Development of Sports Psychology Program

Development of Sports Psychology Program In this essay I will formulate and validate a mental skills program. The foundations in which this programme will be created will be on the applied sport psychology of self-talk and imagery. The preferred result of this mental skills programme is to help a footballer improve their confidence in regards to their penalty taking ability, which will be achieved by applying the sport psychology theories of self-talk and imagery. I will also be critically analysing the selected mental skills for the program in this essay. Psychological skills training or PST is the use of organised practice of psychological skills to improve performance, and improve general happiness in their physical activity (Weinberg and Gould, 2011). Gill (2000) provides a straightforward description of PST when he states that psychological skill training is a combination of methods which have been chosen for the purpose of achieving psychological skill needs. An individual may at times face new challenges or barriers in sport which repeatedly test the limits of their psychological skills and may even produce negative effects to their game (Weinberg and Gould, 2011). Psychological skills training was developed to help the athlete or participant to overcome these problems and set them back on the successful path of achieving the goals set for them. There is no individual package for Psychological Skills Training, each stage or element must be sport specific or identifiable to the individual and must be based upon the individual’s psychological state. When attempting to put together a successful (PST) program it is important that you are able to recognize the difference between (PST) methods and (PST) skills. (PST) methods can be usually used as a tool to aid improving the (PST) skill and (PST) skills are the psychological attributes in which development is required e.g. concentration (Calmels et al, 2003). To maximise the effectiveness of your Psychological Skills Training program, Thelwell and Greenlees (2001) argue that a (PST) program will be more effective if there are a few mental skills employed instead of just one but they must be sport specific. Judging from the literature that has been published, it seems that the Soviet Union was the first nation to use mental skills training with their athletes and coaches way back in the 1950’s (Williams Struab, 2006). This proves just how long Psychological skills training has been used in sport, although systematic contents did not emerge until the early 1980’s when it grew to become the major focus for practice and research within North America. A common mistake in which coaches and athletes make is the factors in a sporting situation, with an example being losing concentration when attempting to take a penalty kick in football cannot simply be rectified by practising penalty kicks on a regular basis but more importantly by improving ones psychological skill as it is the individual’s lack of mental skills which usually lead to the penalty miss (Weinberg Gould, 2007). A perfect example of a footballer who is known for their goal scoring ability and dead ball situations is Lionel Messi. The link below shows Messi miss a penalty at a time where he had been a run of two attempts missed attempts in his previous matches. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnuI3kYTyfc The psychological skills program in this essay will be centred on a 23 year old male professional footballer plying his trade in championship, who for the purpose of this essay will be referred to as Jerome. In the league in which he plays he is one of the deadliest strikers, who is used to putting the ball in the back of the net both in open play and in set pieces i.e penalties and free kicks which when awarded he is first in line to take. This being said he has not been successful in his last 4 penalty attempt which is very unfamiliar for a player of his track record. The player has confessed that he has lost confidence in his penalty taking abilities due to missing his last 4 attempts and is considering stepping down from his penalty taking responsibilities in the team. After much thought and analysis of the scenario, the psychological methods in which I have chosen for his personal skills training are imagery and self-talk as I believe these methods are most beneficial and effect ive in restoring the young footballer’s confidence in his penalty taking ability. The application of these chosen methods within his psychological skills training program will allow him to visualise himself scoring a penalty using imagery whilst using positive self-talk to assure himself that he can score as he walks up to take the penalty kick. Both self-talk and imagery are skills so to increase the chances of success for Jerome they must be practiced. One way in which Jerome could practise imagery could be a couple hours or match day morning before a game, he could spend a few minutes of his time picturing himself walking unto the football pitch, going through his pre-game warm up routine, in game situations i.e penalty kick, free kicks etc. Vealey and Greenleaf (2006) believe that this imagery method should enable the athlete to identify and understand particular behaviours and thoughts that they can actively engage in to begin to move toward their ideal self-image.’ Weinberg Gould (2003) state that In order to maximise the effectiveness of the exercise an athlete must assimilate all the various senses which are related to their experience. So Therefore it is important that Jerome try to imagine things that make him feel as though he is going through the experience e.g the feel of the grass on his boots, the feel of the ball on his feet, the noise from the crowd and generally anything which is familiar to him when he’s on the field of play. This type of imagery is described as â€Å"event-day† imagery. Vealey Greenleaf (2006) describes imagery as the process in which an individual creates or recreates an experience in the mind. These images will usually be of times of previous experiences or a completely made up scenario where the performer is successful in completing challenges or performing physical skills on the pitch (Weinberg and Gould, 2011). The use and effectiveness of imagery is maximised when the focus is placed on the individual using imagery to control his or her emotions. It is not uncommon to see an athlete freeze up or even at times lose control of their emotions. For the purpose of eliminate this issue, the athlete when using imagery must recreate or imagine a possible or previous negative experience for him or herself, once they have done this they must then remove that particular image from their mind and imagine the same situation but in a positive manner or outcome. By the use of imagery our young footballer Jerome will be able to imagine/ recreate a negative e xperience taking a penalty and then replace that experience with the desired outcome of him scoring the penalty kick, which may help greatly reduce the chances of Jerome ‘choking’ or minimising his performance due to prying emotions. Munroe et al (2000) contends that imagery can also be used to augment one’s sport skills, strategies, confidence and also maximise the chances of achieving set goals. Jerome could use this to rectify any errors or weaknesses within his play, which in turn will help him increase his confidence. Bandura (1986) indicated that experiences originating from one’s own imagination are an excellent source of situation specific self-confidence /self-efficacy. Imagery can be separated into two forms with these two training methods being either internal i.e. creating images in the mind or they can be external i.e. observing visual images (Weinberg and Gould, 2011). Research by Callow and Hardy (19972001) suggests that the use of external imagery could be better suited for the programme due to the athlete’s level of performance. This being said I will be focusing more on the internal training methods. One of the limitations of imagery is that some athlete’s do not have a great deal of imagery to begin with and as a coach it is pretty much impossible measure an athlete’s level of imagery as it is a mental process which cannot be observed. Morris et al (2005) expresses his belief in imagery stating that imagery is one of the most commonly used method of mental training for athletes. Imagery is an integral part of many mental skills programs as it offers vast range applicability with imagery also being applicable in a wide range of sporting experiences. Moritz et al (1996) states how the correct use use of imagery can help improve confidence through rehearsing mental images. Imagery can also be used by a number of different individuals ranging from elites or professionals and novices or amateurs. Imagery also can be built into and around an athlete’s daily routine or workday in order to suit the individual needs of the athlete. This being said it is important that the athlete be in a good state mentally before beginning the process of imagery. Gregg, Hall and Hanton (2004) explains that before an athlete attempts or begins any imagery sessions it is important that he or she be in a good frame of mind and must als o be in the right mood as this better prepares them for the sessions maximising the chances of success in the process. . Self-talk is another psychological skills training technique that will be assimilated into Jerome’s (PST) program. Hackfort Schwenkmezger (1993) define Self talk as the verbal dialogue in which an athlete can not only understand their perceptions and feelings but also evaluate how their feeling and then give themselves instructions or reinforcement. Self talk can be used both in a sporting environments e.g. the changing rooms, during competition before competition, after competition and in a non-sporting environments e.g. at home or a quiet/peaceful place. Landin and Herbert (1999) states that self talk can be separated into three different categories which are positive i.e. motivational, negative and instructional. Self talk can be separated into three different categories positive i.e. motivational, negative and instructional. Conventionally positive self talk is used to increase an athlete’s endeavour and to promote a positive attitude although positive self talk does not implement any sport specific target or task e.g. (a golf player can say to himself â€Å"im going to sink this putt† ). Instructional self talk can be used in mental skills training to assist in the maintenance of an athlete’s focus on task associated areas of their own performance with the desired outcome being that they augment the execution of a skill e.g. (â€Å"a footballer could say to himself to self to focus on his technique when striking the ball†). The third and final category is negative self talk and this can be described as when an athlete is over critical of them self which can decrease the athlete’s chances of achieving their goals, this can also lead to anxiety which can also bring an athlete’s performance down. A good example of negative self talk could be a footballer telling them self that their passing is below par or they do not have the ability to compete with the opposition etc. one limitation of self talk is that if an athlete does not fully focused they may become distracted as they could find themselves confused as their overloaded with stimuli. Self talk used correctly can be useful in a number of different tasks in sport, this being said it is important that the practitioner evaluate what would be the most suitable type of self talk for the selected