One of my favourite football players was found dead of an apparent suicide. The story is available here. Junior Seau came across as larger than life. He played hard on every down. He did a lot off the field as well. It's unfortunate but professional athletes are ending their lives. I believe that organized sports, all the way to the pro level do a lot more good than bad but it is not without its problems.
On the good side, organized sports promotes teamwork and fitness. It gives you a sense of belonging and a cause to rally behind. It shows what hard work can accomplish and gives less fortunate people a way out. It happens at every level and being a part of organized sport is beneficial.
On the bad side, organized sports exposes people to risk of injury. Not just to the body but also to the brain. It's only recently that we are discovering how much head injuries can damage you. Additionally, on your way to and at the highest levels, players are treated as commodities. This can be hard on some people's minds and they may not ever fully recover.
I don't pretend to understand suicide because it doesn't make sense to me. That doesn't mean I haven't know people who felt it was the only solution. I'm not sure if we will ever truly understand it but we should try.
For a long time I saw it as a very selfish act. To me, it was the cheap way out to give up and leave everyone to pick up the pieces. Lately it's just sad. I've never been close to thinking that it would solve anything. So, all I know is it must be bad if you have no hope.
I don't know how to change it but if I figure it out, I will share it.
No comments:
Post a Comment