Erica's Sport and Learning Blog @ericasportandlearning-blog - Tumblr Blog

test

#interactivetechnology #collaborativelearning #characterdevelopmet #prosocialbehavior

Final Post: Sport Overview

Throughout my semester in Australia, I have had the opportunity to experience and witness an array of sport. From watching Waterskiing in MOOMBA, Nippers, Rugby Union at LaPerouse and Rugby League’s West Tigers versus the Rabbitohs and Bulldogs verses the Roosters, I encountered and learned about many different aspects of sport. I have also learned about many sports unique to Australia, the history behind them, the nature of the sports themselves and how they are played.

When I first signed up for this course, I was intrigued by the idea of attending sport games as a part of my curriculum. Right off the bat, the fun nature of the course stuck out to me and I immediately flagged this as a must take course. While I enjoyed the field trips for their entertainment value, each time I learned something new whether or not I realized it at that moment. Reflecting each week to write a blog on my relationship and realization with sport that week truly illustrated how vast a topic sport is in Australia.

I was also lucky enough to have had the opportunity to experience many extreme sports unique to Australia first hand such as skydiving, the bungee swing and white water rafting. I also played Lawn Bowls, partaking in a more laid back nature of Australian sport culture. I took in a wave on a surfboard at Bondi Beach and scuba dived and snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef. I hiked a weekend in the Blue Mountains where each day’s bushwalk was more rigorous than the last. This past weekend I took on grade 4 and 5 rapids on the Tully River (sometimes without my raft!). My Australian adventures have been action packed and full of excitement.

Over 50% of the sport outings I went on during my time in Australia were not in this class. The fact that the majority of the activities I partake in are sport related says a lot about Australian culture. Sport is an important pillar of Australian culture. Sport mentality is instilled in Australian youth from a young age, illustrated by Nippers, and spans a lifetime as evident by involvement of parents and older athletes. Sport does not discriminate against race or creed. Sport is one of the few areas where aboriginal people can compete on equal terms. Sport is also easily accessible for those who seek it out. Even the spread out set up of the Sydney University Campus requires me to walk a good 15 minutes to class everyday, promoting a healthy active lifestyle in small ways.

I now feel as though I can sit in Allianz Stadium for a Rugby match aware of the nature of the game and beyond that, aware of what’s going on. Through this course, I’ve learned that sport is so much more than a physical challenge. Sport helps individuals cope with everyday life stressors and identity, social and cognitive development.

Since our lecture with the Paralympics Rugby team coaches, I have met and spoken in depth to one of the two Australian Paralympics Tennis Team players going to London as well as a Paralympics alpine skier who began competing two years ago. I met one of two athletes, Adam, ranked 30th Paralympics tennis player in the world, at a jazz club and began talking about the all the differences and intricacies between tennis and Paralympics tennis. He explained to me that he can play on any court but clay is particularly hard, as it slows down the chair and that the main difference in the game is that a ball can bounce twice. He told me about how challenging it is to serve the ball and how excited he is for London. Before I left he invited me to play against him and come to a Paralympics practice. He also challenged me to a match, warning me that it wouldn’t be fair at all. I instinctively assumed he was referring to his handicap but he then challenged me and another friend to Canadian doubles against him confidentially smiling, knowing he will beat us by a long shot.

I sat beside Brian, a Paralympics Alpine Skier on his return flight from Japan for his new skis fitting about his motorcycle accident in 2009 and consequent participation in sport. Both individuals unexpectedly had to deal with hardships, in Adam’s case, cancer, and in Brian’s an accident. After recovery and depression they both found happiness, motivation and excitement in their lives again thanks to sport. Sport offers a valuable means of building resiliency on both an individual and communal level. Because of this course I felt confident enough to approach both of these individuals and well equipped to discuss the nature of Australian sports and inquire about their personal experiences as athletes and individuals who represent Australia at large.

