Friday, February 20, 2009
Week 5: Connecting Concentration Areas
My two concentration areas of Sociology and Family Studies will be the focus of this blog and how they apply to my work. I have taken a sports specific sociology class in SOC 220, Sports in Society. This is an obvious correlation between my internship organization and my concentration. According to Jay Coakley, author of Sports and Society: Issues and Controversies (SOC 220 textbook), sports are connected to major spheres of social life including politics, family, the economy, the media, education, and religion. “[Sports] are why some people get out of bed. Sports define many of us. Some superstars command as much attention as heads of state and other leaders. Whether you weigh the good or bad of it – it’s a fact” (Bob Davis, vice-president, American Program Bureau, 1999). My work with Excel Sports will give me the opportunity to learn about how sports impact the lives of the families I will be working with. Some families may be more passionate about the sports than others. With the economy struggling presently, it will be interesting to learn about sports and its impact on the local economy and vice versa. While promoting, I will learn about how important people think sports are in a down economy and if they will still pay for their kids to have a sporting experience. Using an Interactionist Theory perspective in my work with Excel Sports I will attempt to answer the following questions: what are the social processes through which people become involved in sports? How do people come to define themselves and be defined by others as athletes? Finally, how do people give meaning and derive meaning from their experiences in sports? (Coakley, 2008). The Family Studies concentration yields correlations to my internship as well. I have taken many Child Development (CDE 220), and Human Development classes under my FAS concentration. I will be able to observe the physical development of children as young as four, and I will also observe the development of kids as old as seventeen. Laura E. Berk lists specific aspects of physical or motor development in her book Development Through the Lifespan: flexibility, balance, agility, and force are all skills that are better developed in the age group I will be working with. I will also be able to observe sex differences in middle childhood because Excel Sports works with both boys and girls. Cognitive development will also be on display with the kids I work with. I will see how well they process the instructions I give them as a coach. This can be illustrated in Piaget’s concrete operational stage which initially takes place around 7 to 11 years of age: “this marks a major turning point in cognitive development. Thought is far more logical, flexible, and organized than it was earlier” (Berk, 2007). I will be able to apply my learning of child development to my coaching and teaching duties through my interactions with the kids I am working with, and because I am working with kids of varying ages, I will be able to observe the different stages at which physical and cognitive development takes place. I hope you enjoyed the brief look into my concentrations and their theories and how they are being applied.
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Kellen, I found your week 5 very interesting. I agree that sports are a true part of growing up and life in general. This plays a huge role in social life as you stated from Jay Coakley's article. It is good to know that you realize the current economical crisis and are looking deeper into how sports are being impacted. Observing a child's life can be very fascinating and since you are interested in this I think you will really enjoy your studies. Applying what you have learned will help you to better understand exactly how to better couch and teach children. Since you seem to be a sports fanatic there is no doubt that you will do great in this field. Enjoy the rest of your internship.
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Hi Kellen,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your concepts and theories. I agree with you when you indicated that sports are connected to major spheres of social life. Sports are an integral part of life for youth growing up and can definitely define us. Sports enhance a positive health behavior in us all. I can imagine that you will see an impact on sports with our current economy because some sports can be very costly. When I was a kid, I was involved in a track club that greatly benefited my youth. The sense of belonging to an organization that gave me the opportunity to succeed and meet and interact with a diverse group of people was one the best things I remember in my youth. My coaches were wonderful motivators and believed me which helped me define myself as always wanting to improve and strive to do better in everything I encountered. It sounds like you are really applying your knowledge and skills at your internship. Best of luck to you there.
Hi Kellen, I think that what you are doing with sports and families is very good. I am not a fan of watching sports, but I do see the value in playing sports. Children especially can benefit greatly from being involved in sports. It can build teamwork, trust, and friendship, which is so important during the adolescent years. I think you will learn so much from this experience, especially since the ages of the children are on a wide spectrum. It is very true that sports can assist in cognitive and physical development, but what’s really great is that you can get see it happen. At my internship, when the kids play sports, I can see how they rely on each other and how much good teamwork affects them. Many of the kids that I work with are range from age seven to 11, so Piaget’s concrete operational stage does make a lot of sense. I think that children should always be involved in sports and I hope that a lot of families will continue to put their children in sports activities because of what you have to offer them.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you have put your internship in somewhat of a current prospective. I am sure that you will have a much different experience interning at a time when the economy is down and people are making decisions about what is important in their lives. I can appreciate how you are able to incorporate Piaget's operational stages into your internship. I believe that sports and other recreational activities that involve kinetics are an essential part of a child's development. With the decline of physical education programs in some schools, recreational sports become that much more essential to a child's life. Not only do such activities help improve physical stamina (as well as aid in the burning of an excess of youthful energy)it also improves self-esteem. I believe what you are doing is incredibly important for children and congratulations on such a rewarding internship!
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