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

Aboriginal Athletes in the World of Professional SportsTerrence and Jordin Tootoo grew up in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, in Canadas arctic region. They were like other Inuit children in Rankin Inlet in many respects They were brought up to respect the customs of their people and they enjoyed the resources the reduce around them provided- they learned to hunt and fish for food like the others. However, the brothers were also different from their peers in one main respect- they were blessed with a love for the patch of hockey, and also with extraordinary amounts of talent which would enable them to leave their native community to pursue the dream of professional hockey. While the brothers were growing up they were inseparable however, subsequently 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 sign-language(a) a lucrative contract with t he Nashville Predators. However, Terrences road to the professional ranks was filled with hardship and tragedy, ultimately resulting in his suicide in August of 2002. The tell apart paths taken by the brothers is an illustration of how professional sporting careers can have varying impacts on the lives of Native American and Canadian athletes and their communities. In the following hardly a(prenominal) 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 role models for younger Natives. Also, I will argue that their still exist barriers and challenges to Native athletes that do not represent other athletes. For example, Native athletes are often placed under increased scrutiny because of their positions as role models. I will conclude by commenting on how Native athletes fit into pro sports today, and speculate on what can be done to i ncrease the amount of success enjoyed by Natives. Participation in sports and games has hanker been a part of Native culture. The most significant example of a sport invented and played by Natives is lacrosse. Lacrosse is still designated as the official sport of Canada disrespect the overwhelming popularity of hockey (http//canada.gc.ca). Lacrosse was one of many varieties of indigenous stickball games being played by Native Americans and Canadians at the time of European contact. Almost altogether 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, catch and vault it into or past a goal to score a point.