This is the first introduction blog. The group members for this Blog are: Dane Windisch, Allison Schiffer, and Trevor Selby.
My sport background consisted of only a couple organized sports in high school and those were football and basketball. Growing up in middle school and junior high I had a passion for soccer but when it came to junior high my home school didn't have a soccer team so I had to switch to football. I have a wide variety of interests when it comes to sports, I tend to watch any sports when they're on television and I'm athletic enough to play a wide range of sports.
The male and female athletes I chose to watch were primarily based on the excitement factor they have when they are performing their respective sport. The male athlete I chose was professional boxer Floyd Mayweather. I'm a fan of boxing but more than that I'm a fan of how boxing is promoted and there's no better promoter of fights then Floyd Mayweather. He hypes up the fights he's in so much it's hard not to want to watch him perform the night of his fight and when he is fighting he shows he'll go down as one of the best boxers of all time. The female athlete I decided to pick was tough because I don't watch a lot of women's sports on TV. But whenever professional tennis player Serena Williams is on I usually watch and am interested in how she does so for that reason I picked her. Williams is also one of the top women's tennis players of all-time so it's always an added bonus when she's on TV.
I believe this course will be challenging but easy enough to learn the material. When I first learned about taking this course I felt that there will be plenty of discussions and debates about different gender issues in the media especially. There isn't that many concerns I have about taking this course is the possibility of a heated debate with an individual or another gender about an issue that is split between the class which could result in people clashing.
For a majority of my life I have played both basketball and softball. I started playing both sports since I was about four years old with other kids in my neighborhood, however I started to play organized sports when I was in the first grade. In middle school I started to take sports more seriously and began playing on a travel softball team in. In high school I continued to play travel softball and I began playing basketball for our high school team. Growing up I watched all different kinds of sports with my father and throughout high school I discovered many sports channels on TV. I tend to watch sports that are not as popular in the US, such as Soccer and Rugby. The more interesting the sport the more likely I am to watch it. With this being an Olympic year I am excited to watch many different sports that do not receive as much attention in a non-Olympic year.
ReplyDeleteThe male and female athletes I chose were based on dominance and entertainment they bring to their sports. The male athlete I chose was Michael Phelps because he dominated the last Olympics and I am looking forward to see him in this year’s games. He has dedicated himself to his sport and strives to be the best to represent his country. Many may say that the scandals he was involved in after the last Olympics have reduced his fame as well as his likability, but I think that he will be able to bounce back and prove that he is a phenomenal swimmer. The female athlete I would most like to see play would be Christie Rampone. Many do not know who she is because they focus more on the playmakers of US Soccer such as Abby Wambach, Hope Solo, or Alex Morgan. Many would not recognize Rampone, but she is the most capped player with 244, she has also competed in four FIFA Women’s World Cups and soon to be four Olympic games. She is a defender and captain of the team and she is also a mother of two. She often does not get as much recognition but she has proven to be a mainstay and backbone for the Women’s National Soccer team. She also as shown that you can have a family and still competes at the highest level.
I believe that this course will be challenging but also very insightful. Since this is a sport and gender course it is known that we will focus on all types of sports and all the moments that have changed the course of history within sports. The only concern for this class would be that there could be some pretty intense debates that could divide the class on certain subjects.
Sports have played an important role in my life since I can remember. I have played basketball, football, soccer, and ran cross country all at the middle school level or higher. I started playing soccer in first grade as my first organized sport. In middle school, I decided that I was serious about soccer and tried out for our club travel team. I played for the club team until my senior year. In addition to club travel soccer, I also played soccer for the high school team. I played for the high school JV team in 7th and 8th grade, and was a four year varsity starter once I got to 9th grade. As far as the other sports I mentioned, I played football and basketball for my middle school team in 7th grade, and I ran cross country in high school to stay in shape for soccer. I watch the traditional sports such as football, basketball, and hockey. But one sport that I've been passionate about since I was little was NASCAR. I grew up in South Carolina about half an hour away from Darlington Raceway, which is one of NASCAR's oldest most historic tracks. NASCAR was probably my favorite sport to watch as a child, and the experience of my first NASCAR race is one of my favorite sport experiences.
