The nature of our course requires us to explore the different types of power associated with race, class, gender, sexuality, nationality, able-bodieness, age, and a number of other identities. Identities are fluid and multiple. Sometimes they are a way that we locate ourselves in a society composed of many. Sometimes identities provide a sense of affiliation and belonging, while other times they can be isolating. Describe a time in your life you became aware of a major identity in your life. This may be a time that an identity worked to your advantage, hindered you, or made you realize that you were similar or like others around you. You need not access your readings to complete this assignment. Students in the past have written about realizing they were a particular race or gender for the first time, coming to terms with a life-long injury or disability, and or realizing that your parents had more or less money than the others around you. Please bring a hard copy of your response to class on Wednesday night. Your posts are due to the blog by 6pm on Tuesday.
Growing up my family was very involved in athletics and was constantly pushing me to play all sports possible, including baseball, basketball, soccer, football, wrestling, and golf. As I started getting older the competition in each of these sports continued to grow as well as the demand for certain skills and traits in order to thrive at the top.
ReplyDeleteI was always one of the smallest in height on each athletic team that I was a part of which can turn out to be a huge disadvantage, like in sports such as basketball and football. My height hindered my success and power in these two sports, which I loved to play, resulting in my giving them up and focusing more on baseball and wrestling. I think that it is evident that one can truly be at a disavantage in these two sports becuase of their body build, or lack of, and will not by successful in finding a sense of affiliation and belonging in those sports.
I believe that I truly found my "identity" in wrestling because of the fairness of how the sports are conuducted (competition by weight class), which was why I stuck with this sport, as well as baseball and golf- since size was not a huge factor. As we discussed in class, our social locations and/or social identities can be directly reflected in sports through opportunities and experiences we come across. In my case I was introduced to a variety of sports growing up and as time passed, the realization of the struggle for "power" was evident in the more demanding sports that required certain characteristics of an individual (body build, athletic abilities, ect.).
Identity
ReplyDeleteI grew up in a very small town in southern Colorado. The county my hometown is located in is one of the poorest counties in the entire state. Despite the disadvantage of the local economy, sports are very important to my hometown. Not only sports in general but being good. The local community puts a lot of pressure on the high school teams. As I grew up I witnessed the pressure on my older sister and brother. Along with my hometown my family put a lot of pressure on me. My father was a three time all American wrestler in college and expected the same thing out of my brother and I. My brother was one of the best wrestlers in the state which gave him a lot of pressure but placed even more on me. Before I even got to high school a lot of people already knew my last name and expected a lot out of me. As time passed and the more experience I gained in wrestling I began to decide that wrestling was what I wanted to do for the next handful of years. As a sophomore in high school I decided I wanted to wrestle in college. This is where I found my new identity. I knew I had a lot of improvement to do. Being one of Colorado’s best wrestlers wasn’t good enough and I knew it. So I began putting a lot more effort and time into my training and development. I changed my life so I would have a better chance at accomplishing my goals and dreams in wrestling and thus found my new identity.
Identity
ReplyDeleteI can remember from the time I was a little kid my parents pressuring me to get into sports. I played everything; basketball, volleyball, soccer, softball, you name it I probably did it, except I wasn't that good at any of them. I found very little interest until my freshman year of high school. I had just moved to a new school and encouraged to try out throwing on the track team. To my surprise, it actually came to me pretty quickly. The next thing I new, I was like this new person, I was so driven to do better, every time it seemed as if I'd hit a goal, there was a brand new one I'd strive for. I kept working and working, and eventually my hard work paid off. I came to learn to love sports after this, and became such a driven person. My old identity of a soft spoken girl with no goals quickly changed, and I was a brand new person.
The first time I discovered I had an identity was my junior year of high school. I went to a smaller Catholic school and was on the football team. My first two years there I was a somewhat of a lost soul, still searching for my group, and my area where I would fit in. I finally found my calling in football my junior year. This team I was apart of was something that I had never experienced before this occurence. Going into high school i just looked at myself as a young white man from a suburban neighborhood, but I didn't realize there were many more aspects.
