After reading the Chapter 4 in Coakley (Sports and Socialization), how did you get involved in sport? What kept you involved? Why did you keep playing? When you decided to stop playing a sport, what was the reason? How has your participation in youth sport impacted who you are today? Share your thoughts on your participation in sport. You do not need to respond to every question. However, feel free to expand on the questions presented above in relation to this topic.
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I will help get us started. I assume many of you became introduced to sport at a very young age. I am no different. I was an active child and immediately took to sport as a means to satisfy my need to move and play. As long as I can remember, sport was a social activity and a "means" to fit in with my peers. I grew up playing the traditional sports. My first sport love was football and I remember watching the Los Angeles Raiders win the 1984 Super Bowl and proclaiming them my favorite team. However, I was not encouraged to pursue football, due to my lack of size and my parents concerns for injury. Therefore, I never joined any Pop Warner teams or youth leagues. I spent a few summers participating in little league baseball and a few more Octobers in youth soccer. Nevertheless, nothing compared to the passion and enthusiasm I found in basketball. Sensing my interest in the sport, my parents enrolled me in a one-week summer basketball camp at the local university. I never looked back. I specialized, dropping all other organized sports to pursue my passion for playing basketball. I became a "basketball player" and this became my identity throughout high school. The sport of basketball formed my peer groups and forged life long friendships. Occasionally the pursuit of honing my skills took me away from social activities, which probably has a negative impact on relationships with my peer group. As I completed high school, my passion and interest for the game of basketball propelled me into a coaching career. In hindsight, the sport of basketball was a positive avenue of social interaction and acceptance. What sport has impacted you?
ReplyDeleteSimilar to Pete's Story I was involved in baseball at a early age due to my father. I player for 14 years because it was his dream. My father player college baseball and was quite successful at it. He was named to the 1970's all decade team. During my baseball playing years I tried out for the football team and eventually made it due to my size. From then I quit playing baseball not because I was bored with it but because I was not as good as I wanted to be. From there on I was attending all of these camps to help me become a better football player when a coach told me one day that wrestling would. I didn't believe him at first but I went out for the team that next season. Wrestling came as natural as breathing to me. I was successful at it immediately. the moves and concepts I grasped very fast. From this point on wrestling was not just a sport or a season but a way of life. Everything I did I did to make me a better person and a better wrestler. Wrestling is one of few sports where you can evaluate yourself as an individual in what is almost like a legal fight. I think this is why so many people have love and respect for the sport of wrestling because its not easy and it can be very challenging. Just like basketball wrestling can be a means for social interaction and acceptance into a society.
ReplyDeleteI suppose similar to the two blogs above, I have been playing sports since I was 5 or so. My dad played hockey at the Air Force Academy and was later inducted into the hall of fame, my mom played sports, grandparents ect.. I played basketball competitevely since I was in the 3rd grade and never quit. Once I hit high school, I decided to play other sports as well and ended up lettering in basketball, volleyball and tennis. Our volleyball team went to States every year and the intensity and drive of our coach has impacted who I am today. She truly made our team feel that we were the best team in the world, and she instilled in us this confidence that was like no other. I had decided to pick up tennis because my dad and brother played and I ended up playing both singles and doubles. Tennis was a Spring sport in the state of Virginia and was a way for me to focus a little on myself after two intense team sports. Tennis forced me to have mental control and I truly learned the meaning of ' your attitude determines your altitude', because when your on the court getting heated, there is no one to turn to except yourself. Its a necessity to keep composure. Although, I had a passion for volleyball and almost played in College, my fondest memories come from basketball. One of my varsity coaches had coached me since I was young and he instilled in me this fight to get after it. He taught me commitment through the game. For instance, my senior year during winter break, my family was taking a vacation to the bahamas, and coach told me if I go to the bahamas then ill be riding the bench the rest of my senior season.. I hated him at first, but decided to stay back and be there with my team at winter tournaments. I can't pinpoint one sport that has been a way of life for me, as I loved each and everyone. I loved working hard and loved grueling practices almost as much as I loved the game itself. I was never the best player, but I just loved the sport (s). It was a way of life. In high school, all I did was hang out with my team mates depending on what season it was, and sure I may have missed out on some social things, but wouldn't trade it for the world. Sports was a huge part of who I was.
ReplyDeleteI started being involved in sports when I was about four or five years old. My dad was an athlete in football and wrestling and all of my uncles played sports of some kind growing up (football, hockey, baseball). If I wasn't playing flag football I was wrestling. If I wasn't wrestling I was playing hockey. If I wasn't playing hockey I was playing basketball. You could say I played just about anything you can imagine growing up.
ReplyDeleteWhat kept me involved in football and wrestling versus the other activties is I was better at them. Anyone who says they don't like the feeling of being good at a sport and better than almost anyone you play against is lying to themselves and you. I was good at football and wrestling so I concentrated on them in high school. I had the option of playing both in college but football was my true love. I decided to take a scholorship and make football my main sport.
The are two things which kept me involved in football for such a long time. One I already talked about...i was very good at it...and two is my teammates and friends I made over the years. I can't count how many friends I have made through the game of football but I know its a lot.