Sport does so much more for people than serve as entertainment. Athletes are so much more than talented sport players; they are role models to youth, communities and the greater Australia. From each experience, I learned something new. The Nippers event demonstrated the relationship between sport and education. Nippers served as a prime example of community sport and illustrated how a love of sport is fostered from a young age through a focus on participation rather than competition. Beach culture showed me how engrained sport is in any aspect of Australian culture. Lawn bowls exemplified the social nature of sport. The LaPerouse game solidified my impressions on the community-oriented nature of Australian sport instantly as the field was lined with cheering fans of all ages. Kids ran around imitating what they saw on the field while fans ranged from screaming about every point to catching up beside a friend.

During our segment on indigenous athletes, I sport was redefined as the glue that holds a community together. For many indigenous people, sport has become a place for identity to be expressed in a public domain. Sport is seen as a vehicle for strengthening and maintaining a healthy community through congregation. Many people think about themselves through sport.

This class has opened my eyes to sport and made me see things in a new light. Now it seems as though everywhere I go, sport seems to follow. Whether as simple as watching people work out in the park during their lunch hour to witnessing the expo and parts of the triathlon this past weekend in Cairns, sport is constantly reinforcing its strong role in Australian culture.

Post 11: Rugby @ Night

Last night, I headed out to Allianz Stadium to watch the Bulldogs play the Roosters. I sat in Bay 34, Roosters Territory, even though I was dressed in blue & white in support of the Bulldogs. The atmosphere of the game was exciting both on the field and off with Roosters fans trash talking our attire and yelling things like “smash him to the ground!” The highlight of the game for me was when there was a bit of a fumble on the Roosters behalf and a Bulldog got the ball, had a break away and scored a touch down. I felt everyone standing up to catch a glimpse of him sprinting down the field.

At half time, young girls came out to dance to the song “Hard Knock Life” in Annie, a popular American musical. At my last Rugby Union experience the half time show was to Grease, another popular American musical. My friends and I wanted to leave 5 minutes early to beat the traffic but noticed that 10 minutes to the end of the match, lots of Roosters fans got up to leave. They decided to leave since it was obvious that they had lost the game. While this rationale makes sense, for me, I would want my fans more than ever if I was hoping to make a comeback. We ended up staying for the victory! The atmosphere of a night game was far different than during the sunny Sunday the last time I went but I thoroughly enjoyed both experiences. And this time my team won!

Post 10: Sport All Around

Today, after a recording session at the Conservatorium, I took the bus from Circular Quay to Newtown. I was sitting with two Australians in my class talking about the differences between AU and the US. Around 12pm we passed Belmore Park and I noticed around 20-30 people working out. I turned to the guys and asked what was going on and they casually responded that people can go to the park and work out during their lunch break and in the middle of the day. People were using weights, ropes, trees, along with various other agents to work out. Everyone had a team or group to work out in. I was amazed and the two Australians were completely unphased. This just shows how sport is truly all around Australia. To me, it’s amazing that anyone can drop by alone or with a group on a beautiful day and get exercise. It was also amazing that these boys didn’t see anything odd about it; to them it just seemed common. I kept asking questions and they seemed genuinely amused by my interest. For me, this emphasized how the culture of Australian sport is so embedded into Australian society, sometimes it’s hard to disconnect the two.

Post 9: Rugby League @ La Perouse

Today I ventured out to La Perouse for the Rugby League match. The atmosphere of this game was very different than the Rugby Union match we went to. I was instantly smiling from the release of balloons, floating bubbles and 20 rugby balls flying through the air. The fields’ circumference was lined with fans. There were no assigned seats or bleachers, many people brought chairs or blankets while others stood or paced as they watched.

It was amazing walking onto the field after seeing the documentary on La Perouse. Watching the scenes from the movie come to life after seeing and hearing about hours of practice at night every day was so surreal. The area was also filled with young kids running around in miniature rugby jerseys imitating what they saw on the field: throwing balls and tackling each other. There were fans of all ages. Some were engaged in the action, yelling and screaming which others came to catch up with friends at a social event.

