Happiness through Athletics
Written by Andrew Bell
Individuals have been searching for contentment and fulfillment throughout modern history. Happiness is often equated with contentment and fulfillment. Many individuals believe that happiness will help them achieve joy and reduce stress. A variety of methods are used by people to discover happiness. One method of experiencing happiness is participation in athletics. Athletics create happiness by teaching people to work together, to promote individual health, and to build a sense of community.
Athletics elicit happiness by teaching individuals how to work together in a way that benefits the team. Regular practices and games support athletes physically and mentally. The team members work together to achieve a common purpose and winning opportunities. Team members create a community of learners who all want to experience the thrill of victory. The team bonds individuals in a way that resembles an extended family. Athletics also teach players to communicate with each other. Many sports require every member to be attentive and acquire new skills (Benefits). The athletes must be able to communicate with one another in the language of their sport. For example, basketball players must be able to recognize signals and to react quickly to coaching adjustments. In addition, they must know the methods of several teams in order to communicate effectively. Each team member has a responsibility to communicate in a way that promotes winning. Winning leads to a feeling of happiness for the entire group and every individual.
Athletics also create happiness by releasing endorphins. Endorphins are “a group of endogenous peptides (such as enkephalin) found especially in the brain that bind chiefly to opiate receptors and produce some pharmacological effects (such as pain relief) like those of opiates” (Endorphin). When the body releases these naturally occurring chemicals, it is disposing of unwanted stress. Stress reduction helps the body function more efficiently. It also produces greater mental capability. Interestingly, when multiple people exercise together regularly, their happiness level boosts the wider community’s level of joy. Thus, everyone benefits from the release of endorphins. Positive moods promote feelings of joy and contentment.
The positive moods and winning efforts of athletes can transform communities. Fans and spectators enjoy bonding with one another over a team’s accomplishments and record. Seasonal sporting events provide fans with something to anticipate beyond their personal responsibilities and routines. Watching sporting events not only reduces stress, it creates opportunities for sports groups which support specific teams to develop within cities. Multiple studies have shown cities with a large sports base have a lower rate of crime than cities with a small sports base (Hunt). A reduced crime rate promotes community happiness. Increased community happiness helps the sports organization feel supported and appreciated. Jeeyon Kim, a doctor and former student at Florida State University states, “Sport participation and sport spectating activities had positive influences on baseline and momentary fluctuation of subjective well-being, and was effective for detachment-recovery, autonomy, achievement, and belonging needs fulfillment” (Kim). When both the athletes and the spectators have a sense of fulfillment, the community’s pride is boosted.
In conclusion, athletics often create feelings of happiness for athletes and fans. Athletics create happiness by teaching people to work together, to promote individual health, and to build a sense of community. All cities would benefit from an increase in the promotion and participation of individual and team sports.
Works Cited Page
Benefits of Sports of Adolescent. https://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Works-Cited-Page. University of Missouri Health Care. no date. 11-8-2019
“Endorphin.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, 2019, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/endorphin.
Hunt, Paul. “Sportanddev.org.” Sport and the Pursuit of Happiness, 26 Mar. 2013, www.sportanddev.org/en/article/news/sport-and-pursuit-happiness.
Kim, J. Sport and Happiness: A Multi-Level Analysis of Sport Consumer's Subjective Well-Being and Need Fulfillment. no date. Florida State University, 2016.