ReplyDeleteThe athletes I would like to see play in person were George Rogers during his time at South Carolina and Candace Parker. The reason I picked these players is because they are some of my favorite athletes. I admire their playing styles and them as individuals away from the game. George Rogers played for the University South Carolina in the 80's, and he is the University's lone Heisman winner. South Carolina was my favorite college team growing up, and Rogers is the one player that everyone still talks about to this day. I'd do anything to go back in time and watch George Rogers play in person. Rogers still lives in South Carolina and goes to nearly every football, basketball, and baseball game to support the university. He has also donated millions of dollars to the university. Candace Parker is the female athlete I picked. The reason I picked Candace is kind of funny. My girlfriend is a huge fan of Anthony Parker, Candace's older brother who plays on the Cavs. She turned me into a Anthony Parker fan. We saw Candace was playing on T.V. one day and we naturally rooted for her since we are fans of her brother. We also follow Anthony and Candace on Twitter, and they are constantly cracking jokes at one another back and forth. Both seem to be good family-oriented individuals, and we can respect their skills on the court, and their priorities off-court.
This course should be a challenge, but it will also be rewarding and interesting. The rewarding part will be to learn all of the different points of views people have on the various topics we will discuss. The interesting part will be to see how people defend their sides of the topic and debate with others. The debates may get heated, but in the end I feel as though it is nothing to be concerned about.
Hi Dane,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading about your sport interests and the two athletes you would like to see. Of course I can relate to your interest in seeing Serena and have been fortunate to see her play several times. Unfortunately, as you know, she lost in the 4th round of the Australian Open so we will not be seeing her in the finals. While I am not familiar with Floyd Mayweather as a boxer or promoter, I have noticed a lot of interest in him fighting against Manny Pacquiao, so I think I would definitely pay attention if/when their fight is scheduled.
I hope that there are stimulating discussions in class, but not to the point where people clash. Good start on your group blog!
Dr. Spencer
Hi Alli,
ReplyDeleteWow! You really started playing sports at a young age. I wish I would have had the opportunity and/or encouragement to start that early - especially in tennis! If you are interested in non-traditional sports (in the U.S.) like rugby and soccer, you might be interested in taking the "Sport & Globalization" course in the fall. I can totally understand why you are interested in seeing Michael Phelps compete. His swimming events were some of the most exciting to watch in the 2008 Olympics! I do remember seeing Christie Rampone in the 2011 World Cup. However, I am not familiar with the term that you used to describe her--i.e., when you said she is the most capped player. Like you, I hope that we will have some "intense debates" but that they do not divide the class once they are over.
This is a good introduction and I look forward to reading more of your entries.
Dr. Spencer
Hi Trevor,
ReplyDeleteThis is a good introductory entry. Did you choose to play soccer over football when you were young? It seems like your class has more soccer players than the other one so hopefully we will get into some good discussions about it. I know there are several others (maybe in the other class) who have mentioned that they like to watch NASCAR. Do you have a favorite driver? I noticed that you did not choose a NASCAR driver as your favorite athlete to watch. I do not remember George Rogers, perhaps because I was not following college football as much during the 1980s (I lived in CA at the time). I read that he was drafted by the New Orleans Saints. I can definitely understand why you would want to see Candace Parker, and I thought it was cool that you follow both Candace and her brother Anthony on Twitter. I will have to check them out.
I look forward to reading more entries on your blog. Great start!
Dr. Spencer
Dr. Spencer,
DeleteSorry I'm a little late on the response. I did choose to play soccer over football though when I was in 8th grade. I decided that I should stick to one sport, and I started to play Club Soccer during the fall instead of football. As far as a favorite NASCAR driver, I used to be a huge fan of Jerry Nadeau. He was in a bad accident in 2003 and will never be able to race again as a result. Ever since his injury, I've started to kind of fade from NASCAR. However, I do still watch the races almost every week, but not having a favorite driver anymore makes it more difficult to get into the way I used to.