Sports (Cause and Effect Essay)

Sports are popular in the United States. Kids, teenagers and adults are all participating; whether it’s for themselves or for their parents. But why join a sport when it’s not required? Simple, we join for the variety of positive mental, physical and social effects sports offer.
As kids, sports allow us to feel like we belong to something bigger and greater than our family. We feel like people are depending on us. Consequently, we find our friends, known as teammates. Sports teach us how to give ourselves self-respect; in return we learn how to respect others. Responsibility is also learned through playing sports. We’re responsible for making it to practices and games. We also feel good about ourselves through our accomplishments (Williams).
On the other hand, we could only be playing sports to make our parents happy and keep them off our backs. Parents could also not be very supportive of how well we are doing and only want us to be in a sport because of the chance of getting a full scholarship to college. When parents do these things it is putting extra pressure on the athlete. It also makes an athlete afraid to make a mistake for fear of letting down their parents (Williams).
Sports contribute to a person’s well being. By being physically active through a sport or other activity we are reducing the risk of developing high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, respiratory problems, and some cancers. Being active also help us with weight management and respiratory function (The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports). Playing sports also develops muscles and improves stamina. Physically fit people can exert themselves longer and put more stress on their bodies while working out. They can also work out over a longer period of time without becoming severely fatigued.
A youth playing sports learns how to interact socially through sportsmanship and teamwork. The athlete also learns about the values of hard work, behavior and skills (Mahar). Not only do these qualities aid a person in the sports scene; they help a person in the real world and in future jobs they may have or want to get. Employers who see sports listed on a resume will automatically assume that a person knows and has the quality of good sportsmanship and teamwork, and knows how to work hard on the job and be persistent. Consequently, the employer may choose to hire a person who played sports over a person who has never played sports.
Playing sports can also relieve stress. A highly stressed person can go out on the court or playing field and play or practice their absolute hardest. While their doing this they aren’t thinking about anything but what they’re doing at the moment. When their done they will have let some of the anger or worries or what ever was stressing them go and feel rejuvenated.
Through all the physical, mental, and social effects playing sports gives us in our everyday lives there’s still one main reason we choose to participate in them: we love it and we think its great (Hilgers). We like everything a sport has to offer and we, in turn, live off it. We wouldn’t be the same it there was no participation in sports.

Works Cited
Hilgers, Laura. “Youth Sports Drawing More Than Ever.” Cnn.com. 5 July 2006. Cable News
Network. 21 July 2007 html>.
Mahar, Matthew. “Let the Kids Play!” Homepage.mac.com. Achieve Magazine. 25 June 2007
.
President’s Council On Physical Fitness and Sports. “Physical Activity Facts.” Fitness.gov. 18
Jan. 2007. The President’s Council On Physical Fitness and Sports. 25 June 2007 www.fitness.gov/resources_factsheet.htm>.
Williams, David. “Character Builder Or Pressure-Cooker: Parents and Youth Sports.” Cnn.com.
10 July 2006. Cable News Network. 21 June 2007 parenting/07/03/kids.sports.parents/index.html>.

Summary and Response of "The Myth of the Latin Woman"

In “The Myth of the Latin Woman,” Judith Ortiz Cofer talks about her life in America as a Puerto Rican immigrant. She talks about how people stereotyped her, how different American culture was from Puerto Rican culture, and about how she wanted to fit in, but couldn’t because of her different culture and traditions. The main difference in the American culture and the Puerto Rican culture is the clothing styles. Americans dress more modest and dull; Puerto Ricans dress flashy and vibrant. Cofer also talks a little about how the movies portray Puerto Rican and Latin Woman. It’s the main reason why we Americans automatically stereotype Puerto Rican and Latin women; it’s all we have seen, in the movies, so we don’t really know what the Puerto Rican or Latin culture is really like. The other main point Cofer makes is that even though she had a hard time when she was growing up she still became successful and that any one can do the same. We just have to turn all the negative into a positive and keep on living.
I liked this article and I strongly agree with it. Americans are so used to seeing one way and one culture that when something new or someone new comes along they automatically assign a stereotype to them or try to relate them to a movie character we have seen. This article also proves that anyone can succeed in life; no matter what pitfalls or negative experiences it throws. The other thing that I liked about this article is that Cofer went into some detail about what stereotypes we put on her and that she told it as a real life story, not as an example of what could happen.

Summary and Response of "The Female Body"

In “The Female Body” Margaret Atwood talks about the different ways the female body is viewed. The first way the female body is viewed is by the physical appearance. The second way is by what is put on it. Third is by how much you can see when you look at a woman; you’re able to see right through her. The fourth is the view that you can tell a woman what you do and don’t want and that she will either fix it or not. Atwood, then goes on to talk about the different uses the female body has and how males use females to get things for them even though they are capable of getting them themselves. Then it talks about how pleasure in the female isn’t required, it’s optional. Finally she talks about the female and male brains and how they differ; females have a more laid back approach on things while males have an objective approach. The “Female Body” is mainly about how men keep women to do things and for nothing else. So when they lose the female they are lost because they don’t know what or how to do things themselves.
I didn’t really get this article. But based on some of the things I did get out of it I have to say I disagree with some and agree with some. I disagree that men use us to do things that they can do themselves, but I agree that they do use us; it’s just for all the wrong reasons. I also agree that mens’ brains and womens’ brains work and act totally differently.