Like most on here I stopped playing football because I wasn't gifted enough to play professionally and to be honest with you I had accomplished every goal I had ever set for myself in football. In retrospect, I would say injuries started to play a big part in me leaving the game also.
Even though I was ready to stop playing fb I have never trully gotten out of the game. After my playing days I went directly into coaching the game and I have been doing that for a long time now.
Participating in sports as a youth has impacted me through out the rest of my life. I liked sports so much I decided to become a pe/health/dape teacher and coach. Now I try to pass on the positive messages of being involved in sports and what it has done for me over the years to the rest of my students.
Like all the other blogs, I have been involved in sports since a young age. I have participated in a variety of sports, competitively and recreationaly: football, wrestling, basketball, baseball, and the list goes on and on. I got started in sports because of my father, the sports he participated in were the sports he "guided me" into. Being the first born son, I think he wanted to "mold" me. But my parents never "pushed me," they always let me do what I wanted, they supported me no matter what.
ReplyDeleteWhenI was young the sport that caught my attention, that I participated in, and what got me going in the sports world was wrestling. I think that my interest in wrestling stemmed from coming from a "wrestling town." My home town of Staples has won numerous Team and Individual State Championships. I loved wrestling because, when I was younger, I was good at it. I loved to win and receive the trophis, medals, or any other reward they gave out. I loved the feeling of pinning your opponent and knowing that in that particular instance you were the best. I remember traveling the state for wrestling tournaments, every weekend was another opportunity for me to show what I could do. I loved getting on those old moldy mats, the smell of the gym, and getting to wear snazy shoes with the uniform (it was a big deal to me back then, because I wanted to be like the "big boys").
I decided to leave the sport of wrestling around the age 12, and looking back I say that with some regret now. I chose to "quit or leave" because of my friends. We all wrestled at some point, but the majority of them left to play basketball (which we also played since we were just young boys), and soon enough I followed too. Wrestling wasn't the "cool" thing to do anymore, basketball was and as a young boy you want to be cool. I left the sport because of peer pressure, which is common in almost every sport. Am I disappointed leaving the sport so soon, or in general? Yeah. But I think we all have thoughts like that, we all wish we would have done somethings differently.
Youth sports have played a huge part in who I am today. I have gained some great experiences and lasting friendships through sports. Competing in both individual and team sports have helped mold. Sports is my life, everyday I do something that relates to sports in some way: working, playing, or just plain watching. And I thank everyone who gave me an opportunity to be involved in all of those sports, especiall my parents.
As with most people, I tried many sports as a youngster - baseball, basketball, football, wrestling, golf. Without a doubt, from a very young age, my favorite sport was hockey. Unfortunately, I grew up in southern Minnesota at a time when the length of the hockey season was defined by the temperature (there wasn't an indoor arena for miles around). By the time I moved to northern Minnesota in 5th grade, I was too far behind the hockey skill curve to ever catch up. Besides, my parents couldn't really afford to have me play hockey.
ReplyDeleteA few of my friends decided to take tennis lessons one summer and I joined in. Tennis eventually became our sole athletic endeavor, in addition to being a way for us to hang out together. We managed to have some success over time. I played in the NAIA National Tennis Tournament as a senior in college.
I quit playing tennis after college, realizing that I played primarily because I had some success with it, not because I really liked it. As soon as I established a career, my attention turned back to hockey. I joined an adult beginner league and have played ever since (20 years).
There is no doubt that my love of hockey has impacted my two teenage sons, both of whom play hockey. I have coached each of them for several years as they've grown up. Hockey is a focal point of our family. I guess you could say I'm trying to give my kids an opportunity I never really had.
Based on the responses at this point, we can see many similarities in how sport impacted us as a young person. Zak's comment about peer pressure leading him away from wrestling is a common reason why someone might end his or her participation in sport. If you think back to some to the friendships you had growing up and what were the “cool” sports to do, you might remember how difficult it was for those students that did not participate in the “cool sports.”
ReplyDeleteAs an adult, how do peers in regards to participation in sport influence you? How is your social world impact by sport? While my own identity is no longer connected to a particular sport, it is through sport that I continue to discover more about myself and forge new friendships. I no longer play basketball and have since moved into more of a lifetime type sport, trail running. It is through this activity that I find enjoyment and can choose to have social interaction (running with someone else) or have some time to myself (solo run).
As I've gotten older the impact of sport on my social world has shifted from the perspective of a participant to the perspective of a parent. The hockey parent social world is the stuff of legend. I've certainly seen my share of crazy parent behavior. More importantly, I've made many good, new friends who I see on a regular basis throughout the year. In fact, I see my friends developed through the sports parenting role much more often these days than I do the my friends developed through the sports participant role.
