Sports in America

Sports in America In his essay Sports in America, James Michener argues that the role of sports in contemporary society has often been misconstrued by mass media and that there is very little understanding of the goals that sports should attain. This is the main thesis that the writer advances.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sports in America specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In particular, he believes that reporters often overestimate the importance of athletic activities for the formation of a person’s character. Moreover, they should not assume that they can always help a person escape the dangers of a ghetto life. These are some of the main points that he makes. The main purpose of this essay is to make policy-makers, teachers, and parents to re-evaluate their views on sports. In order to elaborate his opinions, the author creates a very elaborate structure of the essay. First of all, he identifies the main objective of spo rts such as the promotion of healthy lifestyles and entertainment of individuals and the public. Secondly, the author identifies a set of stereotypes about sports and attempts to debunk them. For example, the writer focuses on the idea that athletic activities can develop the leadership skills of an individual. In the author’s opinion, good leadership of these people can be explained primarily by their self-discipline and intelligence (Michener 1031). Additionally, James Michener discusses various books that can give readers a better idea about the role of sports. Finally, the writer identifies the main problems that are associated with sports nowadays (Michener 1033). Overall, this structure helps the author to elaborate his ideas. It should be taken into consideration that James Michener does not directly identify the main readers of his essay. As it has been said before, this work is primarily intended for policy-makers, parents, educators and administrators of colleges or universities who may consider the ideas of the author. First of all, the writer uses a balanced and tentative tone that can appeal to these people. Moreover, the issues discussed by James Michener are related to the investment in sports and recreational infrastructure such as stadiums, the education of students, and the policies of the state. Thus, this essay is supposed to change the opinions of people take important decisions regarding the education of children or adolescents. It is also important to speak about the style and tone of this paper. One can say that the writer avoids the use of categorical statements. Instead, he attempts to create well-constructed arguments that are based on certain evidence or at least logical reasoning. Secondly, James Michener uses bullet points in order to better identify the main points of his essay (Michener 1033).Advertising Looking for essay on rhetoric? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn Mo re The author uses different types of sentences that include approximately fifteen or seventeen words. On the whole, one can say that his style, tone and word choice are quite clear. This is the main strength of his essay. Overall, this essay can be viewed as a great example of formal writing when the author has to put a well-developed argument. Moreover, this work shows how the writer can make a claim that may not necessarily appeal to the readers. To some extent, the author’s reasoning appears to be quite convincing. However, one should take into account that James Michener does not refer to any empirical studies that confirm his arguments. This is the main limitation of this essay. Nevertheless, it should be considered by policy-makers and educators. Michener, James. â€Å"Sports in America.† Literature for Composition: Essays, Stories,  Poems, and Plays. Ed. Sylvan Barnet. New York: Pearson Education, 2010. 1028-1034. Print.