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America’s Fascination with Sports and Sports Heroes
I.
Course Description
What values do sports teach
us? Are Americans too obsessed with Sports and sports heres? Scholars will examine
American culture through the perspective of sports. Sports have had a prominent
role in American society since the turn of the century when industrialization
allowed the typical citizen to have more leisure time. Scholars will be introduced
to sports heroes from many different eras and sports. We will explore a plethora
of topics through film, literature and activities. We will look at athletics
at all levels, from high school to professional sports, with a particular emphasis
on “America’s Pastime.” Scholars will debate pertinent contemporary issues in
sports such as race gambling, rugs, sports heroes and role models, paying college
athletes, and the escalation of salaries of professional athletes. Scholars
will be involved in various simulations including, developing a salary cap,
arbitrating a player strike, and conducting a trial on the 1919 Black Sox scandal.
The course will culminate with a look at the role of sports and athletes in
high school. The ultimate goal of the course is not sports trivia, but why American
continue to have sports dominate their lives.
II.
Instructor: Jeremy
L. Plowman
- Bachelor of Arts (Russian
Studies and Political Science), Gustavus Adolphus College
- Master of Arts (Social
Studies Education), University of Iowa
- Lee Summit North High
School
- Missouri Scholars Academy
faculty – 1999
III.
Rationale for inclusion in a program for gifted students
Students will have the opportunity
to discuss and analyze topics, which are rarely addressed in traditional high
schools. They will look at issues such as gender, race, and idolatry through
a whole new paradigm. The topics are challenging and will promote high levels
of critical thinking and writing skills. Also, the interactive nature of the
course and the inclusion of the humanities are conducive to gifted learners.
Much of the processing of materials for this course will occur on the analysis,
application and synthesis level.
IV.
Major Topics Covered
- Definition of a hero
- Gender in sports
- Race in sports
- Morality and sports
- Economics and sports
- Tragic flaws and sport
heroes
- Use of sports in film
- Drugs and sports
- Family and sports
- Athletes as role models
- Societal and community
importance of sports
- Skills and values garnered
from sports
- History of sports in
America
- Why the intense devotion
to sports in America
- How to run a sports
franchise
V.
Prerequisite knowledge
The student, first and foremost,
should have an open mind about a variety of issues. The student should have
proficient reading and writing ability, which will allow for the completion
of challenging reading material and journal writing or impromptu writing assignments
within the class period. Each student will write on a prescribed topic about
various problems in sports. The mode of operation in class will usually be discussion,
so the students need to be able to both support their own opinions and show
a willingness to listen to other’s opinions. Research and analytical skills
are of paramount importance, as students will be expected to support their opinion.
Finally, the students must be actively engaged in all aspects of the course.
VI.
Learning objectives
The student will be able
to:
- define and discuss
what constitutes a sports hero
- examine the importance
of sports in American society
- identify the origin
and development of sports in America
- experience the rules
of the American game of townball (a precursor to baseball)
- analyze the issue of
economics in sports through a draft and salary cap simulation for a fantasy
baseball league
- examine how sports
affect relationships within the family
- evaluate the obligation
of athletes to be role models through a debate
- define tragic heroes
and relate athletes to heroes in Greek tragedies
- evaluate whether Pete
Rose deserves to be on the Hall of Fame eligibility list through a trial
- recognize the different
aspects of a trial
- recognize race bias
in sports
- examine avenues to
eradicate race bias in sports
- define academic requirements
for college sports through Proposition 16 and 48
- analyze the problems
with Proposition 16 and 48
- discuss the pros and
cons for Title IX through a lively debate
- identify and analyze
various problems with contemporary sports
- create a class journal
on how to fix sports in America
VII.
Source materials
The
students through their own research provided many of the sources used. Thus,
this bibliography only provides you a glimpse of what was used to examine sports
in America.
- Becker, Carl M. &
Richard H. Grigsby, “Baseball in the Small Ohio Community, 1865-1900.”
Sport in America: New Historical Perspectives. Ed. Donald Spivey.
Westport, Connecticut: Greenworod Press, 1985.
- “The Case for ‘Shoeless
Joe’”. The Kansas City Star. June 5, 1999.
- “Chariots of Fire”,
Warner Brothers, Inc. and The Ladd Company, 1981.
