What is Violence.

Some people think that violence is part of the game, others say that it destroys the game. When thinking of violence and sports many people think that inorder to play the game there needs to be some sort of violence to make the game exciting. Violence is the use of excessive phyiscal force which causes harm or destruction to someone. In the sporting world there is many forms of violence which include Fan Violence, Violence by the Athlete, Commercialization and Violence in Sports, Parental violence and Ritual Violence.

Fan violence is when, fans may become violent to show loyalty to a team, to release frustration with a team’s performance, or to intimidate opponents. When people watch sports on TV, fans express their emotions and this is angre. This tends to be directed towards friends and family that are inappropiate. When watching games in a social setting fans that are of opposing teams that are in the same location things start out to be fun, but can get a little heated with differences and can lead to phyiscal violence

Athletes sometimes resort to violence, in hopes of injuring and intimidating opponents. Such incidents may be part of a strategy developed by coaches or players. In boxing, extremely violent behavior by one of the contestants often results in the fighter breaking the rules being penalized with points taken off, or, in extreme cases, disqualification. Outlawed in boxing include hitting the opponent on the back of the head, under the belly, during clinching, and to the back. One of the most incident involved Mike Tyson biting off part of opponent Evander Holyfield's ear during a 1997 match.

Athletes in power and performance sports are paid well because of their ability to do violence on the field. Many athletes in the past were paid little and many of these athletes added violence to their play. Even though it was associated with pain and injuries. With Commericalization it has helped certain sports to play in some societies and with the media it has helped violence be covered and more visible than ever.

Parental Violence occasionally becomes violent. Some taunt or hit coaches, players, and other parents. Others bully their own children, lashing out as punishment or misguided encouragement. In 2000, hockey dad Thomas Junta of Reading, Massachusetts, was watching his 10 year old son at a summer ice hockey practice. Concerned about aggressive play, he yelled at the coach. A fight started, spilling into the hallway. The father repeatedly punched the coach in the face, while holding him down. Another adult broke up the fight, but the coach died. The father was later handed a six-to-10-year sentence for manslaughter.

Part of Ritual Violence is High schools, colleges, and even professional sports teams often include initiation ceremonies also known as hazing which is a rite of passage. A 1999 study by Alfred University and the NCAA found that approximately four out of five college US athletes (250,000 per year) experienced hazing.Half were required to take part in alcohol-related initiations, while two-thirds were subjected to humiliation rituals.

Violence in Sports happens all the time and ways to reduce this is focus on the play of the game. Have TV focus less on violence and teach parents, athletes and fans that violence is not exceptable. The last thing someone wants to see is an athlete getting seriously that can be a season ending injury and have this for a lifetime.