ReplyDeleteBeing older than everybody else in the class and growing up in a small farming town in North Dakota, my introduction to sports was a little different. We didn't have any organized youth sports. Neither of my parents played any sports. We didn't have any video games or cable tv. But for some reason when I was around 7 sports became very important to me. There where 5 of us around my age who loved playing basketball, baseball and football. During the summer we would go to the park and play all day. No parents and our own rules. The school I went to only offered one sport which was basketball. So when I was in jr. high I started playing basketball. Even at that age my buddies and I would still spend all our free time playing basketball, football or baseball. My parents never pressured me into playing any sports. In fact the opposite was true. Going into my freshmen year we were offered the opportunity to play both babe ruth baseball and high school football in a town 20 miles away. My dad wasn't opposed to sports as long as it didn't interfere with helping on the farm. He let me play baseball during the summer but at that point wouldn't let me play football because it was during the fall when harvest was happening. I loved playing basketball and baseball but really wanted to play football. It was hard at that time because I had friends who were playing football and loved it. Finally before my jr. year my dad agreed to let me play football. It was at this time in my life I decided I wanted to be a coach. I loved being involved in sports. I was pretty good for a small town and that became my identity. I was offered a small scholarship to play football in college. While playing football in college I decided that was the sport that I wanted to coach. I have been coaching football at the high school and college level for 18 years now and it is who I am. Like most people there are parts of my job that drive me nuts but I truly love to come to work everyday. I sometimes wonder how and why that came to be and the one thing I go back at is it was a path that I chose. I wasn't trying to make my parents or anybody else happy by being involved in sports. I truly loved being involved and being a part of a team. I only quit playing those sports because I have become too old and too busy to do them. Often I worry that my kids are choosing to participate in hockey, baseball, football, soccer and softball because my wife and I enjoy sports. When I go watch them play in organized youth sports I look back and feel very fortunate to have been able to go to the park and play with my friends, with our own rules and no parents.
ReplyDeleteAs an adult, I don't feel like I had the 'edge' that I once held when I played competitevely in H.S. When I shoot hoops, or play sand volleyball w/ sisters, old teammates, brother and his friends, ect, I feel like people make comments like 'oh werent you good in H.S. or did you seriously play bball before?" and I know its all out of humor and fun, but deep down it really gets to me. It tears me up that yea at one point I was this pretty solid athlete and now I am still a competitive person because that doesn't go away, but I don't have the skills I once had (due to not playing, practicing of course)
ReplyDeleteThe thoughts of high school days come in to my mind every now and then, but being almost 23 my focus has really shifted. I have trained for a full marathon and have run numerous half marathons. Challening myself mentally to keep my legs moving for hours on end, has been an experience like none other. I have also got into a lot more group exercise, which is why I teach four group fitness classes here at State. I am heavily into indoor cycling and can still be competitive with that which I love. Running has become a way for me to connect deeper with people, and has been a way for my dad, my sister Lacey and I to keep in touch. They both live in Virginia and recently flew up here to run the Earth Day 1/2 marathon with me, and that was just a special moment for me. Group fitness has also shaped who I have become over this past year, and has made such a huge impact that I switched my entire graduate program. The friends I have made through group fitness and the people that I have touched have in return touched me. Sorry I tend to just ramble on and on, so Im done for now! Ive enjoyed reading everyone's stories and insights :)
As most people have stated in their blogs, I too, started my involvement in sports at an early age. I was the definition of a "tomboy" and was always outside playing unorganized sports with the boys. While playing with the boys, I found out that I was a fierce competitor and hated losing. I think one reason this competitive fire was instilled in me at a young age, is because I had to overcome the fact that I was a girl, playing with the boys. During this experimental time with sports, I found love for the game of basketball. I would practice my skills at every opportunity. My parents enrolled me in organized basketball leagues and camps in third grade.
ReplyDeleteI continued to play three sports in high school, but focused primarily on basketball. My high school team was extremely good, which allowed me to play college basketball. During college I decided to major in physical education because of my enjoyment for all sports and movement.
After college, I became a graduate assistant at an University and am currently a head girls basketball coach. I still play basketball in a league with some of my former teammates. Basketball has taught me many life skills that I use in my profession, as well as, granted me with some of my best friendships that I still have today.
I also started playing sports at an early age. I played Soccer, basketball, and baseball in youth city leagues in my younger years. Starting in 5th grade we had the option of playing for our elementary school. I stopped playing soccer after 5th grade (mostly because of the running). I stopped basketball after 6th grade (Running probably had a lot to do with it). The sport I played every year before high school was wrestling. I decided to stop playing "formal" organized sports when I started high school. I started playing slow pitch softball and play that to this day (there is just something about a sport that you can drink a beer while playing).
ReplyDeleteI started playing sports because everyone did, and my parents did, and that is just the way it was. I was never forced to play and when the time came that I wanted to quit I was allowed to. To this day I have some very vivid memories of playing youth sport. For example, my first year playing basketball at my school (5th grade), I scored one basket for 2 points, and the second year I scored 22, And my most points in a game was 6. In one game our team was down by 3, a teammate hit a full court shot at the buzzer, but we still lost because the league we were in did not have 3 pointers. I won very few wrestling matches over my 5 years, but I remember I pinned my opponent in less than 5 seconds, how? I don't know. And I could go on but I'll stop right there.
Participating in youth sport has impacted who I am today by teaching me how much it sucks to lose and how awesome it is to win. To quote Aerosmith, "You got to lose, to know how to win." Also playing sports allows time to put all of you troubles aside and just have some fun.