ReplyDeleteMy Junior year I really began to develop friendships with many of the other football players on my team, and we began to hang out a substantial amount during and after school. This is when I really started to witness I do have an identity as a football player, part of a team. I started walking around school with more confidence with myself, not cocky, but just much more confident. I now knew I was a part of something, a group, no longer an individual.
It was also during football where I realized that I did have some leadership qualities. I was no longer afraid to speak my mind, and I was able to give my fellow teammates some constructive criticism that was able to motivate them, to push them to a point where they never thought they can go. This is where my conclusion of my identity comes in, I was a leader, and I am not trying to be cocky. However, in my mind a leader is someone who is not afraid to speak up for something they believe in, and that is the quality I developed through football. I contribute all my success, my work ethic, and my identity to my football experience in high school.
Identity-
ReplyDeleteStarting at a very young age I was introduced to a variety of sporting activities. Both of my parents came from a small town in Illinois where the majority of neighborhood activity came from congregating at sporting events in town. They both participated in numerous sports some of which included; basketball, baseball, softball, cheerleading, diving and more. With both of their positive backgrounds regarding sport they provided me with a selection of different sports they suggested I try out and possibly pursue.
My parents both moved to the suburbs after getting married where they raised my two brothers and I. Here they found that the park district provided a selection of sporting teams where kids could begin learning the sport at a very young age. Shortly after figuring this out, my parents signed me up for co-ed T-ball and a girls basketball league (sports that they both were familiar with). But it was not until my mom heard through other neighborhood moms that there was local swim team that many kids participated in throughout the summer. My mom asked if I was interested and with little knowledge of what “swim team” meant, at the age of 6 years old, my mom signed me up. Little did I know that this is where my identity started to develop.
My first summer swimming I broke a couple pool records and got a lot of recognition from other coaches, parents, teammates and friends. However, I was only swimming for recreation at the time until people urged that I join a competitive year round team. With this I found a team and joined and spent my 4th grade- senior year of high school pursuing the sport of swimming. I would practice before school for 2 hours and after school for up to 3 ½ hours. I devoted all of my time and energy to swimming and competing. Through high school I competed at the Varsity level all 4 years and had much success however when it came down to deciding whether I wanted to swim in college or not the decision was not what I expected. I found myself not wanting to continue on with this very structured regime that I had been ever so used to. Rather, I wanted to make a new identity for myself in college and leave what I had worked so hard for behind. Though sport is still a very large part of my life, I enjoy finding time for myself in ways that I had not been able to when I was swimming. Swimming and sports in general have helped make me into the person I am today. They have helped me to manage my time, create a strong work ethic, and learn how to push myself to my fullest capability. All of which I still benefit from today.
-Allison Szott
I grew up in a family of sport fanatics. My family was sports sports sports 24/7. My dad was a head football coach for each one of my 3 other brothers threw the youth years up until high school. I was introduced to sports at a very young age. I began playing Football at age 7, Hockey at age 8, and Basketball at around age 10. Sports were everything to me and continue to be a huge part of my life today as i continue to follow my dream and play football at a very high level. I grew up in a small town south of Boston where big prospects weren't often found. However i worked extremely hard and ended up earning a full scholarship to Iowa.
ReplyDeleteFootball has been a huge part of my life since a was a very young age. Most of the picture around my house today back home somehow connect to football as weird as it may sound. Football has allowed me to connect and meet people i would never of thought i would of meet. For instance, Bill Parcells spoke to the team when we were down in Miami for the Orange bowl. Being associated with such a successful and well known program has opened doors for me and i can only hope will help me in the future if football isn't the road i choose.
When people talk about doing something they love and really finding an identity in something at times it may be difficult. However i believe that the hard work you put into something has its benefits and will pay off in time.
Through my life my identity has become the smart kid I was always told that there was something special about me by friends and strangers and because of this I was always expected to be successful and achieve great things although it’s very stressful I adapt to the title and I have found that many people were right about me at least in retrospect.
ReplyDeleteWhere many of the men in my family have spent time in jail for the distribution of drugs I have not also many in my family have had children by the time they reach my age I have not, I am also the First in my family to graduate from high school go on to college and receive a degree I am also the first in my family to attend a major university.
So I believe that the identity given to me by so many helped me get here because I am an individual who saw this as an opportunity rather than a challenge to achieve something great in life.