Aboriginal Athletes in the World of Professional Sports :: Essays Papers

Aboriginal Athletes in the World of superior SportsTerrence and Jordin Tootoo grew up in Rankin entry, Nunavut, in Canadas arctic region. They were like different Inuit children in Rankin Inlet in many prises They were brought up to respect the customs of their people and they enjoyed the resources the land around them mastervided- they learned to hunt and lean for food like the others. However, the brothers were also different from their peers in one principal(prenominal) respect- they were blessed with a love for the game of hockey, and also with extraordinary amount of moneys of endowment fund which would en open them to leave their native community to pursue the dream of sea captain hockey. While the brothers were growing up they were inseparable however, after leaving Rankin Inlet to pursue the professional game their respective careers took strikingly different paths. Jordins journey took him to the top- he was drafted into the National Hockey League and signed a lucr ative contract with the Nashville Predators. However, Terrences road to the professional ranks was fill up with hardship and tragedy, ultimately resulting in his suicide in August of 2002. The secernate paths taken by the brothers is an illustration of how professional sporting careers can defend varying impacts on the lives of primeval American and Canadian athletes and their communities. In the spare-time activity few paragraphs I will outline the history of Native Americans and Canadians in sports. I will examine how successful Native athletes are able to help their communities, both financially and by serving as routine models for younger Natives. Also, I will argue that their still exist barriers and challenges to Native athletes that do not confront other athletes. For example, Native athletes are oft placed under increased scrutiny beca enforce of their positions as role models. I will conclude by commenting on how Native athletes fit into pro sports today, and specula te on what can be done to increase the amount of success enjoyed by Natives. Participation in sports and games has long been a articulation of Native culture. The most significant example of a sport invented and play by Natives is lacrosse. Lacrosse is still designated as the official sport of Canada despite the raise popularity of hockey (http//canada.gc.ca). Lacrosse was one of many varieties of indigenous stick evening gown games being vie by Native Americans and Canadians at the time of European contact. Almost only if a male team sport, it is distinguished from other stick and ball games, such as field hockey or shinny, by the use of a netted racquet with which to pick the ball off the ground, throw, cracking and vault it into or past a goal to score a point.