- Dowd, John. “Dowd Report”
for Commissioner A. Bart Gramatti,” May, 1989.
- Edwards, Harry. The
Revolt of the Black Athlete. New York: Free Press, 1969.
- “Field of Dreams”,
Universal City Studios, 1989.
- Grant, Dr. Christine
H.B. “Title IX and Gender Equity.” NACWAA Fall Forum,Cedar
Rapids, IA. September 25, 1995.
- Heckman, D. The Explosion
of Title IX Legal Activity in Intercollegiate Athletics During 1992-93: Defining
the “equal opportunity” standard. Detroit College
of Law Review, 3. Fall, 1994.
- “Hoop Dreams”,
Fire Line Productions, 1994.
- “Hoosiers”, Hemdale
Film Corporation, 1986.
- Kirsch, George B. The
Creation of American Team Sports. Chicago: University Of
Illinois Press, 1989.
- Lamoreaux, David. “Baseball
in The Late Nineteenth Century: The Source of Its Appeal.” Journal of Popular
Culture X. Winter, 1977.
- Lifetime Online. Women’s
Sports Foundation. “What Every Female Athlete Should
Know.” 1998.
- “The Natural”,
Tri-Star Pictures, 1984.
- NCAA Gender-Equity Study
Summary of Results. The National Collegiate Athletic
Association. March, 1992.
- “Official Statement Regarding
Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson” National
Baseball Hall of Fame, 1997.
- Rader, Benjamin G. American
Sports. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1983.
- “Stepping Up to the Plate.”
Time. Vol. 149, No. 13. March 31, 1997.
- “Title IX Athletics Investigator’s
Manual”. Office for Civil Rights, Department of
Education, 1990.
- “Top 100,” Cincinnati
Post, June 21, 1998.
- Voigt, David Q. America
Through Baseball. Chicago: Nelson-Hall, 1976.
- “What’s Wrong with the
NCAA Test Score Requirements?” The National Center for
Fair and Open Testing, 1996.
VIII.
Syllabus and typical classroom strategies
Day 1 Introductions/Prevalence
and value of sports in America
Brainstorming and discussion
Group definition of a sport
hero
Day 2 Origins/development
of team sports in America
- Guest lecturer/historian:
Chris Bobal
- Question and answer following
lecture
- Set up and participation
in townball, a precursor to baseball
Day 3 Money and sports
- Discussion on salary
caps
- Analysis of revenue and
costs in sports
- Fantasy league/salary
cap simulation
- Individual marketing
plans of fantasy teams
Day 4 Sports and Society
- Field of Dreams
- Focus questions and journal
writing on why baseball was used to tell this story
Day 5 Athletes as Role
Models/Flawed Heroes
- The Natural
- Debate on obligation
and media’s need to find fault withsports
heroes
Day 6 Flawed Heroes/Focus
on Gambling
- Internet research on
Shoeless Joe Jackson and Pete Rose
- Assign roles for trial
Day 7 Pete Rose Trial
- Conduct a full trial
in front of judges on the Pete Rose controversy
- Eight Men Out
- Post movie discussion
on culpability of players involved
Day 8 Race and Sports
- Group research on the
Internet
- Debate: Is there racism
in sports?
Day 9 Issues in College
Sports/Focus on Proposition 16 and 48
Panel discussion on Proposition
48 and the obligation and privileges of scholar-athletes at Universities
Day 10 Gender in Sports/Focus
on Title IX
- Title IX lecture
- Guest speaker: Senior
Women’s Athletic Administrator,
- University of Missouri
Day 11 Sports and Film
- Cross-curricular project
with film class
- Sandlot
- Discussion on sports
in film
Day 12 State of American
sports
- Assign individual topics
for research on the Internet
- Topics: drugs, strikes,
stadiums, community, salaries, etc.
Day 13 Value of sports
in American communities
- Brainstorming and discussion
on the cost and benefits of sports to communities
- Case study on St. Louis
and Kansas City
Day 14 Research and writing
on individual sports topic
Computer laboratory
Day 15 Journal writing
Group editing of journal
Day 16 Culmination/Finish
league simulation
- Sports as inspiration
- Hoosiers
- Discuss aspects of film