This is my hometown. As a chubby cheeked, girl I sat in the stands at Reed Gym with my family. I was four-years-old, the first time I attended an ISU volleyball game. I remember blushing at the art lining the walls at the entrance before shuffling inside, the faint sweet scent of the aged gym mixed with the warm salty aroma of popcorn, the squeak of sneakers on the floor, and squirming with excitement as t-shirts were lobbed into the crowd. I remember the fluid emotions of the crowd, cheering as the ball soared over the blockers and fell on the opposition and a desolate silence as the ball toppled in our court. I admired the women as they jumped to spike the ball and as they crashed to their knees unable to contact the ball. I remember begging to return, but I can't recall the wins or losses.
Nor do I recall any expectation of failure from the crowd, however, the expectation of failure seems unavoidable to me now. I hear remarks on campus, such as, "I'd go to a game, if they'd win." I can't imagine that such comments and attitudes go unnoticed by our athletes. It must be disheartening to embrace an athletic career with a foreshadowing of doom lurking over. Moreover, I'm not sure all the cynicism is warranted.
I believe the ISU football team has fallen victim to numerous, consecutive poorly played seasons, as well as some landslide defeats. The ISU men's basketball also seem to have suffered some historically poor seasons. I believe this has been discouraging to both the fans and athletes. Moreover, I believe some poor behavior from the male athletes further disheartened the community. The community, however, just seems to be waiting and hoping for a turn around.
It also seems that some defeats in the more publicized sports are preventing the campus community from realizing the strengths of other athletic programs. As a campus, we seem quick to forget some of our successes- winning the 2006 Governor's Cup, producing an Olympic Gold Medalist, and numerous impressive athletic careers. For instance, Natalie Doma who is currently posting some attention-grabbing stats.
For me the thrill of the game isn't in the end result, but in the play of the game. I enjoy watching the mental and physical prowess athletes display. I also have an immense respect for any person brave enough to step into the public realm and compete.
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4 comments:
I'm with Melinda on the respect for the athletes. I know that I could never do what they are doing every day. Also, for me it's not about the victory. Instead it's about the experience.
In high school I was in sports med. Being there in the middle of the action was a thrill. I don't even remember the games lost or won - I remember the experience of being on the sidelines.
I think that it difficult to be critical of something that hasn't been experienced by the critic. No one knows how difficult it may be to play ISU althetics until they are there. The closest that I can get to this is by interviewing and standing on the sidelines once again, thrilling in the game!
Respect is great, but as far as your comment to me on declaring our lady bengals, "lady bengals," I honestly don't understand why that would be thought as trite. What would you, respected editor in my mind, prefer me to label them? Female bengals perhaps? Or maybe opposite gender? What do you think?
I think I'd like to answer Zach's question. I think both Melinda and Zach are correct. In some situations teams use the Lady with pride and other teams who see it as an attempt to separate the sexes and even imply separate class. Tennessee proudly calls themselves the Lady Vols for example. I think the answer for sports writers is to ask the teams and coaches how they would like to be referred too. If a school's mascot is the Bengals then aren't men and women both equally Bengals? I'm glad you brought this issue up as it is not an easy one to determine.
At Idaho State, all teams are considered "Bengals". At my last school, all teams were "Jaguars", unless their were reciprocal sports, like men's basketball was the Jaguars but women's basketball was the Lady Jaguars. Women's volleyball was just the Jaguars. Mostly, it's whatever the school dictates (we actually have a paragraph in our releases and media guides stating that we are all Bengals).
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