Introduction
The popular usage of anabolic steroids makes necessary the study of their effects physically and psychologically. Study results indicate more than minor psychological changes in personality are found with AAS use. These effects can border on dangerousness, with demonstrations of aggressive and violent behavior, and need to be further investigated.
Article Summary
Cooper, Noakes, Dunne, Lambert, and Rochford (1996) studied the prevalence of abnormal personality traits found in chronic users of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS). One of the authors became a participant-observer in a group of body builders. The experimental group were twelve body builders using high doses AAS ..."
Abstract The paper examines how Major League Baseball (MLB) generates $3.5 billion in annual revenues and how the economic turmoil the sport has undergone recently has attracted a great deal of attention both because of its huge fan following as well as the fact that it's an integral part of American culture. It evaluates how the range of different rates on return on investment for different teams is too large and blames it on competitive imbalances caused by a few very rich owners and a widening of what the industry classifies as "local revenues" . It shows how if MLB continues to see uncontrolled rises in its fixed and variable costs, several teams may just have to raise ticket prices, which will not bode well for an industry that is already witnessing demand elasticity and will likely, in future, experience price elasticity as well if raised ticket prices lead to a resulting negative trend in total revenues. It concludes with how MLB needs to be thoroughly overhauled using basic fundamental economic principles of controlling variable costs and providing a level playing field so that the performance of the smaller teams picks up and the demand to watch them win also grows.
From the Paper "MLB is also subject to the concept of "time cost" and consumer choice, at least perceptually given its discrete and isolated actions and long pauses as compared to the more action packed sports of football and basketball. This is especially true given the far faster paced lifestyles of today and is likely to have an even bigger impact in future as the natural effects of time and demand elasticity kick in as well over the longer run.
MLB's turmoil has also been caused by cash strapped owners who are probably feeling the pinch of the "opportunity cost of equity capital" as a lot of owners are ?"not as liquid as they were five years ago"annual losses rise to $10million, $20 million or more?? (MSNBC Web site)."
Abstract The paper addresses the issues of women in sports, the changing trends and the struggle involved in accomplishing the desired place in athletics. It describes how the field of sports since 1970?s, has been the obtrusive battleground to fight for the equality of sex. he paper describes how women's participation in sports has increased dramatically since the passage of Title IX.
Table of Contents:
Gender Discrimination and Women Sports Participation
Role of Title IX in Women's Sports Participation
Increased Sports Opportunities for Women
Increase in Men's Support for Women Sports
Practical Implications to Increase Women Participation in Sports
Getting Results Through Increasing Awareness
Removal of Myths
Augmenting Press Coverage
Getting Authorities Intervene and Take Adequate Actions
Conclusion
From the Paper "Sports are another field where racial differences and gender biases are common. Women equality to play, to prove their abilities and to compete with men on the field is still a primary goal on the women rights association's agenda, those organizations working to ameliorate the contemporary conditions of the womenfolk. However gone are the days when women were willing to conform to the roles of a domestic wife, an obedient daughter and a dutiful sister. Women of today are not only well educated but they are also aware of their rights as human beings. With the signing of the Title IX, women became adamant in accomplishing equality of sex in the field of sports, apart from other disciplines."
Abstract This paper provides a brief insight into the life of basketball player Michael Jordan from his birth in in Brooklyn, N.Y. on February 17, 1963 to becoming one of America's greatest players in basketball history. It examines his career through school and college, his family life and the affect of the tragic death of his father. On January 13, 1999 Michael Jordan, the great basketball player, who goes for the hoop with his eyes rolling and his tongue sticking out, retired from the court forever.