task which will then maximise the chance of future performance augmentation for an athlete. Mikes (1987) suggests that there are six rules which can aid an athlete with performance implementation, these are as follows: First person should be used and present tense Keep phrases as short as possible and be specific The phrases should be constructive and positive Speak to yourself in a kind manner Phrases should be meaningful Phrases should be repeated frequently In consideration of all the bullet points stated there are also a number of other strategies which have been found to improve self-talk. Changing negative self-talk and thought stopping are some of the most successful strategies used in psychology in sport. The term Thought stopping describes the way in which an individual or disregards or deals with negative thoughts before they begin corrupt the mind-set of the individual which whether you’re an athlete or amateur could lead to a negative impact on performance. The term Changing negative self-talk to positive self-talk can be described as when an individual is coping with negative thoughts and then transforms them into positive self-talk which could change the mind frame of the individual as the athlete or amateur will be more than likely more motivated. Jerome could use this particular mental skills method of positive self talk before attempting to take a penalty or free kick simply telling saying â€Å"I will score† . Jerome’s psychological skills training program (PST) will be conducted in phases as he attempts to improve his confidence in his penalty taking.as previously stated the program will be based on the two mental skills training methods of imagery and self-talk. This program should be used and repeated for over 6 weeks as anything less could cause the effects of the skills training to be temporary. Phase 1 (Night prior to match)   Picture your customary match day routine as detailed as possible then once the match has ended picture yourself falling asleep. Phase 2 (Night prior to match) Picture yourself before kick-off walking with your teammates through the tunnel, the cheers of the crowd, while also trying to imagine or recreate how that makes you feel, then end the image with you falling asleep. Phase 3 (Training) Picture you on the pitch stepping up to take a penalty kick saying to yourself repeatedly â€Å"I will score†. Phase 4 (Night prior to match) Picture yourself going through your customary match day routine, then imagine as detailed as possible yourself in a game situation just about to step up to take a penalty telling yourself obscurely â€Å"I will score† you should then imagine yourself scoring the penalty and celebrating moving on to your customary post match routine then ending the image with you falling asleep. Phase 5 (Match) Prior to taking a penalty you should use imagery to picture yourself scoring and then use self talk saying to yourself obscurely and repeatedly â€Å"I will score†. After analysing the current evidence and research in imagery and self talk it is safe to say that both are effective practices. The psychological skills training program provided will allow for the chosen athlete to improve his confidence in his penalty taking ability if both the practitioner conducts the program correctly and the athlete participates in the program willingly and in the right frame of minds. Jerome should be able to improve his confidence with regard to his penalty taking ability. The development of Strong mental skills may help Jerome to perform at his maximum level and may also lead to him becoming a more consistent performer. Although, a number of limitations have been recognized that could affect the success of these types of programs. The person delivering the programme plays a key role in the success of the program as the person delivering the programme has to be able to correctly impart to the player the basics behind the use of these methods as lack of knowle dge of the methods could have a negative effect in the players motivation as they might start to lose faith in the methods. This could possibly lead to a decrease in effort from Jerome as motivation could play a key role in him being able to work on and maintain his ability to produce mental images. Another limitation that can affect the success of the program is the time spent on it as it is important that the athlete spend almost as much time practicing these skills as they do practicing their physical skills. A common mistake made in the application of these programmes is that the practitioner or athlete does not keep to the recommended time period which in order to augment and maintain not only their mental stability but also their confidence in these methods should be recurrently practiced throughout the football season. Reference list Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and actions: A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Calmels, C. et al. (2003) Competitive strategies among elite female gymnasts: An exploration of the relative influence of psychological skills training and natural learning experiences. International Journal of Sport Exercise Psychology. Callow, N. Hardy, L. (2001). Types of Imagery with Sport Confidence in Netball Players of Varying Skill Levels.Journal of Applied Sport Psychology. 13 (1), p1-17. Gregg, M. Hall, C., Hanton, S. (2004). Perceived effectiveness of mental imagery. Manuscript submitted for publication. Gill, D. (2000) Psychological Dynamics of Sport and Exercise, 2nd edition, Champaign, Illinois: Human Kinetics. Hackfort, D., Schwenkmezger, P. (1993) Anxiety. In R. N. Singer, M. Murphy, L. K. Tenant (Eds.), Handbook of research in sport psychology. New York: Macmillan. Moritz, S. Hall, C. Martin, K. Vadocz, E. (1996). What are confident athletes imaging?: An Examination of Image Content. The Sports Psychologist. 