Reform
The word reform is a verb, meaning to do. To change something for the better, or to improve by alteration. During the time before the Olympics most amateur athletes did not have a chance to play the sport they loved unless they were on a team, but with the re-introduction of the Olympics, people with the love of sport could participate unprofessionally in the event of their choice as long as they could qualify. In most cases this changed things for the better, but when professional athletes started competing in the Olympics, controversy arose. Professional athletes were often endorsed by companies like Nike, Coca-Cola, McDonalds, etc. These athletes did not have to pay their way because of their sponsors, but amateur athletes have to pay for their own expenses. That makes it harder on amateur athletes to compete as often as professional or sponsored athletes. There has been a lot of debate over amateur athletes vs. professional, and there is still debate over that today.
Before there were special and Paralympics, people with physical, mental or social disabilities couldn’t compete in organized sport. Just the thought of telling a 10 year boy that he didn’t make the cut for the school basketball team because he was diagnosed with Down's syndrome at birth doesn’t seem like the right thing to do. He is not any less capable than any other player but yet he still is not given a chance. There is no humane reason why he shouldn’t be able to play on the team with pupils around his age; it is just another way of discrimination, singling someone out just because they might be a little different from the others. Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Ludwig Guttmann saw what many people could not. They saw how this was not right or fair and how these kids and amputees were greatly affected by it.
Before there were special and Paralympics, people with physical, mental or social disabilities couldn’t compete in organized sport. Just the thought of telling a 10 year boy that he didn’t make the cut for the school basketball team because he was diagnosed with Down's syndrome at birth doesn’t seem like the right thing to do. He is not any less capable than any other player but yet he still is not given a chance. There is no humane reason why he shouldn’t be able to play on the team with pupils around his age; it is just another way of discrimination, singling someone out just because they might be a little different from the others. Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Ludwig Guttmann saw what many people could not. They saw how this was not right or fair and how these kids and amputees were greatly affected by it.