At this point in my life I am unfortunately not very active in participating in sports other than coaching college football and watching my kids play. Most of the people in our life though are from those two worlds. People who I played college sports with, have coached with, and parents of other kids that compete with our kids in sports. So athletics have a huge influence on who we are as a family and who I am as a person. My job due to the number of hours in season and being gone on the road recruiting also has an impact on our lifes. One that isn't always positive. Especially with kids who are active. It puts a lot of strain on my wife who also works fulltime in getting the kids to events. Also I miss many of those events because I am either at work or on the road recruiting. As a result when I do have free time I don't want to spend time golfing with my buddies or playing in a softball leage. Good, bad or otherwise sports defines who I am as a person and who we are as a family.
ReplyDeleteLike most of the previous bloggers I started playing sports at a young age. Mainly football and basketball for city leagues. I am the youngest of three and my oldest brother (Jarod) was the one who got me involved in sports. He played football and basketball in high school. My other brother (Brian) is two years older than me and had always seem to have the upper hand on me when it came to sports. However, me being the youngest I would try to keep up and challenge him in every sport we played.
ReplyDeleteAs we grew older sports (more specifically football) had become apart of who we were. During events, family vacations or even just day-to-day conversation we would talk about football as if it was our religion. My oldest brother received a football scholarship, and brian was a dominating football player in high school. Which made me want to be better and play it more and more.
I grew up in a rough neighborhood were gangs were a normality, if you weren't playing sports then you were gang banging. Choosing between the two was one of the hardest battles that I went through. Due-to -the-fact, that all of my friends and even my brother Brian had got involved heavily in gangs. Going through that phase of my life I lost many friends to the streets some were shot and some were sent to prison. It honestly took me losing my best friend before realized that this wasn't the life for me and I soon ran back to sports. My mother was my ultimate influence to continue to play football cause after that phase with gangs she never missed another one of my game in high school.
Sports has given me so many opportunities in life and I am forever grateful. Which is a major reason why I have decided to coach football. Without a doubt in my mind I wouldn't be here now if it weren't for sports. Thank You!
Growing up football and baseball were the fun or cool sports to play. I didnt get into football until middle school because my mom was afraid I would get hurt. It seemed like if you grew up in Green Cove you grew up playing baseball. Most of the kids grew up playing sports and sports seemed to be there only ticket out of town. I was fortunate to take advantage of sports and move on to bigger and better things. I see this as a commonality in most small towns across America just like Odessa TX.
ReplyDeleteIn reading the comments, it is interesting to note how sport is a defining characteristic in all of our lives (makes sense - or you would probably would not be taking this course). When studying sport, it is often easy to get pulled towards the negative issues. It is great to read about the positive experience and impact sport has had and continues to have on each of your lives. Moving away from our personal experiences. For those that are reading The Life of “Pistol” Pete Maravich or had a chance to examine the videos on him, what do you think of his socialization into sport? Was this a positive experience, negative experience, or both? Explain. Here is a short passage from the book to assist you in your thoughts:
ReplyDelete…Back in the seventh grade, his math teacher asked why he wasn’t turning in his homework assignments. “Sometimes I’m playing ball at six in the morning and nine at night,” he told her. “When do I have time to do my work?”
Well, talk to your father about it,” said the teacher, Lola Hawkins.
Not long after that, Press came in for an audience with Mrs. Hawkins. He said that he intended for Pete to be a basketball player. “This,” he said, referring to the missing homework, “was not very important.”
“I think it is,” said Mrs. Hawkins. “He’s going to want to got to college.”
“Don’t worry about that,” said Press. “I’ll get him into college. He’s going to do well with basketball. He’ll probably make more money than you’ll ever make teaching.”
Growing up I can say honestly the cool sports were the sports my classmates and I were playing. There was a group of about twelve to fifteen of us who all started in jc kid wrestling together as four or five year olds and we all wrestled and played football together. As time went on we were seen as the cool sport because we were very successful in football and wrestling. When you can attract three to four thousand people for a football game or wrestling match, in a town of about five thousand people, all the students can recognize real quickly how popular your activity was. However, things have changed completely now in my hometown. Football and wrestling are no longer considered cool. Neither sport is very successful and they have a hell of a time getting a lot of athletes to come out. Today, sports like basketball, swimming, and track are considered the popular sports in my hometown. I can give you a personal example of how importance success is to a particular program and how much success can really influence young people to get involved in sports. When I first started out coaching in my hometown we had about thirty kids out for football in grades 10-12. I can remember many days were we had a jv game and we only had 13 players. If two players would of gotten hurt we would of had to forfeit the game. Three short years later we built up the football program again and we had 72 kids out for football in grades 10-12. After I left the football program, they were successful for a few more years but then the numbers dropped off dramatically again because the program wasn't very successful again. Goes to show you how important having some success can be to any program.
ReplyDeleteAs an adult, most of my influences come from past and present pe teachers/coaches and my cousin when it comes to partipating in sports today. I no longer think about playing football and wrestling but I like to do a lot of other activities. I try to be a good example for my pe students (because I was influenced my other pe instructors I have had in college and student teaching) so I have gotten into step, aerobic, jump and jab, and karate type classes over the years and recently, my cousin, who is a fitness freak, also motivated me to start programs like p90x and insanity, which I have grown to love. Both groups of people (pe teachers/coaches and my cousin) will always continue to motivate me to participate in some type of sport activity for as long as I can.
