In my January 28, 2016 class we talked about
sport and societal values, where we stated that sport mirrors society in many ways and this includes value
systems. We outlined that American
societal values include things like achievement, materialism, freedom,
conformity, and individualism. I think star baseball player Bryce Harper, is an athlete that showcases a lot of the values that are mirrored in society and sport. I drew many connections between Harper's story and our class discussion from an article feature on him the
current issue of ESPN Magazine.
The first connection I made between the article and our class discussion on societal values was freedom. The article tells a story about 6th grade career day where Harper and his classmates were asked to declare careers. When Harper said he was going to be a professional baseball player his teacher told him he should pick something else, and that was when a classmate told the teacher, "No you really don't understand he's going to be a professional baseball player. He's the best 12 year old in the country". This declaration as a 12 year old, despite how small the odds are portrays the societal value of freedom that in America anyone can accomplish anything if they work for it. The second connection that I made between the article and the societal values we discussed in class was the value of individualism. In this article Harper says that he thinks the unwritten rules of baseball make the game "tired" and that he plans on changing the game and making it exciting for fans and players. Harper is able to be an individual and play the game the way he wants to, and because of our societal values that is a very achievable thing. The last societal value I drew parallels to between class and the article was achievement and success. Harper has been a prodigy almost his entire life and with that comes a burning desire to be the best at what he does even if he rubs some people the wrong way, and personally I like it.
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