"Final Reflections"

Before I took this class I would always think to myself why sport society is the way it is? How many athletes feel the same way that I do towards how we are treated and what we are expected to accomplish? What influences does sport have in society and what would happen if society's mindset towards sport would change? Since I have been taking this class I can now pin point when sport does good things for society and when it does not. II now understand that, as a student athlete, I am not alone and many other student athletes go through what I go through day by day. I've learned that in order to get rid of some idealizations it depends on me and other new generation athletes to change this and stand for what we believe in and what is going to help society as a whole. I cannot point out exactly which topic stood out for me the most because all topics were extremely eye opening and made me finally understand many things about the career path I am choosing to take. Once I move on from this class I will definitely start asking more questions and thinking outside the paradigms of what we are meant to think about. I will also, apply my new way of thinking in decisions I have to make once I graduate and make decisions of where I want to go and play volleyball. I would definitely recommend this class to all of my friends/teammates that are passionate about sports.

Neira Ortiz-Ruiz

"Why the 'Mans Mans' game is an insult to men"

The movie 'Training Rules' as well with many other articles that talk about the life of an athlete after they come out, do not seem to explain that there is a lot of tolerance for homosexual athletes. Different sports seem to be very hostile towards athletes that are simply staying true to themselves. They do not only have to deal with coaches that are homophobic (as seen in 'Training Rules'), but with teammates that might have a problem with it, and lastly with fans who do not support the LGBT community. In order for gay athletes to be safe I think is more of a cultural thing rather than directly meant for sports. If culturally we accept that homosexuals are just as normal as heterosexuals then we start unconsciously creating a safe environment for athletes who come out. If we as a society that loves sports view sport as what it is, a game, then we would not care about anyone's sexual orientation.

Neira Ortiz-Ruiz

"Darwin's Athletes": Sport and Ethncity

I think the significance of sport in the African American culture is extremely important. In this culture the importance of working hard and exceeding expectations is what will help you be successful in life through sport. I believe that people think that if you belong to the African American culture it is set that you have to be talented and athletic and the pressure of making it is high and expected. The Hollywood portrayal of the African American athlete is always the same. Talent, athleticism, potential is portrayed in Hollywood movies and I the documentary Hoop Dreams. On the other hand, Hollywood forgets to get in touch with the reality of things and this is what the documentary shows. Hollywood, always presents the character from the African American culture as being a good athlete, therefore they turn out to be successful. But, in Hoop Dreams we can see how it does not always turn out that way for all athletes, and many of them face a lot of struggle to make it to the top and in the end they don't even make it. I think sport is damaging Black Americans because sport expects African Americans to all be amazing and make it to the top, when in reality many do, but at the same time many don't. This mentality and Hollywood films preserve the myth of race because it is educating the public in a way in which the African American culture is expected to excel in sports and the reality of "life" is simply not a problem in their eyes.

Neira Ortiz-Ruiz

"You Throw Like a Girl": Sports, (Wo)men & the Gender Order II SP12

The commercial that I found features Serena Williams branding Nike. In this commercial young girls are getting ready for their "hot" tennis coach to show up by putting makeup on to look pretty for him. Once he gets there all the girls seem to be giving him "goo goo" eyes, but once they start practice in his eyes they all turn into Serena Williams. This commercial can be interpreted in many ways. One way in which it stereotypes women in sport is at the beginning of it showing how the little girls are preparing, not for practice, but to see their coach. Therefore, stereotyping the female gender as more focused on guys than their sport. Another way in which this can be interpreted is the fact that when the girls start playing they turn into Serena Williams. This could be interpreted as if having their coach there, and them trying to show off is what turns them into Serena. One of the consequences of the message that this commercial sends is that external factors are what help women be better in their sport. This stereotype should not be applied to women only, but I'm pretty sure that men get inspired with a little bit of encouragement from external factors, however male athlete commercials do not exactly represent this. Another consequence is that, in a way it teaches young generations that being pretty for your coach is what's important about the sport. Impressing others, not by your abilities, but by your beauty. Even though at the end of the commercial the words "you're faster than you think" come up, the way in which they are portraying a girls and Serena Williams is really gender stereotyped. Not only do we see it with the little girls, but when they turn into Serena, yes they do play well, but she still tries to maintain her lady like/flirtatious/feminine looking poses and face. Therefore, it is because of commercials like these and many others that in search of good branding the female gender is stereotyped and criticized against.   