The theme I took from the Maravich book is "excellence, and the pursuit of it, trumps all." This theme seemed to be reflected in the social world Pete grew up in. Because excellence in basketball was Pete's pursuit, other things always came in second. That makes his and his father's comment to the teacher seem normal, at least in their social context. On one hand, growing up in that social context led Pete to the basketball excellence he and his father sought. On the other hand, he struggled in many ways in other social contexts.
ReplyDeleteI definitely feel that Pistol Pete had a negative and positive experience with his socialization into basketball. The thing he had going for him is that he was an unbelievable basketball player; therefore, whether he got junk from teachers, peers, teammates, or spectators, he knew that he was one of the best and that he absolutely loved the game and wanted to make a career out of it. Watching the interviews of Pistol, I really sensed that people thought his moves were too flashy and too similar to "african american moves" as one of the commentators said on the interview which is completely wrong. Pistol changed the way the game was played and he was almost in his own world in basketball. From the interviews it seems that he didn't care too much about winning the approval of others or making tons of friends, but to continue to excel in basketball.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the comment that Press told Pistol's teacher it shows that Press was Pistol's hero; therefore, if Press didn't view school as important, then neither would Pistol.
Pistol Pete's socialization could be considered both positive and negative. Playing basketball defines Pistol Pete; it's what the world knows him as and how he made his living. Growing up he would take his basketball with and dribble it everywhere he went. His father was an extremely powerful influence on him and introduced basketball to Pete at an early age. Press wanted Pete to help him revoluionize the game of basketball and Pete enjoyed playing it. He wanted Pistol to change the game into a fast pace, flashy game. It was easy to see Pete's love and affection for his father, as well as basketball, from the book and the interviews. Pete wanted to be a professional basketball player and he took pride at being good enough to accomplish that goal.
ReplyDeleteThere were also a few aspects that were negative experiences to Pistol Pete's socialization into sport. The major one being his internal conflict with who he was as a person. In the interview, when he listed all of the things he tried throughout the years (i.e. the various religions, diets he went through, the UFO era, yoga, etc.) I thought about how much of a struggle he had accepting himself as a person in society, because all he knew himself as was a basketball player. I believe that this internal struggle is due to the fact that his father made Pete's childhood life basketball, basketball, basketball, which left little time for anything else. It is evident that this was the case by reading Pete's father's comments about Pete not handing in his homework. The only thing that was important to Pete growing up was basketball
I originally got involved in sports was through my family parents, older cousins, uncles, and my older brother. In addition, sports were an activity my family and friends constantly played to stay active and have fun. I stayed involved in sports since it became an identity and I was successful at sports. Sports were also a lot of fun and a great way to hang out with friends and interact with others. I was able to build many relationships over sports and competitions. The main reason I stopped playing sports related to my skill level and stopped playing when I was no longer able to compete at a high level. On the other hand, time constraints and availability limited my sports to continue in college. I wanted to play sports in college and needed to decide which sports to continue and decided on football and track and half way through college I decided my skills were more tailored to track and decided to pursuit only track. In addition, after many years of playing sports the training and competitions becoming overwhelming and had to limit the workload.
ReplyDeleteSports have drastically influenced my life in a positive way by helping be active and through great coaches and mentors I established a beneficial work ethic coupled with discipline. Many other aspects of sports resonate throughout my life today such as relationship built over time. I continuously try to be active everyday and look for ways to continue that activity in extracurricular activities, jobs, and other interests. I believe sports have a positive impact on individuals and the overall population, since many characteristics learned in sports carry into the future for many of us such as teamwork, communication, discipline, time management, and many more. Furthermore, it will help combat childhood obesity, most notably the Play 60 is endorsed by many professional athletes and professional organizations to influence younger children to pursue a career in sports and live a healthy life.
I can actually remember the day, more so the experience, when I knew I wanted to play football. At my neighborhood school during recess a group of kids were playing a pick up game of football. I took it upon myself to join, for no reason other than it looked like a lot of fun. This was my first experience in playing sports and growing to have a love for a specific game; playing at the parks for the true enjoyment of PLAYING the GAME.
ReplyDeleteI was always a physically active kid growing up. I loved to be outside with friends biking, running around, all the things that kids do. The first organized sport I played was baseball, but that always felt like I was playing just because that is what you did at that age. Getting introduced to football really was an enjoyment for me. The majority of my best memories growing up are heading to Longfellow Park in Minneapolis and playing pick up games of football all day long. There were days were I would even show up to the park without friends and just join in on games with older kids I didnt even know. When I started to notice my passion for the game grow, it turned into not only a fun pick up game to play in my free time (which i continued to do even after joining organized teams) but as a challenge to see how good I really could get.
When I saw the respect I would gain from kids in the neighborhood and my skills grow with age, I accpeted the challenge. The enjoyment of playing the game, the drive to want to continue and the respect I earned was what kept me coming back. My father was quite successful in football when he was growing up so that gave me hope. This was something that I could do that would potentially bring success in my life and give me a strong purpose to pursue college.
