{Violence in sport is a problem... But there are solutions!}

While reading the article "Violence in Sport: Just Part of the Game?," I realized that violence doesn't have to be part of the game! Sports such as hockey and football have their violent components, but they do not have to be inherently violent.  In hockey much of the fighting only occurs out of the players frustration and aim to get an unfair advantage in the game. If the mindsets of these hockey players were changed to value the pursuit of excellence from the belief of winning at all costs, violence in hockey would not be nearly as big of a problem. I really liked the solution that Edmund Vaz proposed to solve the hockey problem, where he stated that referees should deduct points for breaking the rules and take into account the number of infarctions on teams when determining the winner of a game. This rule would force the players to value the rules of the game and strive for excellence in the skill of the game instead of trying to gain unfair advantages by harming their opponents.

In football I think solving the problem of violence is a much more difficult task.  There are already many rules in place that have consequences for unnecessary violence and the equipment in place is probably as safe as the manufacturers can make it. I think that some things in life just come with the territory and everything has it's risks. Driving, stress, fast food, and drinking all have their risks but they do not stop us from engaging in any of these activities.  

Boxing, on the other hand, is plain fighting, and I believe that it is pure violence. The object of the sport is to cause harm to the other person with blows, so I believe that by making it illegal until the age of 18, when a person can give their own consent to do it, we can let people choose whether or not they want to participate at their own discretion.