10 (1), p171-179. Mikes, J. (1987). Basketball fundamentals: A complete mental training guide. Champaign, IL: Leisure Press. Munroe, K. J., Giacobbi, P., Hall, C. R., Weinberg, R. S. (2000). The 4 W’s of imagery use: Where, when, why and what. The Sport Psychologist, 14 Landin, D., Hebert, E. P. (1999). The influence of self-talk on the performance of skilled female tennis players. Journal ofApplied Sport Psychology, 11, 263–282. Thelwell, R.C. and Greenlees, I.A. (2001) The effects of a mental skills training package on gymnasium triathlon performance. The Sports Psychologist, Vealey, R. S., Greenleaf, C. A. (2006). Seeing is believing: Understanding and using imagery in sport. In J. M. Williams (Ed.), Applied sport psychology: Personal growth to peak performance 5th ed. (pp. 285-305). Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing. Weinberg, R. and Gould, D. (2003). Foundations of sport exercise psychology (3rd ed.). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Weinberg, R and Gould, D (2007). Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology.. Champaigne, IL: Human Kinetics. Weinberg, R, and Gould, D (2011). Foundations of sport and exercise psychology. 5th ed. Leeds: Human Kinetics. p.247-362. Williams, J.M., Straub, W.F. (2006). Sport Psychology: Past, present, future. In J.M. Wiliams (Ed.), Applied Sport Psychology: Personal growth to peak performance (5th ed). Boston: McGraw-Hill

Assiya Dair Assignment

When will ever get a good quality rest? This is a typical day in the life Of a student athlete, faced with several struggles during his or her time in college. The university exploits student athletes, because it makes a great amount of revenue on students athletes, restricts them to earn their own money and puts their health at risk. First reason why many universities exploit their student athletes is because considering fact that they make a substantial profit on them. College athletics is a big business across the United States in many universities, the most profitable being football, hockey, and basketball.They make a great amount of money for universities by selling tickets for their games and online live streaming. In the article † Point/Counterpoint: Paying college athletes†, Dennis A. Johnson says that: â€Å"The total ticket revenues for football and men's basketball were $757 million in 1 999, total value that exceeded the total ticket sales for all of professi onal baseball, football, and hockey that year. Star athletes, who win prizes for their time-consuming trainings, don't make any money for their effort, despite the fact that they are the ones earning the money.In fact, the mount of revenue that many athletes make for their respective schools is more than what their scholarships pay for. So who is getting all of this money? Surprisingly, the coaches at the universities get the most of revenue. For example, the highest employee at the Northwestern University, coach Pat Fitzgerald, earned more than $2. 2 million in one year (Linda Shaves). According to statistics, anesthesiologists, who considered as a best-paid job in US earn only $232,830, which is 10 times less than coaches. At the same time, student athletes who are the main resources for his revenue do not gain anything.One might argue that college players receive full rides, with tuition and room and board paid for, along with advantages, including tutoring and better food and ac commodations at many schools (Linda Shaves). However, from a personal side a s a student athlete, I realize that it is not as luxurious as it may seem. We, student athletes, have to work twice as hard as a normal student in order to balance academics, practices, and performing well in our sport. I have very little amount of free time between morning practices, daily classes, afternoon rousts and hours of self-studying. Eave to squeeze time for sleeping and relaxing in order to perform at the level demanded of me as a student athlete. Moreover, I also have limited amount of free time during weekends, because I need to play tournaments and do my homework. Another reason why I think that universities are exploiting student athletes is that athletes are prohibited from making their own money as far as work – study jobs on or off campus. According to the NCAA regulation, student athletes are forbidden from trading ‘their likenesses or names†. They can teach at a sports amp, but can't use their likeness to advertise or promote the camp.They can start their own business, but cannot sell their own image (autographed photos, for instance) or even use their own name to promote it (Andrew Cline). Thus, athletes are not only indebted to the university because of their financial aid, but become subservient to the university because of the NCAA regulations. At the same time, Nan-student athletes are enjoying their college life. People have only one chance to experience college. Unfortunately, student athletes are deprived of feeling all its beauty. Universities exploit student athletes in a way that requires too much without giving anything in return.The students are expected to practice and play at a professional level while the university rewards them as if they were amateurs. For instance, college level of coaching is still not effective as it should be. According to the USA today: † Basically, poorly performing teams might get a brief improvemen t when changing coaches, but the change doesn't last – bad teams remain bad. And average teams, those that hover around six wins every season, actually get worse after making a coaching change. (Paul Merger). From my personal experience, before coming to college, I expected a very high level of coaching and practices.However, once I have started to practice with my new team, I realized that workouts are easier compare to how I used to