Outline 1
Competitive sport today requires teamwork, awareness, skill, dexterity, agility, intuition, strength, hand-eye co-ordination. Sport has to be distinguished from games, although some professional bodies may admit chess as a sport.
Supporting Views
1. Physical Sport Accomplishments
Topic Sentence: Competitive sport today focus heavily on physical achievements and records.
Example 1: Eliud Kipchoge’s marathon record highlights the emphasis on breaking barriers.
BBC: Eliud Kipchoge broke the marathon world record. (https://www.bbc.com/sport/athletics/49947670)
Example 2: Katie Ledecky’s multiple swimming world records underscore this focus.
Reuters: Katie Ledecky’s record-breaking performances in swimming. (https://www.reuters.com/sports/katie-ledecky-records-2021)
Example 3: Bayern Munich’s unbeaten streak in Bundesliga emphasizes accomplishments.
The Guardian: Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga dominance. (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/bayern-munich-unbeaten)
These examples illustrate that physical sports are driven by achievements and records. There is little doubt that competitive sports today primarily focus on accomplishments.
2. E-Sports Accomplishments
Topic Sentence: Competitive sport today has evolved to include E-sports. (This is not a good T/S as it is example driven. A T/S must contain an argument, and that argument has to have a premise that is validated by reasons to ensure that premise is defensible.)
Example 1: OG’s historic back-to-back wins at The International Dota 2 Championships.
BBC: OG wins The International twice consecutively. (https://www.bbc.com/sport/esports/og-dota2-international)
Example 2: Faker’s legendary status in League of Legends due to multiple championships.
Reuters: Faker’s dominance in League of Legends. (https://www.reuters.com/esports/faker-league-of-legends)
Example 3: N0tail becoming the highest-earning e-sports player.
The Guardian: N0tail’s earnings in e-sports. (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/n0tail-esports-earnings)
E-sports thrives on accomplishments. That is the nature of competitive sport today.
Opposing Views
1. Physical Sport Beyond Accomplishments
Topic Sentence: Physical sports also emphasise teamwork and sportsmanship.
Example 1: Leicester City’s unexpected Premier League win highlighted teamwork.
BBC: Leicester City’s teamwork and spirit in winning the Premier League. (https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/leicester-city-premier-league)
Example 2: Japan’s rugby team emphasised respect and teamwork during the World Cup.
Reuters: Japan’s rugby team and their focus on respect. (https://www.reuters.com/sport/japan-rugby-world-cup)
Example 3: Iceland’s football team gaining respect for their collective effort in Euro 2020.
The Guardian: Iceland’s football team and their teamwork in Euro 2020. (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/iceland-euro-2020)
These examples show that physical sports value more than just accomplishments.
2. Mental Sport Beyond Accomplishments
Topic Sentence: Mental sports like chess also focus on strategy and learning.
Example 1: Chess.com encourages learning through puzzles and games.
Chess.com: Learning and strategy through chess puzzles. (https://www.chess.com/lessons)
Example 2: FIDE promotes chess as an educational tool in schools.
FIDE: Chess as a tool for education and strategy. (https://www.fide.com/education)
Example 3: Hikaru Nakamura’s online streams focus on teaching and enjoyment of chess.
Twitch: Hikaru Nakamura’s chess streams for learning. (https://www.twitch.tv/gmhikaru)
These initiatives show that mental sports also promote education and enjoyment. Sports are not solely about accomplishments.
3. E-Sports Beyond Accomplishments
Topic Sentence: E-sports emphasise community and entertainment.
Example 1: Twitch streams foster a strong community of gamers.
Twitch: Twitch as a platform for e-sports community and entertainment. (https://www.twitch.tv)
Example 2: Fortnite events create a social and interactive environment for players.
Epic Games: Social and interactive events in Fortnite. (https://www.epicgames.com/fortnite/en-US/news)
Example 3: Valorant’s community tournaments highlight the importance of participation.
Valorant: Community tournaments and participation in Valorant. (https://playvalorant.com/en-us/news/)
These aspects illustrate that e-sports value community and entertainment.
Conclusion
Restate Thesis: Competitive sports today are driven by accomplishments, but they also emphasise teamwork, strategy, and community.
Summary of Key Points: Physical, mental, and e-sports all highlight accomplishments, but also focus on other significant values.
Final Thought: While achievements are paramount, the broader values in sports cannot be ignored.
