Moral leadership does.

When I was in high school most of the football players thought they were gods. And they weren't even the winning team.

Schools today have football for one reason. Money. Money at the expense of real education like orchestra.

[HitmanLV]

But it also reveals the character of the Duke lacrosse team. That does not make them criminals, but it only reveals that if you are looking for young people with character you are just as likely to find it among the scuffling part time work forces at McDonald's and Walmart than you are at an athletic program at a "prestigious" university.

No question about it. Traditionally, very little good usually follows after someone decidies to call a couple of hookers to their party.

[WashingtonSource]

I don't for one minute buy this survey, it's too convenient for the liberals who support it. But, if character building is not what it used to be in sports, it's because coaches and community leaders and national leaders have come to tolerate unsportsmanlike behavior. Sports figures should be people to be emulated. If their behavior is immoral, criminal, etc., they should be removed from sports teams. Under pressure from liberals, these standards have crumbled. Now liberals are boasting that sports do not build character. If they don't, then liberals are to blame.

[Hot Tabasco]

And probably wasn't the best dodge ball player either.

Of course not, his mother wouldn't let him play for fear of breaking his inch thick coke bottle glasses........

[Loyal Buckeye]

Does this mean Midnight Basketball is done?

[Hot Tabasco]

Haven't seen anyone else who fenced on here

I did one summer but the crew chief pretty much had me painting, not the installation........

[roaddog727]

Ahhh Haaa!

Another fencer.....

WOW. Epee for me as well

I fenced all throughout high school and college (Full ride to St. John's Univ. on Fencing)

When in HS/College, I would practice somewhere between 2 and 3 hours per day. I retired in '86 after 12 years.

Since I could no longer dedicate the practice time (ie had to earn a living) I turned in my Epee for golf clubs/AIKIDO Mat. There was no way I was going to lose against fencers whom I had no business losing to.