There are three issues that have caught my eye this week:
1. Coverage of women doing well in cricket (one of my favourite subjects, if you haven’t guessed already!)
2. Coverage of women doing well in football
3. Violence and sport.
The latter I’ll get to shortly… but first…
Former White Fern Sara McGlashan went out and smashed 131 not out off 63 balls last week in a domestic Twenty20 game against the Northern Spirit. I wish I had been there to see it. This will hopefully put her back into selection contention for the World Cup in March. Do you think the media picked it up? Actually some did, which is a refreshing change, but it wasn’t given as much attention as Corey Anderson’s knock a few weeks ago. The media who did mention her said that her brother played for New Zealand and neglected to mention the fact that she’s played over 100 international games for NZ! Let’s celebrate our successes and new records. Nice work Macca. Keep it up!
It seems that my discussions about fair and equal coverage for sports men and women is not falling on deaf ears. A very talented work mate pointed out that the top footballers in the world were announced. Cristiano Ronaldo was named as the top player earlier in the week. While he didn’t win any major titles in 2013, he did score 69 goals during the year. Pretty impressive. But did we hear much about women? Not really! For the record, and far more impressive, is that Nadine Angerer also won the player of the year award which was announced in the same ceremony as Ronaldo. What is special about her is that she is the first goalie to be given that award, and she plays across the ditch for Brisbane.
Now on to something far more serious…
Whether or not you like it, violence is a part of sport. And as spectators, a lot of the time, we condone it. So is it any wonder that a league player not only assaulted, but brutally bashed another person and has been jailed for it?
Russell Packer had everything going for him. Young family, new city, new contract. And then on a night out he partook in an utterly brutal display. The judge gave him a two year sentence. Newcastle, his new club, said they would stick by him but it was just a chance for the club to get their affairs in order before dropping him earlier this week.
Violence is institutionalised in sport. Think of the gladiators who fought to the death. Fortunately, sport was made more civilised and rules and regulations were introduced to prevent bloodshed. But while violence doesn’t kill sporting participants anymore, it still hurts them.
Social historians have found that while these rules discourage violence, the rate of violence didn’t necessarily decrease. Violence on the field is used to show dominance and strength. These traits are traditional pillars of masculinity, so it could be argued the more violent the more “manly” the player. These players are trying to define their identity and reinforce the notion of masculinity. Unfortunately that sometimes gets translated off the field too.
So what drives violence other than dominance on the field? It could be suggested team tactics, commercialisation and crowds play a role.
Sometimes sportspeople do anything to win. And while aggression can be a healthy part of competition, sometimes it boils over and things turn violent.
In the NHL (the American National Ice Hockey League), certain players are employed in “enforcer” roles. Their job is to protect their teammates and they are used in tactical ways. They are the strong ones. The ones who get into fights. It’s their job to show their dominance, sometimes with their fists and many people watch the sport just to see two players brutally bashing each other. The documentary 'The Last Gladiators' addresses what role violence plays in NHL, and what happens to those who are the enforcers. A rather thought provoking piece following a well-known enforcer through his path of sport, violence and drug dependency.
Money is also a mitigating factor in professional sport. If you want to be the best and earn top dollar, you have to be the fittest, strongest and toughest. Sometimes sportspeople do anything to win. And while aggression can be a healthy part of competition, sometimes it boils over and things turn violent. In a way, we are driving violence on the field through commercialisation. Media coverage also adds to it. We show the bone crunching hits and fights, like it is a normal part of sport.
Many of us have paid money to see our favourite sports team and we “ohh and ahh” when there are big hits and bone crunching tackles in sports like rugby or league. But next time you are watching a game, have a listen to the crowd when fists start to fly. Many cheer and encourage the violent and at times brutal behavior. You only have to say “bring back the biff” to know exactly what sport we are talking about which has a history of fisticuffs.
We also expose our young people to this. What does it mean for the future of sport and sportspeople when we allow them to see brutal acts of violence on the field? Are these athletes really role models? Do we want our young people replicating what they see on the field?
Questions have been asked whether there is a connection between violence on and off the field. Research suggests that if a player has a certain tough guy reputation on the field he might be encouraged to continue to portray that off it.
But there is no reason for any sportsperson to be violent on or off the field.
Violence, in any shape or form, is not ok. It’s not ok on the cricket pitch, rugby field or netball court. It’s not ok in the street, at the bar or in the workplace. It’s not ok in the home or family environment.
Call 0800 456 450 or visit www.areyouok.org.nz for information about where you can go if you are experiencing or witnessing violence, or want to change your own behaviour.
