Reflection On Football Observation

For my observation, I chose to spend an afternoon watching a football practice. I felt it was a good choice because I had never paid attention to any of the behind the scenes work put in by the boys. Instead, I had only been exposed to what they did during game times. My original report detailed all that I saw. The boys took turns running plays until the coach called for them to run. In between these events, the players stopped to question me. In the detailed observation I submitted, I included analysis when all that was required was observation. For example, in my introduction I say, “The players glance back curiously, some lifting their helmets, exposing their sweaty faces.” Including that their looks were ‘curious’ provided readers with …show more content…
She began open dialogue with the players she was familiar with about things not pertaining to the observation. It escalated to one of the boys jokingly threatening to throw water on me, even going as far as offering to pay any of the other boys present 15 dollars if they were brave enough to do it. While the playfulness of the players might be common when they enact their practice rituals, my presence only serves as an outlet for them to deviate from their norms. However, through this interaction, I was able to engage in more of a participant observation by joining in on their fun. Through this, I got a feel of the culture surrounding football and the fictive kinship ties that have been formed between the players. Despite not being related by blood save for a few small cases, the boys interact so closely with one another you would think they are related. In fact, many of them refer to the other members of the team affectionately, using affectionate terms such as ‘bro’ or ‘family’ when referring to one another. This language pushes familial narratives and helps the boys play better as a