When the teams broke for halftime kids immediately ran onto the field, rugby balls in hand. Kids of all ages ran whether working on skills and horsing around or throwing and making up games with a competitive nature. A group of boys from our two classes merged together to throw around a rugby ball and run around the field. The energy of the players and crowd was contagious. For me, La Perouse truly represented the community-oriented nature of Australian sport culture.

Post 8: Wheelchair Rugby

Yesterday, we were visted by the cocaptains of the Australian Wheelchair Rugby Team, Cameron and Ryan. They spoke to us about the Paralympics and answered questions about the sport in general. The classification system interested me the most. Each player is given a classification for their level of disability and that number determines their position, the chair they use, and a total of 8 points makes up the line up. I also thought it to be interesting that Wheelchair Rugby is a coed sport and women are automatically deducted .5 points on their classification. At first I didn’t like it but I then understood that consistent with the Australian sport ethos, it is implemented to encourage them into the sport and acknowledge the obvious physical differences. Later on during the lecture we learned about how Paralympic sports have been mainstreamed and are now managed by Athletics AU rather than the Paralympics committee.

A few years ago I went to a wheelchair basketball game in Israel with my high school. At first watching the competition was hard and I didn’t know how to react when someone fell or got hurt. After the competition, we stayed around and were given the opportunity to scrimmage and try and shoot from a wheelchair. It was incredibly challenging but we all had fun. Watching the second match, I felt like I was watching the sport, not cringing when someone tumbled over. Yesterday’s lesson highlighted a unique genre of sport and I hope to get a chance to watch Cameron and Ryan take the Silver (just kidding!) in London 2012.

Post 7: Hiking the Blue Mountains

I spent this past weekend in the Blue Mountains on a class trip for my Learning in Outdoor Education course. Each day, we set out on a bushwalk to experience Australia in a new way. The experiential component of the course made the course. I hiked for hours and my calves and quads, among many other muscles burned. In addition to the spectacular views that surrounded me, the way hikers communicated with one another stood out to me. The leaders on our trip made an effort to greet each person that passed them by. The ages of people hiking through the bush also said a lot about Australian culture. People ranged from large groups of college students, families with kids at about 7-10 and I even saw a 60+ year old man getting a morning work out. The varying ages revealed a lot about Australian culture: sport here is so ingrained in their lifestyle and is practiced throughout their lifespan. The friendly communication I had with other hikers brought me back to the Rugby League game. While there were times when I thought I signed up for a pleasant bush walk, not a grueling ascending 8-hour hike, working hard motivated me and accounted for the sense of accomplishment I am still feeling today.

Post 6: Indigenous & Contemporary Sports: More Similar That You'd Think

This week I began researching traditional aboriginal games for my indigenous sport presentation. While I had originally hoped to find games that evolved into modern day sport, I stumbled upon numerous traditional games that highlight the foundational values of aboriginal culture. While games were created for fitness and entertainment, underlying values were usually present. Those values ranged from honing skills for every day family life (i.e. parenting and family unity) and survival (i.e. hunting and self defense/defending others).

While aboriginal games physical materials are outdated and would most likely be used as a warm up rather than a sport, I couldn’t help but notice similarities between the values in aboriginal and modern day Australian sports. Firstly, centrality around community (whether family or team) is of utmost importance to both cultures. Further, similar to how surf life saving incorporates everyday skills that go beyond the realm of sport, traditional indigenous games incorporated specified skills of their own. While most of contemporary sport today was introduced by the British and had European roots, hints of indigenous culture were sprinkled through the play we see in Australian sport. I believe that the culture that we attribute to modern day Australian sport shares many fundamental aboriginal ideals. This week’s observation showed me how while the rules and regulations were very different, the essentials are very similar.

