"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

"Sport, Politics, and the Olympics"

The 1968 Olympics are known to be Games of the XIX Olympiad. These were held in Mexico City, Mexico with about 112 nations participating in this event. Some highlights of this events were: The South Africa controversy, in which apparently South Africa was invited to the games, but since there were threats from both African American athletes and South American Athletes to boycott each other the IOC decided not to have them participate. Another event was the Tlatelolco massacre, in which students gathered in Plaza de las Tres Culturas and the government ordered to break it up, and ended up killing dozens of protesters and over 1,000 were arrested. One of the most important events was the Black Power salute in which sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos saluted, while the national anthem was playing, raising a black glove as symbol of the civil rights movement. Because of this both of these athletes were banned from participating in the Olympics, including a Australian sprinter, Peter Norman who wore the civil right badges supporting the American sprinters. These events all seem to be political and end up having political repercussions on the athletes/students who take a stand for a change. Once again the 1968 Olympics in Mexico and the events that revolved around it make the statement "sport is pure and devoid of political interference" false.

"London Calling: Globalization of the NFL"

According to the "London Calling" article, it is speculated that a team from the NFL will end up playing in London. This article leaves us with a lot to talk about and definitely decisions to be made before making this huge change in the league. Although this change can be a good thing, from the article I could find many cons of why this would not be such a good idea. As a student athlete I can relate with the toll that traveling can take on people and most importantly athletes. It is not only about spending hours on a plane being uncomfortable, but the fact that the other team is going to have the advantage is what NFL commisionaires need to understand. Whether it was the team that traveled to London or vice versa their ability to perform well is going to be affected. I think that, yes this is new revenue and this is globalizing American Football, but in making these decisions there should be more of a concern for the players and whether or not their performance is going to make the league better or not.

Neira Ortiz-Ruiz

Sociogenesis of Lacrosse

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary lacrosse "a goal game in which players use a long-handled stick that has a triangular head with a mesh pouch to catch, carry, and throw the ball." Lacrosse originated in North America and Native Americans were responsible for the development of it. At the time, this sport was and still is referred to as "The Creator's Game". There were many purposes to pay this sport, and in the beginning it was played to resolve conflicts, heal the sick, develop strong men, and as preparation for war. "Contestants played on a field from one to 15 miles in length, and games sometimes lasted for days."(Brief History of Lacrosse) Originally, players would not wear a certain type of gear, but now the gear consists of a helmet, cleats, gloves, elbow pads, and chest pads.  The evolution of the sport began in 1636 a French Jesuit missionary wrote about the game, therefore introducing the game to the French. It was him who later named it "lacrosse". Later on, in 1856 a Canadian dentist Dr. William George Beers founded the Montreal Lacrosse Club, and by 1860 lacrosse became Canada's national game. By 1890 the St. Leonard's School in Scotland the first women's lacrosse game was played, but it wasn't until 1926 that the first American women lacrosse team was assembled in Maryland. In the beginning, Native Americans played with at least 100 men, by 1890 eight played, and finally by 1913 the number of players was increased to twelve players in women's lacrosse and 10 in men's. Some important events were 1971 when the International Federation of Women's Lacrosse Association was founded and in 1974 The International Lacrosse Federation was founded for men's lacrosse. In 1982, the first IFWAL World Cup was played in England and was won by the United States against Australia.

Neira Ortiz-Ruiz





(St. Leonard's women lacrosse team 1900)

(Olympic gold medal-winning lacrosse team)

Sport in the Ancient World

The types of sports played in Ancient Greece were footrace, wrestling, boxing, pancratium (combiantion of wrestling and boxing), horse racing, and as shown on the videos pentathalons. These pentathalons included running, long jump, javeling, discus throwing, and wrestling. These sports were performed by men only. Women were not even allowed to watch the games. These greek athletes had to swear under oath to Zeus that they had 10 months of preparation and were prepared for another one before competition. These sports functioned as entertainment for both common men and royalty men. Whoever won would become a sports millionaire and losers would be forgotten. In Ancient Rome gladiator battles were the common sport/entertainment for the people. This was the most brutal and bloodiest of all sports. Gladiators could be slaves, criminals, or prisoners of war. They would battle from 10 to 15 minutes and would have a life span of 20 to 30 years. They fought until someone could not fight back anymore. The winner would receive prices or would be considered a sport celebrity, but the loser's fate lied on the emperor's hand because he could choose to let him live or to have him killed. Gladiator battles, I believe to be both for entertainment and political. Entertaining to the common public and royalty, but at the same time political because men who fought in these battles were basically forced to do it.