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aux_esZYhC4

Neira Ortiz-Ruiz

 

"Reflecting on the shame of College Sports: Should NCAA Div I Basketball and Football players get paid?"

The debate of whether or not Division I Basketball and Football players should get paid is never ending. Many reasons support them getting paid, but many cons balance out the beam. A reason for why they should be getting paid is that they produce so much income for universities and still see no money in return, but the little they get from stipend money (stipend money is money given to student-athletes on scholarship, so they can pay their rent, get groceries, and have a little extra to spend) is not enough if the student athlete does not come from a wealthy family. On the other hand, many argue that universities are paying more attention to athletics than to what their main focus is supposed to be, which is studies. Even though, student athletes are being paid through their scholarships; this meaning that they do not have to pay for their education, the amount of hard work that is involved in being a student athlete has a higher price than what they are getting.
 As a student athlete here at CU I can easily name the reasons of why or why not student athletes should get paid. Like normal students we attend normal classes whether they start at 7 am or at noon. We have to regularly attend class, with the exception of competition. Extensions are rarely given to us and we have to meet with our assignments and tests like regular students. However, here is the fun part. While a normal student may be sleeping, by 6 am we have to be up and ready for workout at 7 (depending on the sport played). Right after workouts, many of us have to run to class exhausted, both physically and mentally. After a whole day of classes in a row, the time for practice arrives shortly, and just when practice is done and you think you are done for the day, you remember that your day is not over for another three to four hours because of all the schoolwork you have to do. Also, as I mentioned before, many student athletes that are on scholarship do not come from a wealthy family and many times, most of the time, money is more of a necessity for us than a pleasure to spend. If you ask my opinion, and based on how hard me and my teammates work, and how hard I know each and every other student athlete works, I would say yes to paying Basketball and Football players. But, at the same time if one group of athletes gets paid all athletes should get paid for all the hard work and sacrifices made by all of us.
Neira Ortiz-Ruiz

High School Sport

I think that the objective of high school sport is to provide a sense of being on a team and what teamwork is. To have to work hard and push themselves to achieve that goals that they want to achieve. It can also be a way to promote pride in their school. After reading the Demetrius Walker article, it seems that his coach was more concerned about the individual and how well he could promote them rather than promoting teamwork. The talent of this individual exceeded what the views of the team were, and it seemed as though the coach thought he would get a reward for this player. Accross the country, these objectives are being met by most schools, but when they get a superstar player who is bigger than the team because of media and the coach promoting his skills, takes away from the objectives of high school sports.One of the problems is that when you have a talented student athlete the pressure that gets put on them by the school, family, and the media can take the fun out of the sport and force the student to do things that are uncharacteristic of them. For example, cheating on a test on school that they have to pass, but because of bad time management and concentrating more in sports they do not exactly study for it and feel pressured to do well. One solution for this is encouraging high school coaches to help their students to succeed in both.
Neira Ortiz-Ruiz

"Once the cheering stops: The life of a retired pro-athlete"

Although once, professional athletes made tons of money, the moment when they retire changes their lives completely. They are now not getting a million dollar check each week and cannot keep on spending the amounts of cash they were before. A retired athlete, now has to find a way/ job in which he can manage to keep on living the luxurious life he was living while still playing. For most retired athletes this does not end well. Challenges like, not being able to spend thousands of dollars in a week, losing houses they cannot afford anymore, and getting in trouble with the law. This transitions is very hard for them because since the beginning, many of them went from not having tons of money to having so much that they just throw it away. Not really knowing how to invest/ manage their money, therefore once the source of the money making is gone is it hard for them to go back to the old days in which they had to budget and save up their money. Personally, I have been affected by bad decisions that my father (once one of the highest paid basketball player in Puerto Rico) made once he retired and did not know how to live without the pay checks he received every week. This affected his way of budgeting and controlling his money, because once he retired in basically 2 to 3 years he was finding himself in debt and with no money to pay for his child support. I think professional athletes should understand from the beginning of their career to the end that money is not never ending, they should learn to budget and save up so that them and their families can live a prosperous life without encountering any surprises in the end.
Neira Ortiz-Ruiz