You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
In the past, sports champions used to be motivated by the desire to win a match or to break the world records. These days, they are more likely to be motivated by prize money and the opportunity to be famous. What message does this send to young people and how does this attitude to sport affect the sports themselves?
Give reasons for your answer.
You should write at least 250 words.
Sample Answer:
In the bygone days, the aim of an athlete was to win the competition or to set a new world record. Nowadays, it has changed, as many players are motivated by the prize and the popularity. The following essay will discuss how the effect of the changes to the young generation and how it has affected to the sports industry.
To begin with, as athletes’ motivation has changed nowadays, it brings some negative effects to the young people. It is a fact that many football or basketball stars are highly paid and become very popular these days. The condition has led them into a luxurious or glamorous lifestyle, and many of them are married to a famous actress or a supermodel. It has conveyed some negative messages to the young people that professional athletes world is a world of parties, wealth and hedonism lifestyles. Meanwhile, in the past, athletes’ motivation was to be the best in his field and become a good role model for the young generation with their hardworking attitude.
As professional players are highly paid these days, it has changed the paradigm of the sports industry. Sports leagues are becoming commercialised as they need the money to pay these athletes. Ticket prices are ridiculously expensive, and during a live game on television, so many commercials are added. And then, many games are showing more of an individual attraction rather than a solid teamwork, as each of the athletes is trying to become the dominant player. And last but not least, many sports leagues are filled with negative issues nowadays due to the commercialization, such as athletes strike on salary cap or corruption by some sports bodies.
In conclusion, it is true that sports have become an attractive business nowadays. Many athletes are well paid and sports leagues have become a great opportunity for some parties. Despite all the fortunes, the pure essences of sports which are sportive, teamwork and discipline are all lost. Athletes are becoming more individualistic and have some negative lifestyles and it could be a bad example for the young generation. And then sports industrialisation has negatively affected many sports organisations. Therefore it is the government’s task to set some clear regulation about the world of sport.
[ Written by – Darwin Lesmana ]