Sport Society and Me

My connection to sport is through volleyball. I have been playing this sport for thirteen years. Growing up, my dad was and still is a very famous basketball player in Puerto Rico, and my mom thought it was a good recreational idea to follow in his footsteps. So, ever since I was 8 years old my new "hobby" was volleyball. Although it started out as a hobby, situations in life made me mature pretty fast, and with my parents going through a divorce, I decided at the age of 11 that I had to find a way in which I could pay for my own education. Therefore, volleyball went from being a recreational hobby to my profession and the way I get paid is through school.
I think the role of sport in the US society is really important. For international students like me its the ability to obtain a scholarship and save your parents the stress of being in debt for paying with money they don't really have. As for Americans I believe that many share my same story/ background and a sport is a pathway to getting a degree. In US society sport is passion and hard work, sport brings people together, it is a staircase to success, and if it is done well with integrity and resilience it has positive outcomes. I believe this is true because I have had the blessing of getting to know and understand US society's both in a good way and in a bad way. Based on my experience I think athletes hold a high position in society and are respected if they are good, when they are struggling it might be a different story. Anyhow, athletes are valued for what they had to go through in order to be where they are now.

The Sport Ethic

The Sport Ethic is a belief in which athletes must follow certain norms in order to be successful in their sports. According to Hughes and Coakley, "the Sport Ethic emphasizes positive norms, the ethic itself becomes the vehicle for transforming behaviors that conform to there positive norms into deviant behaviors that are prohibited and negatively sanctioned within society and within sport organizations themselves". They also mention how this ethic is a criteria that defines what it means to be a 'real athlete'. There are four dimensions of this concept. First, an athlete must make sacrifices. An example of this is the amount of time they spend practicing or in competition which prevents them from spending more time with friends and family. Second, an athlete must be distinct from other athletes. This means that athletes are always competing to be above other athletes in order for there to be something special or different compared to other athletes. Third, an athlete should take risks and play through pain. Most of the time being an athlete involves getting hurt, but in order to be a good teammate selfless should be the key to succeeding. Lastly, an athlete should have no limits. I think that athletes are forced to conform with these dimensions because these characteristics make up what an athlete is at certain times in their careers. As a student athlete I believe I experience these four dimensions ever since I started playing my sport. Along the years I've had to sacrifice time that I could spend with friends and family due to practice or competition. In my case I feel it is amplified because I am in a different country far away from my loved ones. I think it is important that we are competitive and push harder to be noticed in order to be successful and earn playing time. Also, I've certainly have had to play through pain and sickness many times for my team including one time were I was sick with mono and a week after being diagnosed  I was expected to play and help out my team. In the end, I think 'real' and 'great' athletes abide by these norms because in the end we know it is all going to be worth our sacrifices.

Neira Ortiz-Ruiz

Sport(s) in the USA

Sport Page # 1

My first experience with sports in the US was approximately two and a half years ago, when I made the decision of leaving my beautiful island of Puerto Rico, and explore the wonders of college life in the United States. Even though, Puerto Rico is a US territory and many games are televised and talked about on TV, the real deal felt surreal once on North American land. I learned that sports like Basketball, (American) Football, baseball, and hockey were and still are four of the most important sports that bring the American society together. In order for these sports to be the most popular, I believe they are sports with extreme competitiveness and excitement. These sports all share the characteristic of bringing people together as one. A perfect example of this is game day and what traditionally is done during these special days in which teams compete against each other and only one can win. Usually, people get together hours before a game and rally up to go see their favorite team. This typical 'game day' apart from rallying up fans, is a way of supporting a favorite team or school that you attended and are proud of forming part of. The values reinforced on 'game day' are pride for your team or your school and a display of leadership and teamwork. In US sport success is measured by winning championships, winning in the division a team is part of, and consistantly winning over years instead of just one year. In order for teams to win athletes should have certain characteristics that will help them succeed. Such as: They must be athletic, and if he/she is a professional athlete he/she should have a bigger contract than athletes who are not as successful. They should be deemed successful if they win many championships or medals. Sports in the US should have athletes who share sportsmanships and play on the same level playing field without using illegal substances. They are exciting to watch and show children how to play a sport in the correct way.

Neira Ortiz-Ruiz