From the Paper "Michael accepted a basketball scholarship to the University of North Carolina. In 1981, he was a freshman in college. He played hard and got into the starting lineup. In 1982, it was the NCAA championship: UNC vs. Georgetown, and Michael made the winning shot. Because of him, the University of North Carolina was the 1982 NCAA champion. Then, the Bulls offered him a seven-year-contract worth $6.15 million. In 1984, he moved to Chicago and played with the Bulls using #23. Everything was going well for him. In his personal life, he became a millionaire, met a woman named Juanita Vanoy who was an executive secretary at the American Bar Association, got married, and had three children named Jeffery, Marcus, and Jasmine. In his career life, he was named the Most Valuable Player from 1987-98, NBA Finals MVP from 1990-98, the NBA Defensive Player of the Year for the years 1987-88, 1991 NBA championship, was in eleven NBA All-Star games, and starred in the movie ?Space Jam.? "
From the Paper " Approximately 50 high school students (25 males and 25 females) will be administered the Parental Sport Pressure Questionnaire (PSPQ) developed for this study and the Sport Competition Anxiety Test for Children (SCAT-C), developed by Martens (1982). Students who score above the median on the PSPQ will be assigned to the High Parental Sport Pressure Group (HPSP), and students who score at or below the median will be assigned to the Low Parental Sport Pressure group (LPSP). The t-test for correlated groups will be used to determine if a statistically significant difference (p ?.05) exists between the two groups in competition trait anxiety as measured on the SCAT-C. It is hypothesized that students who score above the median on the PSPQ will report significantly higher mean levels of (...)"
From the Paper "One of the most controversial questions surrounding collegiate athletics is the degree of professionalism that college sports should be accorded. This is most clearly represented in the debate on whether college athletes should be paid, if so, the amount of salaries, and the degree to which the student athlete is a professional wage.earner or a student. Although the actual question of whether college athletes should be paid seems basic, there are a multitude of other issues involved. For instance, with the present system the athletes are not paid a salary, but often receive large amounts of financial assistance from the host university. As well, these athletes are often part of large recruiting packages that may well include living allowances, transportation stipends, funds for tutors and travel, as well as other "under.the.table" perks such as (...)"
From the Paper "The unauthorized use of anabolic steroids has become a problem of major proportions. Although focused primarily on the world of professional athletics, it has become a wide.spread social problem in colleges, high.schools, and private health clubs. By 1988, it was estimated that over one million American's were illegally using anabolic steroids. According to the Food and Drug Administration, "the illegal selling of steroids has become a $100.million.a.year black market" (Rowan and Mazie, 1988, pp. 133.4). None of these drugs, sold under the trade names of Anavar, Durabolin, and Winistrol, are legally available through over the counter means. Yet it is not difficult to find steroids; the drugs are regularly available through mail.order, coaches or health club trainers distribute them, and some doctors and pharmacists freely prescribe or (...)"
Discusses biological dangers of muscle-building drug. Looks at chemical factors, physical effects, history, legitimate uses, impact on athletic performance and psychological aspects.
1,800 words (approx. 7.2 pages), 13 sources, 1989, $ 63.95
From the Paper "Anabolic steroids are quickly becoming a major, world-wide social problem. The problem focuses on the world of sports, but is not limited to that area of society. Examples are rife in the abuse of steroids. A Florida newspaper reported the tragic effects of a teen-age boy who wanted to become "more muscular" and bought steroids from a local pharmacy--later to find that the abuse of the drug caused impotency. Other reports show people injecting solutions meant to build up show horses, presumably to help them place higher in bodybuilding competitions. A more typical example of steroid abuse is centered in health clubs around the nation, where fitness instructors sell pills to clients who aren't getting "results fast enough."
It is estimated that as of 1988 over one million Americans were taking the risk of using anabolic steroids. Some forge (...)"
From the Paper "Throughout human history, the role of women in sports has reflected the changing status of women in society. In ancient Greece, for example, women were not allowed to participate in the Olympic Games which took place once every four years. In fact, if women were caught even watching the Games, they could be "tortured and punished with death, as this was an age when life was cheap and the rule of men was total" ("Then and Now" 55). Despite such persecution, there was for a time a women's version of the Olympics called the "Heraea," after the goddess Hera, wife of Zeus (55). In the second century B.C., Roman forces conquered Greece, and women were again barred from participating in public sports events. Women were eventually restored in Roman sporting events; however, the historic evidence indicates "that women's athletics in the Roman period had more to do with public ... "
Many observers in the United States believe that organized high school sports are in a poor state of affairs. Professionalism among amateurs at all levels and the hunger for earning "big" money in the pros continues to lure both collegiate and prep athletes. But big bucks is only one of many complicated issues facing sports in high school--or at all levels for that matter. Sports issues range from economics to minorities, from education to coaching philosophies, and from the rise of violence at sporting events to sex discrimination. Finding solutions to just some of these issues would go a long way to relieving the tension surrounding any prep sports program."
