Cheating Only on Yourself While some believe that cheating in sports and academics can help you get ahead and avoid comparison, it also leads to dishonor and prevents you from truly succeeding. Once upon a time, betrayal was considered an unspeakable sin. However, nowadays it has become more common and somewhat of an everyday occurrence. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay For athletes, winning is the goal, and many will do whatever it takes to win, even if it means playing unfairly. It is comforting to believe that cheaters never win and winners never cheat. People love the thrill of competition and strategy, making sports enjoyable for fans to watch. Fans will create a "mental connection" with their teams and will go so far as to say that when you become a fan of a team, you are actually part of a family. In this way, this gives athletes the drive to give their fans something to talk about and they will go out of their way to make sure their "fan family" is proud and continues to cheer for them. “Betrayal is as old as sport itself” (Pugmire). Team members will play unfairly to “get ahead.” Whether it's getting a big win in professional leagues or cheating in high school and college sports to get to the top. These participants ignore ethical and moral values ​​in order to achieve their goal. As Lance Pugmire states in his article "Cheating in Sports: Exceptions to the Rules," "[if] you're not cheating, you're not trying to win." They are willing to cheat to ensure success, whether through the use of performance-enhancing drugs, through the act of faking injury, or through the act of hurting others. The importance of winning in sports today has led to endless methods of unethical behavior. Initially, these unfair tactics may seem to bring positive results, such as glory and financial incentives; however, in the end, they often bring dishonor. Looking at professional sports today, many would not believe the percentage of athletes who cheat. There is so much money at stake in the major leagues that the temptation to "game" the system or cheat is especially strong. In professional sports, team members focus on winning and how many people can cheer them on instead of holding onto the idea that you truly win when you play your best and play fair. It turns out that these tactics ultimately bring negative results. "If you want to take advantage of the rules, you have to be smart," Fisher said, "[t]o many people who cheated weren't smart. That's when the problems arise" (Pugmire) . Cheating is dishonorable regardless of whether the athlete gets caught or not. Pugmire says professionals should be role models for today's society, even if they are "strongly motivated for the wrong reasons." Pugmiro). Pugmire statistics show that 65% of athletes admit to cheating during their high school career. Not only do professional athletes cheat, but so do players on high school and college teams. “The world of sports has produced a constant parade of shameful athletes who cheat their way to success” (Schaller). Players feel like they have to do what it takes to win and take them to the next level, whether that's continuing on to the college leagues or the professional leagues. “Athletes are not the only ones to blame,” concludes Josephson's report, based on interviews throughoutthe country with 5,275 high school athletes, “too many coaches are teaching our kids to cheat and take shortcuts” (Pugmire). There has been a growing acceptance of cheating to gain competitive advantages. While it may seem like cheating gives a young athlete an advantage in the game, the player never actually wins. Values ​​should be promoted before success. There can be two winning teams on the same night, regardless of what the scoreboard reads. Sports may promote victory, but true dignity and success are demonstrated with honesty. Academic dishonesty aimed at advancing has been documented in nearly every type of educational setting, from elementary school to graduate school. Cheating on tests, homework, papers, etc. has become commonplace in schools. “Teachers try to teach students not to cheat, but many students still feel the need to be dishonest” (Rettinger 294). “This dishonesty is pervasive in the higher education context due to several potential factors, including pressure to excel, peer perceptions, and lack of enforcement by faculty” (Hendricks 68). Current research shows that the number of students who admit to cheating academically increases over time. When students are academically dishonest, they find an easier way to complete their assignments. These acts become fundamentally destructive in the process of a student's mastery of a subject. Many students cheat throughout high school to help themselves get ahead, when in reality they are cheating themselves by not truly learning the information they need. Many wonder if students cheat because they are lazy or because they are given too much work. Sometimes students are overwhelmed by the rest of their lives and finding time to get good grades becomes difficult. “In academia, the pressure to excel in every course is paramount” (Hendricks 68). Teachers will raise the bar to ensure students benefit from their education. Students want to do well in high school so they can get into the college of their choice, and sometimes they go to great lengths to achieve that goal, making students feel pressured. At school you feel a variety of academic pressures, the need for perfection, worry about grades, parental pressure, competition, sports or a difficult class. Schools are based primarily on student performance, and those letter grades determine the future. High school is where the pressure to excel and be better than others begins. "After constant reminders that cheating is not acceptable, delinquent behavior should decrease in the college years; unfortunately, it is actually quite prominent" (Hendricks 68). This pressure to do well brings stress to many students and colleagues. Choosing positive and supportive friends to relieve stress can help you maintain an enjoyable lifestyle or it can become the reason for the stress. Students' attitudes toward academic cheating can be influenced simply by witnessing a peer's dishonest behavior; however, few realize the dishonor that can result. Cheating has become the result of social values, rather than moral values ​​(69). Some peers perceive cheating as an accepted behavior. When students see others performing this unethical act and achieving positive results, they begin to see it as a good thing. Additionally, students, especially during their high school years, really care about what others think of them. So when a companion..