Determine what you want to show through your essay, jot down points you wish to cover and then compose a complete essay with concrete details that relate to a controlling idea. The essay should include six to eight paragraphs, the equivalent of 3 – 3 ½ pages typed. Do not exceed four pages typed. – A discernible controlling idea (thesis) – Obvious relationship between the body of essay and its main idea – Avoidance of vague or general ideas as support – Avoidance of excessive mechanical and grammatical errors1. Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball in 1947. And a decade later he became heavily involved in the civil rights movement. Pick one or two athletes today that you believe are using their sports platform to speak out against social, political, and economic injustice today. Are there greater risks involved for athletes today than there were fifty years ago?