Post 5: Rugby's Influence Beyond Australia

This past week, I spent Spring Break traveling in Thailand. While Thailand is an extremely poor country, I noticed a television at each place I stayed, more often than not, featuring sports. Quite often, I caught a glimpse of an Australian rugby game or various sporting news in Australia (both old and recent). Even immersed in a new country with a vastly different culture, I was exposed to Australian sport. Kao Sok Road, a famous street in Bangkok sold rugby jerseys. The week before, I attended a Rugby League match. Being in the Australian sport atmosphere actualized what all the hype is about whether in an Australian sports bar, or a 9 hour flight away. The energy of the fans off the field battled the physical energy exuded by the athletes on the field. The match I saw was between the West Tigers versus the Rabbitohs. I personally was rooting for the West Tigers whose “home team” was located at the other end of Allianz Stadium. While at first my team was up by a lot, the game went into overtime after a comeback from the Rabbitohs. The passionate Rabbitohs fans behind me could not keep their composure (nor were they trying to). Fans bonded with other fans of all ages and the excitement was contagious. In short, not that I’ve been to a rugby game I feel like another piece of the Australian sporting culture puzzle has been found. I now understand why rugby jerseys are sold worldwide and am looking into a Tigers jersey as a souvenir for my brother.

Post 4: First Surf Experience!

Today I had my first surfing experience. At 11:20 I met my instructor and was given a wetsuit and shirt and walked to the beach where a board was waiting for me and the five other people in my group. The group consisted of myself and my 3 friends and two younger kids from Cairns. My instructor, Blake, first gave some background information about how beaches work by drawing a “map” in the sand with rips and sandbars, etc. After a few questions about beach safety, we were instructed to lie down on our boards with our toes against the edge. We then lied down on the board and put out hands and arms close to our ribs. We attempted "paddling" in this awkward position of keeping out chest and head up and then pushed our upper body completely up when he told us to. The next step was the pick up our hips as well. After about 5 tries, he took us to the ocean to try out these skills. Blake pushed us forward for the first few runs and we tried to remain balanced by moving our upper arms.

After our first few runs, we came back to the sand and were taught how to stand up. First we jumped onto the board to see which leg should be our backleg. We then practiced lying down, picking up first our upper body, then hips, and standing up back leg first and front crossing over while looking forward the whole time. We went to the ocean, further out and further away from the rip that kept pulling us to incorporate our new knowledge. I stood up on my second try and took the wave all the way to the sand when I realized I didn’t know how to stop riding the wave I suddenly fell off it. I took 4 more tries, two of which where my board nose-dived and the others I stood up. The first few times, standing up was automatic. After being knocked around a couple of times by a rough wave and being smacked into by my board or run into by other inexperienced surfers, I became more cautious. I began to wait longer before I stood up and hold the board tighter. This was not the same of the younger kids. No matter how many times they fell down, they turned around and stood up like it was the first time. I don’t know if it’s the fearlessness that goes with their young age or the fact that they are Australian, simply born into the surf culture but the difference was apparent. We went back to the sand to learn our last technique: steering with our upper body and directing the board. Putting it all together in under two hours felt incredibly satisfying. I jumped onto the board, paddled, picked myself up and rode my last wave all the way in smiling because despite a few bruises and too much water in my nose, I did it!

Post 3: Lawn Bowls Impressions

This week, I attempted Lawn Bowling for the first time. When I arrived, I was among the first 5 there. The boys began explaining how the game is similar to Bocce (another game I’ve never played). After Steve instructed us to each have a practice toss, the boys quickly abandoned their original impression of the sport. Lawn bowling was very laid back but at the same time oddly competitive. The games intricacies immediately shed any comparison I would have made to the bowling I know. Lawn bowling is a game of strategy. At each point, I would survey the field to see where the balls lay and determine whether I wish to block my opponents, hit their balls or the white ball away, get close to the ball, or if I’m really lucky, “kiss the jack.” The “jack” is the white ball you aim for. Additionally, the balls you are aiming with are weighted and shaped in a way that you can control where it will spin to and at which angle, based on the strength or your toss, direction of your toss, and the way you hold the ball.