practice before. At the same time, college requires student athletes to show good results. People might claim that since student athletes have all necessary facilities to perform and succeed, they can work by themselves. This statement is true, but from my own experience, realized that in order to compete at a higher bevel, I need someone to instruct and coach me. Coach can motivate and push people to have better results, which you have never been expected from yourself.Finally, the most crucial reason is that student athletes put their health i n risk, which cannot even be compared at the same level with the scholarship. According to Brian Frederick, Board Member of Sports Fans Coalition and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University's Sports Industry Management Program: â€Å"How can a â€Å"free education† compensate them for debilitating injuries caused during their time on campus? And how can we as fans truly enjoy a oddball game knowing that one player's career-ending injury will leave him saddled with nothing more than a lifetime of pain and doctor's bills? Thus, student athletes are insecure since they never know when they Will get injured from matches. Once they are injured, university doesn't need them anymore and they are eventually ended in oblivious. Since student athletes dedicate their whole life for sports, they are ignorant of knowledge in other areas. Nearly all who play big sports such as basketball, hockey, baseball and football will experience wear and tear on their bodies that they may not h ave anticipated: groin strains, concussion-related brain injuries, pulled muscles, back pains, crushed bones, worn-out knees, elbows and shoulders.Honestly, student athletes are at same position as professionals in the sense that they have to manage their studies as well as their commitments to their sport. Furthermore, student athletes are fully dependent on the university. They are not able to sign any contacts, talk to agents and make money. Every time they go to game, they put their life on risk. In fact, student athletes are completely oppressed by university. Works Cited and Achieve. â€Å"How colleges exploit athletes†, New York Post. Web.

Advanced Seminar On Early Childhood Special Education

DIFFERENTIATED CURRICULUM PROJECT PART A ADVANCED SEMINAR IN EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIAL EDUCATION ECPSE 731 PROFESSOR: MONICA GIGANTE FEBRUARY 25, 2015 ADIE S. JAMES (SHARON) Overview Observation and interview for this assignment were conducted at P.S. 95Q – The Eastwood School, a New York City Department of Education public elementary school, located at 179-01 90th Avenue, Jamaica, N.Y. 11432. The hosts grades Kindergarten to 5th Grade, and has a population of 1,484 students.. School personnel include the administrative staff, teachers, special service providers, custodial staff, janitorial staff, and cafeteria staff. The hours of operation are from 8:00 a.m.to 2:20 p.m., Monday to Friday. The student population includes general education†¦show more content†¦Special education instruction is provided in an inclusive setting by a general education and a special education teacher. Students receive one- on-one and small group instruction. Other services provided for special education students are outside the classroom. These services include occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, reading, and counseling. Information on Class and Students I conducted my observation in an Inclusive Curriculum Teaching (ICT) classroom which hosts a kindergarten, and a first grade bridge class. The classroom accommodates a small population of 12 to 14 students, all receiving special education services. There is one special education teacher who teaches both classes, and receives assistance from four paraprofessionals in the classroom. The student to teacher ratio is 12:1 with two students receiving one-to-one service from two paraprofessionals. The student population of this classroom includes children from varied cultural backgrounds. This combination includes Hispanics, African-Americans, Latinos, and Indians. The primary language spoken in the classroom is English. One of the weaknesses identified is that students receive constant redirection to stay on task during work time. In contrast, one strength that was observed is that the students respond quickly to redirection. One of the primary reinforcers for good behavior is lunch with the Dean. The students in both

Immigration On The United States - 2210 Words

Jared Glasner Mrs. Canard American Government 8 April 2015 Immigration in the United States In my opinion immigration is a problem within the United States, and it desperately needs to be reformed by our government. So much tax money is used to help those who decide to immigrate while some of our native people are denied the same advantages that are given immigrants. Immigration from Mexico into the United States has been a phenomenon that has been ongoing for quite some time now. There is always an increasing number of immigrants who come into the United States to make a living for themselves (Creek and Yoder 680). People from Mexico are attracted to the United States because of the promise of a better life and opportunity. This opportunity is one of the principles that America is founded on, but I think we should not provide this opportunity when we have so many Americans already in need. There are various ways through which the Mexicans immigrate into the United States. Additionally, there are also various ways through which the Mexica n immigration into America has impacted on America. Currently, there are more immigrants going into America from Mexico more than any other country. The main reasons why the immigrants go into America, is so that they can exploit better opportunities that exist in the