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

patriarchal Athletes in the World of Professional SportsTerrence and Jordin Tootoo grew up in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, in Canadas arctic region. They were like new(prenominal) Inuit children in Rankin Inlet in numerous respects They were brought up to respect the customs of their people and they enjoyed the resources the land somewhat them provided- they learned to hunt and fish for food like the others. However, the brothers were also antithetical from their peers in one main respect- they were blessed with a love for the indorse of field hockey, and also with extraordinary amounts of talent which would enable them to leave their native alliance to pursue the dream of pro hockey. While the brothers were growing up they were immanent however, after leaving Rankin Inlet to pursue the professional game their single careers took strikingly different paths. Jordins journey took him to the top- he was drafted into the National field hockey League and signed a lucrative contract with the Nashville Predators. However, Terrences road to the professional ranks was filled with hardship and tragedy, ultimately resulting in his self-annihilation in August of 2002. The contrasting 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 few paragraphs I will compendium the history of Native Americans and Canadians in sports. I will examine how winning Native athletes are able to help their communities, both financially and by serving as role models for younger Natives. Also, I will contend that their still exist barriers and challenges to Native athletes that do not confront other athletes. For sheath, 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 increase the amount of success enjoyed by Natives. Participation in sports and games has long 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 positive sport of Canada despite the overwhelming popularity of hockey (http//canada.gc.ca). Lacrosse was one of many varieties of autochthonic stickball games being played by Native Americans and Canadians at the duration of European contact. Almost exclusively a male team sport, it is expansive from other stick and ball games, such as field hockey or shinny, by the use of a netted racquet with which to choose the ball off the ground, throw, catch and vault it into or past a goal to score a point.