Examples Of Deviance In Sports

The Sport Ethic and Deviance in Sports Deviance is usually thought of in a negative light, as something that is always disliked and punished. When it comes to sports, though, that is not always the case. The sport ethic, a way to guide actions and attitudes in the sports world, can lead to overconformity, which is a form of deviance. The sport ethic makes it look like an athlete is a savior of sorts, putting the sport above everything else in his or her life. Some believe there is nothing wrong with this type of overconformity, because it brings out the best in athletes and pushes them to their full potential. Others, like myself, believe that the sport ethic leads to deviance through it’s four norms: dedication to “the game” above all else, striving for distinction, accepting risks and playing through pain, and accepting no obstacles in the pursuit of success (Hughes and Coakley 1991). I believe that the sport ethic creates an unrealistic destination athletes strive for, and that it leads to burnout and possibly disappointment with other aspects of life.

Sometimes things that are not seen as positive outside of sports produce a sense of awe when they happen in the world of sports, such as an athlete who gets injured and plays through the rest of the game. When an athlete is able to bounce back from an injury, they see themselves as making a “bid to be successful” personally, and also as a group by having “success as a team” (Podlog and Eklund 2009). A number of people see this, as well as the other three norms, as positives. For example, players who strongly identify with their sport tend to pull teammates in favorable positions along with them, making for a positive experience in the sport (Tauber and Sassenberg 2012). By doing this, athletes are demonstrating how great it is to overconform to a sport and avoid being labeled deviant in the typical, negative