region and chase the â€Å"American dream† (Creek and Yoder 680). Most of the immigrants who go into America regardless of their financial status usually go into America soShow MoreRelatedImmigration And The United States986 Words   |  4 PagesImmigration in the United States continues to increase rapidly year by year. According to an analysis of monthly Census Bureau data by the Center for Immigration Studies, the immigration population in the United States, both legal and illegal, hit a record of 42.1 million in the second quarter of this year, an increase of 1.7 million since the same quarter of 2014 (CIS.org). Clearly, Immigrants make up a large part of the population in the United States, and for most im migrants, migrating to theRead MoreImmigration Of The United States1399 Words   |  6 Pages Michelle Faed English 126 Immigration in the United States The United States of America, being a country established by immigrants, is known all over the world as the land of great opportunities. People from all walks of life travelled across the globe, taking a chance to find a better life for them and their family. Over the years, the population of immigrants has grown immensely, resulting in the currently controversial issue of illegal immigration. Illegal immigrants are the people whoRead MoreImmigration And The United States965 Words   |  4 Pages Immigration is a highly controversial and big problem in the United States today. â€Å"While some characterize our immigration crisis as solely an issue of the 11 to 12 million unauthorized immigrants living in this country, our problems extend beyond the number of undocumented people to a broader range of issues. The lack of a comprehensive federal solution has created a slew of lopsided, enforcement-only initiatives that have cost the country billions of dollars while failing to end un authorizedRead MoreImmigration On The United States1302 Words   |  6 PagesImmigration Rights in the U.S. Immigration has occurred in the U.S. for for many years. Some say it’s the foundation of our country. America is the country where people leave their own country to live. People would leave due to mistreatment, hunger issues or job opportunities. America is known for starting over or accomplishing dreams, so immigrants travel over to follow those dreams. People emigrate from one country to another for a variety of complex reasons. Some are forced to move, due to conflictRead MoreThe Immigration Of The United States1711 Words   |  7 PagesThe vast majority of people living in the United States are descendants of immigrants, and yet majority of them are against them. It is quickly forgotten that America was built on immigrants that wanted a new life. A life free from harsh government, and the freedom from forced religion. The original settlers were immigrants that stole this land; immigrants continued to come for years. It is not a newly constructed concept that immigrants have always been a problem, ask any Native American. One usedRead MoreImmigration Of The United States1064 Words   |  5 Pages Camarota (2007, p.1), director of the Immigration Studies Center, reports there are 1.6 million documented and undocumented migrants take up residence in the United States every year. Camarota goes on to say that the immigrants occupy one-eighth of the total population who settled in the U.S. The flood of aliens, to a significant degree, hinders the development of the United States. Therefore, the issues which relate to immigration must not be neglected, and the government should keep the numberRead MoreImmigration And The United States Essay1377 Words   |  6 Pages Immigration has been a large conversation topic for such a long time in our country. We have worked on policies for immigration, and have made changes to them throughout the duration of our country’s existence. This topic is always worth mentioning and important, but has become a bigger topic once again due to presidential elections and the conversations being had about immigration from said elections. It is not necessarily easily seen if the concern with immigration is who is here legally or limitingRead MoreImmigration Of The United States1565 Words   |  7 PagesA native of Mexico, Gonzalez came to the United States using a visa, to visit family members and in 1994, police convicted Gonzalez of the abduction and rape of a Waukegan, Illinois woman. During his conviction his attorney, Vanessa Potkin, addressed that at twenty years old, Gonzalez spoke very little English, had no criminal record, and yet the police wanted to pin the crime on him. Twenty years later, DNA from the crime cleared him of both charges, and Gonzalez is now threatened with deportationRead MoreImmigration : The United States1087 Words   |  5 PagesThe United States is a popular and powerful which many people admire. It is very true that the country prospect and is more enrich. O pening the border might improve the economy or can impact the job market for American citizens. It is the jobs of American citizens to be given more to this illegal immigrant. I believe the U.S. borders should remain closed. While it is clear that opening the borders can have benefits, I believe it is more important to keep jobs available for Americans. In my opinionRead MoreThe Immigration Of The United States1632 Words   |  7 PagesFrench and European to settle in the New World. Since the colonial era, America has seen a wave of immigrants migrate in search of freedom and equality. Is this the same immigration today? Nearly 11.6 million immigrants from Mexico reside in the U.S. Today Immigration has a significant impact on many aspects of life in the United States, from the workforce and the classroom to communities across the country. Not all immigrants come to America legally whether as naturalized citizens, legal permanent residents