Even as a youth athlete, I learned lessons that carried me through my high school and collegiate athletic career. The biggest lesson was you must earn everything you get. I was raised to earn this through a strong work ethic and having no fear as to who the obstacle is. Whether that be respect from the local kids at the park, becoming a captain on your high school athletics team, or a collegiate athletic scholarship.
My father was a big football guy growing up. My older brother, hockey. That is the extent of ahtletics in my household. I can not say I was ever pressured into playing any sports at all. It is interesting to me that my involvement in football grew in the same way my father's did, but it truly was something I found on my own. I am very greatful to have had the chance to watch those kids play pick up 'ball at the park and that I had the initiative to join in (initiative was not my strong point growing up). The experiences at the parks and success the sport brought me over the next 12 years I woulnd't trade for anything.
Just wanted to comment on HASA0203's comment about Press making pete's life ALL about bball and thats why he tried out so many things to discover who he was.. I thought that was a great point and something I hadn't even thought of. Makes complete sense though
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the Maravich book and watching the video I would say the negatives of his lifes outweighed the positives. Pete had fame and to a certain extent fortunes. But what Pete never really had was any control over who he was. Press Maravich used basketball to get out of Aliquippa and do something he truly had a passion for. Yet Press never allowed Pete to find his own identity. He created it for him. I think at an early age Pete loved playing basketball but as he grew older the pressure and loss of control over his own life became troubling for him. I do think it must have been hard for Pete when something he seemed to enjoy caused him pain and for most of his pro career didn't seem enjoyable. I don't think he ever really found peace until after he was done playing. While many worshipped him and loved him, he really had no social identity to who he was other than Pistol Pete. I find it interesting to look at how Press treated Diana and showed her love and affection. Diana ended up being a research scientist at a University. Now we don't get to see much of her personality so I might be off here but it would seem she would have a much more complete life than Pete had. While my interpretation may be harsh I guess the question I kept asking myself as I read the book is would I want my sons to have the experiences and live the life that Pete Maravich led and I would say no.
ReplyDeleteThe topic always gets brought up, with youth sports, on peer and significant other "PRESSURE" into sport involvement. At what point can this be a positive?
ReplyDeleteA better alternative for some would be to get involved into sport. I know personally individuals I went to high school with whom were on both sides of this fence. One in particular who chose sport, the other who did not. Neither of which, at the time, had any logical reason to be actively involved in the community because the choices they would make were not productive for their development as people and were harmful to the community. Sport, for the one individual, pulled him from this environment and gave him a chance for success and a better future. Was this due to the "PRESSURE" he recieved to get involved? The other individual, who was very athletically talented and had lots of potential for success, did not recieve this "PRESSURE" and would ignored the few attempts at it. He chose a different route which did not end up being the best decision he had made in his life.
I mention this because of the word I put in bold a few times above; PRESSURE. We need to differentiate between individuals who are pressured into participation versus those who are in need of SUPPORT. Many times, this can be the better alternative for an individual and eventually open doors for success down the road.
This can occur with both those who need sport (or other exrta curriculars for that matter) as an alternative to poor decisions made in their social lives or for those who show potential but their social support is lacking at home, in their community, from friends, etc.
"Pressure" can be a postive when that "pressure" is genuine SUPPORT for the better interests of that individual.
Reading the comments on the blog, it's interesting to know how each person started, stayed, or ended a sport. For the majority they started when they were young, each person started because of a family member when family were the only thing they know; father, brothers, sisters, etc... But once a person moved to school aged (around middle school/jr. high) it seems as though peers have the upper hand when it comes to decisions. I know that was the way it was for me. I played, stayed, and ended participation because of my friends and their interests. Even though I may have loved a sport, if my friends weren't in it I didn't want to be in it or be left behind. It wasn't until high school that I started making decisions for myself, taking in consideration my friends but they weren't the deciding factor.
ReplyDeleteToday, while I still participate in different activities with and without my friends, they are not the sole pupose I continue. I still love the feeling of competiting. Being on the field lets me escape anything that may be going on in my world, how ever brief it may be. Also, I still participate to stay in shape. Lets face it, exercise isn't fun unless we like what we're doing. I'm not a person who enjoys running miles upon miles, but I can run up and down a basketball courst all day and not think about it.
Going through the blog it was great to read that everyone participated in a number of different sports growing up. I think today kids are specializing in sports too soon and too often. Kids need to enjoy all sports and activities and shouldn't be pushed into just one at such a young age.
ReplyDeleteThat ties into the book I read: "Little Girls in Pretty Boxes." Now, gymnastics and figure skating are not two sports I saw myself participating in or even being interested in. But reading this book really opened my eyes to the different issues that face these sports and sports in general. The book discusses how the girls specialize at such a young age, and with the forementioned sport, are out of the sport within a decade. They start training before they turn 10 and can easily train between 8-10+ hours a day, leading them to despise the sport they once loved. Of course there were other things that factored into why these young women left the sport.
