From the moment I was born, sport has played a significant role in my life. The earliest pictures of my infancy consist of me holding a baseball while wearing a San Francisco Giants jersey. While my father was and is still heavily interested in sports, my brother is the one who really made sports an integral part of my life. My brother is nine years older than me and some of my most meaningful memories from my childhood revolve around me watching him pitch for his high school and college baseball teams. I think my brother's excellence during his playing days are what instilled the sport ethic dimension of distinction in me. He won the county player of the year in high school, received a full-ride scholarship to play at Sonoma State University, and would have been drafted into the MLB if he hadn't torn his rotator cuff and broken his wrist, which ultimately ended his career. So growing up watching him, my competitive nature forbids me to lose or let others outperform me. However, my brother was blessed with more natural talent and his work ethic was far less rigorous. I had to make far more sacrifices to achieve the level of success on my baseball and basketball teams. Although my playing days are over, sports still consume my life on an everyday basis. Ultimately, I hope to work in a profession revolving around sports.
Sports play both negative and positive roles in society. In some regards it gives people hope knowing that an underdog can defeat a powerhouse. It also instills a sense of strong work ethic, which can translate to any profession. However, I think it's wrong that athletes receive millions of dollars to play a game when teachers and other professions that are integral to the prospering of mankind are drastically underpaid. Athletes are clearly held in a high position in society, evident by their ridiculously high salaries and overall fame throughout the country. Most young children cite athletes as their role models and almost everyone would like an autograph from their favorite athletes.
Jake Packman
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