Outline 2
Supporting Views
1. Professional Sports Focus on Records and Titles
Topic Sentence: Competitive sport today predominantly emphasise records and titles, showcasing a clear pursuit of accomplishments.
Example 1: Lewis Hamilton’s record-breaking seventh Formula 1 World Championship win in 2020.
BBC: Lewis Hamilton equals Schumacher’s record. (https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/54950124)
Example 2: Bayern Munich’s sextuple win in the 2019-2020 season underscores this focus.
The Guardian: Bayern Munich completes sextuple. (https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/feb/11/bayern-munich-1-0-tigres-sextuple)
Example 3: Novak Djokovic’s 2021 record-breaking 37th ATP Masters 1000 title highlights this trend.
Reuters: Djokovic breaks Masters record. (https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/djokovic-breaks-masters-1000-record-2021)
These examples illustrate the heightened emphasis on achieving records and titles in (professional) sports.
2. Amateur Sports Also Prioritise Achievements
Topic Sentence: Competitive sport today increasingly focuses on individual and team achievements.
Example 1: Kenyan amateur runner Rhonex Kipruto set a new 10km road world record in 2020.
World Athletics: Kipruto breaks 10km record. (https://www.worldathletics.org/news/report/rhonex-kipruto-10km-world-record-valencia)
Example 2: Japan’s amateur high school baseball team, Chiben Wakayama, won the 2021 Koshien tournament, demonstrating this pursuit.
The Japan Times: Chiben Wakayama wins Koshien. (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2021/08/29/baseball/japan-high-school-baseball-tournament/)
Example 3: Finnish amateur skier Anssi Pentsinen set a new national record in 2021, underlining the emphasis on accomplishments.
YLE: Pentsinen sets skiing record. (https://yle.fi/news/3-11753920)
These instances reveal the growing importance of accomplishments even in amateur sports.
Opposing Views
1. Professional Sports Value Teamwork and Sportsmanship
Topic Sentence: Professional sports also value teamwork and sportsmanship, not just accomplishments.
Example 1: Danish football team’s solidarity during Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest in Euro 2020.
BBC: Danish team’s sportsmanship. (https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/57458673)
Example 2: New Zealand’s cricket team’s sportsmanship after losing the 2019 Cricket World Cup final.
The Guardian: New Zealand’s sportsmanship. (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/jul/15/new-zealand-cricket-world-cup-sportsmanship)
Example 3: Japanese fans’ cleanliness at the 2018 World Cup, cleaning stadiums after matches.
Reuters: Japanese fans’ respect. (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-soccer-worldcup-japan-fans)
These examples show that professional sports also highly value sportsmanship and teamwork.
2. Amateur Sports Emphasise Participation and Enjoyment
Topic Sentence: Amateur sports often prioritise participation and enjoyment over achievements.
Example 1: Parkrun events focus on community and participation, not competition.
Parkrun: Community and participation in Parkrun. (https://www.parkrun.com/about/)
Example 2: UK’s Youth Sport Trust promotes enjoyment and participation in sports.
Youth Sport Trust: Encouraging youth participation. (https://www.youthsporttrust.org/)
Example 3: Australian school sports emphasise physical activity and enjoyment rather than competitive success.
Australian Government: School sports focus on participation. (https://www.sportaus.gov.au/schools)
These initiatives highlight the importance of enjoyment and participation in amateur sports.
3. E-Sports Promote Community and Engagement
Topic Sentence: E-sports also foster community and engagement, beyond just accomplishments.
Example 1: Twitch streams create strong communities and social interactions among gamers.
Twitch: Community engagement in Twitch. (https://www.twitch.tv)
Example 2: Esports clubs in schools encourage teamwork and social skills, not just competition.
British Esports Association: School esports clubs. (https://britishesports.org)
Example 3: Finnish e-sports organisation Ence focuses on player development and well-being.
Ence: Player well-being in e-sports. (https://ence.gg/news/)
These examples show that e-sports also value community and engagement.
Conclusion
Restate Thesis: Competitive sports today emphasise accomplishments but also value teamwork, participation, and community.
Summary of Key Points: Both professional and amateur sports, including e-sports, highlight records but also other significant values.
Final Thought: While achievements are crucial, broader values in sports cannot be ignored. Competitive sport today is a complex milieu of many factors.
Note: This essay requires the comparison of sport today and in the past. Without showing if the issue was different in the past, this essay will not receive high marks although the writer may present a ton of examples.