Specialization in a sport too soon can lead to leaving sports all together. Like I just stated, you are training for only one activity with no change for years. I know eventually I would get bored with the same repetiton of training and competition. But parents today are to eager for their child to be great. They see athletes like Lebron, Michael Phelps, Michelle Wie, or Lindsay Vonn; and they say to themselves that there child could be the next great superstar. Forcing the child into something they may not want to do. Do the parents really want whats best for the child or do they want what is best for them? Throughout the book, parents continued to state how "they worked so hard, for so long" that they almost felt like it was their triumph or failure.
When I have children I won't have them specialize in a sport, at least not until they're ready. And when that is, who knows. I just know that I want my children to enjoy participating in different sports and activities. They can learn so much from each one.
When I completed reading the book Pistol Pete and watching the videos I think no one would argue Pete had postive and negative experiences due to his socialization into basketball. The positive...fame, money, known as one of the best basketball player of all time, and probably most important in Pete's eyes was the fact that his dad was extremely proud of him. The negatives...drinking, not learning to be held accountable for his actions, nothing was ever good enough for him or his father (for example he would score forty some points and he would talk about how he should of had sixty) which I believe lead him to disling basketball as he got older, and of course he was so busy trying to be the fist million dollar basketball player of all time he didn't even see himself or his family crumbling aroud him. In all of Petes experiences (negative and postive) the one thing which really stood out to me is the fact he felt happy and content to be where he was in his life before he died. Pete found Christianity, made peace with his dad and knew his dad like he had never had before, and finally for the first time in his life I think he was totally comfortable being in his own skin and he appreciated his entire family for the first time in his life.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to elaborate on the blog above that talked about"pressure".
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with what is said in his blog about pressure. Pressure is one of the biggest unseen contributors in sports in our society. There are various types of pressure that effect the lives of todays athletes. Pressure from parents, friends, teammates, coaches, environment and the individual. For some athletes this is fuel for the fire, it makes them work hard, play faster essentially become a better athlete. However, not every athlete is the same. Some athletes need to know that they are exceeding in their sport. Our society has lost so many great athletes due to these unseen contributors. I honestly believe there was a kid that was better then Michael Jordan in the 90's that didn't have the same opportunities he had, a boxer that would have whoop Mike Tyson in his prime, a golfer that could out drive tiger and catcher that was 10 times better then our local hero Joe Mauer. Unfortunately, due to those unseen pressure that Matt was talking about we will never be fortunate enough to witness those talents.
I have been reading the blogs and have some similar stories about sports and my life. I started with gymnastics and it caught my eye because of the Olympics. I loved it and I had never felt that passion before. I wanted more. So I then played t-ball, then ringette, basketball, softball, and finally volleyball. I tried a few other sports but ended up staying in volleyball, basketball, and softball throughout high school. In each sport I had a different group of friends. Some over lapped, but for the most part it seemed like whichever season I was in, that was who I was hanging out with at the time. I know that sports defined me and I am not sure who I would have been without them. It is probably very sad, but I live for sports. After high school, I played college softball and many intramurals, and then went on to coach and teach Physical Education. I cannot think of any other better way to stay involved in sport!
ReplyDeleteAs far as things for Pistol Pete. I think that his socialization into sport was both positive and negative. I think it taught him how to work hard for something and to have so much passion and love for something. On the flip side, I think that he was fooled into thinking that he did not need school or anything else. After he was out of basketball it seems like it made more sense to him, but he seemed so lost.
It was my parents need for an outlet to entertain my energy that began my passion and current profession. I have was a highly oompetitive gymnast competing all over the nation and training 30 hours a week during high school. After college gymnastics I decided to become a coach. While I have read "Little Girls in Pretty Boxes" far back in early high school, I decided to read it again, now as a coach. The book discusses what I call the "dark side" of gymnastics and figure skating.I agree with Zak when he discusses little girls training hours beyond healthy. Events mentioned in the book, including the intense control at the Karolyi camp occurs more often that you might realize.
ReplyDeleteGymnastics is a small world that is fueled by competitiveness and perfection. While some enjoy it for pure recreation and pleasure, the elite gymnasts do not live normal lives. Te gymnastics world is a society within itself. It is easy to become enveloped in the desire for medals and attention, and parents also leech ontp the notion that their child may have an Olympic future.
Competitive gymnastics begins at a youne age, I started when I was 3 and finally retired after my senior year of college at 24. 21 years of the same sport. It is because of this sport that I find myself to be a dedicated and hard working person, however, on the other specrum, I did not have much of a childhood nor do I fully understand a multitude of other sports since I only have ever participated in 1. I didnt even have to participate in high school phy-ed class because of my extreme training for gymnastics, instead I got extra study halls or had phy-ed last where I left school to get to my 5 hours of practice.
This chapter talks about the differnt types of athletic participants and when they leave the sport and the changes that occur. I can relate to this topic since I still find myself longing to be a collegiate athlete once again. I now live through those emotions be coaching. Gymnastics has impacted and affected my life for so long I can't bear to let it go qiute yet.