One element of the game that threw me off every time was how easily a player can throw a ball and with one hit, completely change the dynamics of the game. On two occasions, my teammate, Jason and I were up by 3 and 4 points when the opposing team threw the final toss, hitting the white ball and sending it away from our balls - changing the entire came. Lawn Bowling felt very sophisticated. When I first arrived at 2pm, there were few people there. By 3/3:30pm, however, there were large groups of people mostly relaxing and casually drinking. The Bowling Centre was conveniently located in Gladstone Park, a beautiful area near to public transportation and the town. This sport seems like a perfect activity for a relaxing Sunday. It is a game of knowing your own power and strength and knowing how to allocate it. It is also a game of strategy. Lastly, standing out in the sun for two matches straight which each lasted over an hour was physically draining on its own! Overall, I had a very enjoyable first lawn bowling experience and I know it won’t be my last!

Post 2: Impressions of thrill seeking and individual sport

As an American, Australia has always been the extreme sports capitol of the world for me. This past weekend I traveled to Gold Coast and Byron Bay with friends and found myself tied to the two of them on a bungee swing and strapped to a complete stranger jumping out of a plane. Both situations made my stomach a little queasy but were unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. For the three weeks I’ve been in Australia, I’ve noticed sport almost everywhere I go. My long weekend was no different. When I asked locals what there is to do in Queensland, instead of giving me names of museums or tours I was told to check out the water park, skydiving, various hikes and beach activities such as kayaking, surfing, etc.

While I know skydiving and bungee jumping are not the norm, the fact that even extreme sports are so common and accessible shows the great impact sport has on Australian culture. These extreme sports also highlighted some aspects of individual sport for me. The sports I partook in did not revolve around competition or being the best, rather, achieving personal goals and leaping outside my comfort zone. These sports entailed challenges different than physical fitness. The mentality of individual sport that I witnessed seemed similar to the sentiment classmates expressed in class about the Nippers trip. Individuals cheered each other on and focused on self-improvement whether engaging in sport for yourself, your team or your community at large. What I found most interesting though, is the similarities of descriptions I have to depict my personal experiences compared to my classmates' portrayal of the Nippers scene this weekend. Overall, my extreme sport experience was surreal and the adrenaline rush was irreplicable.

First Post: First Impressions and MOOMBA

My first week in Australia I was overwhelmed by talk of Rugby (TV, radio, live games, etc.), cricket, and various sporting events notable to Australia that Americans wanted to immerse themselves in. This weekend, I saw the culture of Australian sports from a different angle. I visited Melbourne during MOOMBA, a festival that hosts a multitude of sports competitions. The main features were Birdman, Waterskiing, and Skate. I sat on the Yarra River, watching both males and females compete in Waterskiing. My initial thoughts were that it was a relatively cold day (for Australia) and a muddy river. Despite these obvious negatives, the competition drew a large crowd of tourists, locals and sports fanatics. The commentators spoke on a loudspeaker that anyone could hear – including the athlete themselves. This stood out to me since from my knowledge commentators are seen on a screen, not critiquing over a multi speaker system. As an outsider, it seems as though Australian sports and American sports face difference challenges and obstacles both obvious such as monetary and weather conditions and more specific based on genre of sport.

So far, I have found it impossible to find an Australian who has no opinion on sport whatsoever. Sports seem so deeply embedded in their culture and everyday life, whether rooting for the Bulldogs or playing for their school or community. The mere location of the MOOMBA festival: the Yarra River, so central and open to the public, illustrated how sport ties into every day life. Australian sport has already carried into my personal life as I pass athletes running on the field or shuffling on a court nearly every day. Each night when I make dinner in the communal kitchen, a sports game is playing with a sizable crowd. I am looking forward to learning more about sport both inside the classroom, and on the field. I am also looking forward to seeing how my personal impressions of Australian sport develop throughout the semester as I leap outside my comfort zone to experience the Australian sport culture first hand.

Trending Blogs

Recently Viewed Blogs

Erica's Sport and Learning Blog