Sports would be incomplete as an entity, as an interest, and as an idea, if sports did not have stars. Maybe that’s true in all aspects of life, or at least in other areas of life as well – but, it is especially true in sports. A common denominator across virtually all truly iconic moments in sports is the star, or stars. In fact, everything that is tied to sports is geared toward the production and exaltation of the stars of sports.
Sports are constructed to bring out the star. It may also be fairly said that sports are constructed to draw out and refine the best qualities in participants – all participants. So sports, in essence, are meant to shine a light on some of the best parts of being human.
Certainly there are a host of ideologies attached to the intricacies of sports and the best parts of being human – but from within these intricacies there emerges several redeeming values.
These values appear in a few sports and recreation moments illustrated below, and comprise a list which I have identified as “Ice Cream Cool in Sports and Recreation:”
Jump shot Long Shot
The Mt. Everest of climbing walls seen here
Must watch video: The Greatest
Ezra French: Thinking about what I have instead of what I don’t have
By Dr. Rodney J. Blackman
Dr. Blackman is the Chair of Recreation Management at the United States Sports Academy, and can be reached at rblackman@ussa.edu.