Summary and Response of "The Circle of Governments"

In this article Niccolo Machiavelli talks about the different types of government. He says that some people say there are three and that some say there are six. Machiavelli also states that out of the six three are bad and three are good. Then he goes on to talk about how the government was formed. At first the ruler was the strongest amongst a group of people. Then it changed to looking for the wisest. After that sovereignty was hereditary through the sons of the ruler. It then became a position of luxury instead of leading. Machiavelli then talks about the different conspiracies and plots that people made to get rid of the ruler. Then the article talks about how a popular government came to be. At the end Machiavelli says that all governments are defective, even the three good ones.
This article has taught me about what the different governments are. I also agree with Machiavelli when he says that there are bad governments. Just look at other countries and the conditions and states they are in can tell a lot about how and what kind of government they have.The article has also taught me about how and on what basis a ruler was picked when the people just started out and were looking for someone to govern them. I also agree with Machiavelli when he says that all governments are defective. Most governments are usually all about themselves. Even when they ask the peoples opinion the government usually goes along with what they wanted to do in the first place. Governments aren’t for the people.

Summary and Response of "Stone Soup"

In “Stone Soup” Barbara Kingsolver discusses family and divorce. The article makes the point that divorce is a failed marriage and that people who divorce take the lazy way out. It also talks about how everyone wants the perfect family, a household with a mother, father, sister, and brother, but in reality it’s hardly ever achieved because of the divorce rate and different types of marriages and single parenting. Kingsolver also talks about how some friends will stand by you during divorce, while others leave. The article says that the friends that stand by you and comfort you while you are still hurting eventually have to stop and start treating you like your old self again. Then the article goes on to talk about multigenerational families living together. Even through divorce, the family is still supportive for the kid’s sake and best interest. We can't grow up expecting the perfect life and marriage because the world and the people in it aren’t perfect. If we do believe in life being perfect, we’re in for a rude awakening.
This article has a lot to say and I agree with most of it. I agree that most children will grow up dreaming, at one point or another, of having a perfect family, but they hardly do ever get it. No family is perfect, but it’s still a family. I don’t agree when the article says that divorce is taking the easy way out because some things can't be helped. I think that if a couple fight and are extremely unhappy that they should get a divorce; it makes
no sense for a person to live their life unhappily married. A person’s life is mean to be full of joy, laughter and love. I also think it would be better for a child to see a divorce than to see his parents fighting on a daily basis. I think the effect would be a lot less negative on everyone involved it two unhappy people just got a divorce and gave up on trying to have the perfect family.

Summary and Response of "When Bright Girls Decide that Math is a Waste of TIme"

In this article Susan Jacoby talks about why girls tend to dislike math and science even though they make good grades. Jacoby says that girls put up a mental block about math and science by saying it’s a masculine subject. Therefore, girls often tend to not want to participate in math and science for fear of being too smart and, as a consequence, having guys lose interest in them. It has also been proven that guys will excel and make better grades than girls in math by the time they hit twelfth grade. The other topic Jacoby discusses is: girls who stop taking math and science classes sabotage their careers and professions. This is why many girls seek professions in fine arts, social sciences, and education. Not taking the two courses also limits the understanding of how the physical world works. The main message Jacoby makes is that girls shouldn’t divide math, science, and English into masculine and feminine stereotypes and that they should take the courses even it they don’t want to.
In my experience math and science have never been a girl’s favorite subject; they certainly aren’t mine. But I have come to notice that some girls like a particular type of science, such as anatomy. The whole masculine and feminine categorization of math, science, and English is just another way to get out of something, in this case taking the subject. Girls who think that upper level math and science make them look to smart and unpopular with the boys are unaware; being smart can actually make a person more popular because everyone will want to study with them and they will also be the ones called on to answer questions. Consequently, more people will notice them and want to be as smart as them. For a girl being smart isn’t a bad thing; just like a boy being smart isn’t a bad thing. I agree, with Jacoby, that girls shouldn’t stop taking math and science and that their parents should encourage them, to take the courses, as well. By taking math and science we are able to advance further in the world.

Summary of "Sex, Lies and Conversation"

The main points that Tannen discusses are: how contact is made between two people during communication or a conversation, support and advice that is given or not given during a conversation, and how men and women have grown up with different types of communication with the same and opposite sexes. The first main point, how contact is made during communication or conversation, is basically saying how men and women have different ways of listening and communicating. Men have one way that women can take the wrong way, not listening, and women have one way that men can take the wrong way, interruption of a conversation. The second main point, support and advice that is given or not given, talks about how the opposite sexes respond to one another during conversations. Women are more sympathetic and try to solve the problems or at least relate to the problem so the one with the problem doesn’t feel so alone, while men tend to show more tough love and shrug it off. The third main point, how men and women have grown up with different types of communication with the same and opposite sex, is saying that men and women have different ways of communicating with each other based on how they are used to communicating. We all grow up and find our friend within the same sex, its what we’re comfortable with at first. But when it comes to talking to the opposite sex its difficult because its out of our comfort zone. In the end Tannen is basically saying that better conversation habits will benefit both sexes.