From the Paper "The purpose of this research is to discuss strategies in cognitive psychology relevant to sports psychology. These are strategies that motivate an athlete to achieve success in sports. Cognitive psychology is based on the discovery that certain kinds of thoughts, called automatic thoughts, lead to the production of many emotions. Some people refer to this as the ABCs of emotion. For example, an activating event will bring about a belief system, and this, in turn, will have an emotional consequence. Cognitive psychology seeks to recognize this automatic thought and find a more positive response, thus ending the negative belief system.
Once considered a form of psychic voodoo, sports psychology is rapidly becoming an integral part of nearly every elite athlete's normal training routine (Allman, 1992, p. 50). The new..."
Looks at the changes from 1974 to 1994 and discusses labor agreements, salaries, reserve clause, negotiated vs. final offer types, economics, incidence, player grievances and injuries.
2,250 words (approx. 9 pages), 7 sources, 1994, $ 79.95
From the Paper "Final Offer Arbitration in Baseball
This paper will discuss the use of arbitration in major league baseball. The first part of the paper will briefly examine the history of salaries in major league baseball and the change to arbitration in 1974. The second part of the paper will focus on final offer arbitration concerning salaries. This part will describe final offer arbitration and will discuss the effects it has had upon salary negotiations and player salaries in general. The third part of the paper will look at arbitration in the context of termination issues. This part will include a discussion of examples involving injury grievances.
In 1974, the owners and players in major league baseball agreed to use salary arbitration as the means of setting players' pay. In the 20 years since this happened, attitudes towards arbitration in.."
Proposes a research design to determine the degree to which high school football coaches and trainers use personalized strength and weight training to assist their athletes in gaining enhanced performance.
2,025 words (approx. 8.1 pages), 8 sources, 2002, $ 71.95
Abstract Proposes a research design to determine the degree to which high school football coaches & trainers use personalized strength & weight training to assist their athleles in gaining enhanced performance. Specific types of programs and their benefits. Review of the literature. Methodology to be used. Anticipated results based on data analysis.
From the Paper "Strength Training and Athletic Performance
Abstract
The proposed research focuses on determining the degree to which high school football coaches and trainers employ personalized strength and weight training regimens to assist their athletes in gaining strength, endurance, and overall improvements in conditioning, leading to enhanced performance. A review of literature was employed to develop a quantitative survey using a sample of 100 randomly selected secondary school football coaches from all playing divisions within the state. Using an instrument developed by the researcher, two research questions were asked: 1) to what degree do coaches use strength and weight training programs; and 2) what specific types of programs are employed at the secondary school level, and what are the..."
Abstract Examines how athletics help to develop leadership qualities. Importance of issue. Social context. Focus on team sports as illustrating relationship between leader & those he leads. Vital role of the coach. Importance of rules. Gives examples of specific coaches (Phil Jackson, Vince Lombardi) & players (Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal) with leadership qualities.
From the Paper "This study will examine how athletics helps to develop leadership qualities. This issue is important because of the emphasis on sports in modern society, and, therefore, both young and older athletes learn many lessons about life and behavior from sports. It is also crucial to differentiate between the emphasis on winning that is so prevalent at every level of sports today, and the leadership which transcends victory or defeat. By "leadership," this study will refer to those qualities which drive an individual to excel himself or herself, but which also drives that individual to help and inspire others to reach their potential as well in a team-oriented, cooperative atmosphere. An excellent player will always want to excel, but an effective leader must practice and instill in others on the team the desire to excel as a team, not merely as a group of individuals. In..."
Abstract Discusses move toward public funding for construction and or improvement of sports facilities for professional sports teams and franchises. Issue of who will pay for stadiums. Expanded business sales in stadium areas. Role of state governments. Pros and cons of taxpayer financing. Need for accountability and oversight to protect taxpayers.
From the Paper "Sports Stadia: Taxpayer Funding Concerns
I. Identification of the Problem
Prior to 1953, only one major league baseball club played in a stadium funded by any government body and 75 percent of funding for all ballparks came from private sources. Excluding government-funded stadia built to attract the Olympics, American professional sports teams played in facilities that were funded with private investment capital (Public financing of?, 2001). Since then, bankers have come to estimate that about 20 percent of all professional American sports teams are somewhere in the process of building new stadiums, with franchises in all major sports leagues turning to government at the local and state level for a substantial portion of the costs associated with constructing these facilities (Garrity, 2000)."