Going off of Zak's comment about little girls training hours. I think that sports today have become too intense at too young of an age. It seems like it keeps getting younger that kids need to get involved in traveling sports and it has caused WAY too many kids to become a one sport specialist. The time that Alli spend with gymnastics seems so much for a young person. I know that Alli enjoyed it and probably would not take it back, but what happened to letting kids be kids. I loved playing multiple sports and I still believe that being involved in a variety of sports helps athletes become better at each one. When athletes become so specialized it seems like more injuries occur from overuse, especially young athletes that may not use the proper stretching/icing/taking care of their bodies. As a coach I understand the work that you want your kids to put in to become better at your sport, but we are pulling kids is so many directions making it nearly impossible for them to play multiple sports.
ReplyDeleteAs with many of us enrolled in courses revolving around sports I also started at a young age. Many of the children I grew up with were male which I believe is why I began playing sports. The first organized sport I played was soccer in the first grade. I continued to play soccer every summer until I became a senior in highschool. I loved to play soccer and I was decent, which is why I continued to play. I played for my school in junior high and my freshman year of highschool. Many of us had played together for years and were great friends. However, my Sophmore year I decided to quit playing for the school team because I did not feel as though I was having fun anymore. I continued to play in the summer and had a great time.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, my father is avid golfer, as was my uncle, so my cousin and I were put in golf lessons and golf leagues together at a young age as well. I was fairly successful, having won the league tournament at the end of the summer one year. The following year (because of our age) we were put into a tougher group (meaning we played from the women's tees as opposed to the 150's). I began to struggle playing from this new distance. I will never forget the say I quit. It was the day my Father told me to close my eyes when I hit the ball and I hit it further than any other shot. It was then that I dropped my club and did not pick one up for the next few years. I have recently begun to get back into golf because it is something I want to do and I am finding much more joy in the sport. I play for fun as opposed to competition.
I also began playing basketball in the sixth grade. I had never played organized basketball before (just driveway basketball). I tried out for the traveling team and made it. I was friends with a few qirls who played and my acceptance with them and the team was solidified when I made the team. I continued to play and was successful throughout high school. However, my senior year I did not shine as bright as I would have liked and therefore did not continue past the season. I stopped playing for the simple fact that the season was over and I no longer had a place to play.
Once my senior year was complete I did not beleive I would be envolved in sports again. As it turned out, I came back to coach at my former high school for two years, then went on to obtain a Masters in Sport and Exercise Psychology, and now teach Physical Education. I am now working toward another Masters in Sport Management because I miss being more involved in sports and want to expand on my opportunites to be involved. I was a person who moved on from sports to move on with my life. I am now discovering how to incorporate them in my life again.
In response to what Matt wrote regarding pressure and support, I believe it can be difficult to differentiate between the two concepts for some people. A case in point would be the story of Elena Delle Donne. She had created the perception that she loved basketball to those who were supporting her. She had even encouraged their support (according to her father). However, as we watch her being interviewed now, the reality is she felt pressure from those who were supporting her. I think it is very difficult to distinguish between the two concepts because there is a fine line between the two. I also believe her parents may have started out as supportive, but I also feel somewhere along the way the concept of support transformed into pressure. It was Elena's desire to please her parents which led them to conform and feel they were supporting her when they were probably truly pressuring her. I believe when parents start moving from support to pressure, there is a lot of negative which can come. Another point is a comment made by Pete in the video. He claimed his father to be his hero, but he also claimed a reason he played was to live out his father's dream of making basketball more spectacular. It makes me wonder, why did he really play. He may have loved the game but did he love it for himself, or for his hero?
ReplyDeleteI find it so interesting to read the stories of how everyone has become socialized into sport. Many of us had positive experiences with sport, which is why I believe all of us are enrolled in this course. However, my greater concern is for the experiences that youth in this generation receive. I have read Coakley's book before and understand how children can be influenced by sport (not only playing but watching). I was amazed the first time I watched a little league baseball game after reading Coakley's book a few years ago. The children playing were like miniature professional players; not in regards to the abilities, but their demeanors. The way they walk to the plate, how they get into their stance and the amazement at the umpire for calling a strike (how could that be when it is right down the middle). They huf at the umpire as though they know more and for the sheer fact that they do not believe a pitch they did not hit could possibly be a strike! I also fear the devastation sports may cause children who are raised by parents who pressure (not support) their children. Athletes are glorified in the media and make tremendous amount of money. They are viewed as Gods who can do no wrong (Tiger could not possibly have cheated, there is no way Kobe or Big Ben could have raped those girls). Who would not want to become a professional athlete and why would you not want to encourage your child to become one? What, I believe, many parents do not realize is there is a VERY slim chance this would ever happen to their child. When this occurs, what happens to the child? For some, their entire childhood (and self) is dependant upon becoming an athlete (think Boobie Miles). When this option no longer exists, the children do not know how to function in society. I realize this may be an extreme case but think about how many children are being pressured by parents to not only play sports, but to excel!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with the comment above about how professional athletes have unprecedented media exposure and its effect on children athletes. Don't get me wrong the 24-7 media of today can be a good thing, but the constant exposure can be a bad thing. Growing up and playing sports I don't remember trying to be like any professional I saw, I probably got more inspiration from movies like The Sandlot, Rookie of the Year, and Happy Gilmore (not that those are much better).
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