Reflection

In this last blog entry I will reflect on my experiences with Australian sports and culture over the semester. I have had the opportunity to experience a variety of sports unique to Australia, either by origin or by style of play. I have been able to participate in many of these sports, thus furthering my experience and allowing me to better understand the culture of Australia.

Some of the first sports I encountered here in Australia were beach and water sports. Among these is perhaps the most popular water sport in Australia - surfing. I was fortunate enough to participate in surfing lessons at Manly beach on one of my first weekends in Sydney. Although I did not blog about this, it gave me a background and appreciation for the sport before I attended the Boost Mobile SurfSho at Bondi beach. Filled with tourists and local fans alike, the beach was crowded with activities and excited people to watch the world's best compete. It was especially new for me as surfing is not popular where I am from in the Mountains of the United States. This was also a competition that was primarily in place for the fans. Although I am sure there was competition among the participants, it was more for fun than the prize. This can be used as a good lesson for youth fans. Without stress placed on the participants to win, it can show kids how sometimes it is good just to compete for fun even at the highest level of the sport.

This led me next to sailing and snorkeling, which are two other water sports in Australia that are unique in the way I experienced them. Although typically not thought of as competitive, sailing can be a very intense and challenging sport as well as a recreational hobby. I have had many opportunities to sail and snorkel in multiple places here in Australia, although only as a hobby primarily. The water is some of the best in the world, especially around the Great Barrier Reef. I took a trip around parts of the reef in the Whitsunday Islands, both in and out of the water, which showed me why these sports could be so attractive for someone to want to compete in. There are many factors that go into the challenging sport of sailing. I have met a world class captain on the trip and many university competitors as part of the Sydney Uni Sailing Club. My experiences with them have allowed me to understand how difficult the sport can be and to not take for granted even the physical and mental aspects that are necessary for racing competitively. This has driven me to explore the possibility of competing in sailing in the future.

The next few sports that I was able to view are best looked at in combination. These include Rugby League, Rugby Union, and Australian Rules Football (AFL). I saw each of these sports in the order above, which was great because I liked each next one better than the previous. Starting with Rugby League, I saw the Roosters play in Sydney Football Stadium. This was my first experience of this sport in any form and it was an exciting match. By not knowing much about the rules, I was fortunately able to watch the game and fans to learn much about the sport. It was a day filled with beer drinking fans, but with specific alcohol-free zones the children in the crowd were still able to get a sheltered viewing of the game. This allowed them to still interact and learn the rules of the game with some more sheltering from the drunken behavior. Overall, the event was well-organized and it ended up with a great result for Sydney, winning handily at 24-6.

The Rugby Union game I saw (Waratahs vs. Western Force) was a much closer game, which is perhaps why I found it more exciting. I have also had some experience watching this style of rugby in the U.S. With a more open and free style of play, this allowed for some quicker and unexpected transitions in the game, thus increasing the excitement. By the end of the match, however, even with the 'Tahs down in the score, they used their size advantage to slowly push through the defense again and again until they scored. It seemed as if the fans were expecting this to happen,which took some of the excitement out of the sport for me. This final drive at the end for the win also made me realize how important size and strength is in some sports, compared to skill in others. In Australian sports, there is a good mix of similar sports here that allow players to maximize their success by choosing the one that suits them best. This is great for youth participants especially, as success is a huge reason for them building confidence and continuing with sports and fitness throughout their life. This is again shown in AFL, which I personally found to be the most exciting of the three. Being known for much more high scoring and wide open matches, although the players are not as big it can certainly get just as physical when the game is on the line. This intensity shown in all three footy sports is a huge testament to the importance of sports in Australia. As consistent with the Uni Rugby match I watched, Australians take their sports (footy especially) very seriously. The uni supporters provide an example of the pride that Australians take in the success of the players and teams they support.

This example of pride can be seen in the sports I participated in as well, including casual basketball and soccer in Sydney. With casual basketball, I play against many local Aussies and this intensity and desire to win comes through when we play. However, with the soccer, it is mostly Europeans that I play against, which creates a much more laid back style of play. Both are fun for me, but on different levels. This has taught me that there is a time and a place for everything and sometimes it is good just to play for fun. In the lawn bowls field trip (minus the rain), it was fun just to have a relaxed time playing, but with a competitive spirit. Also as noted in my blog about the youth soccer and rugby practices, it is good that the kids get to choose what they want to play without the stress of parents pushing them to succeed. However, the coaches do keep a good level of discipline in order to allow the kids to develop and improve as well. These experiences have given me a new outlook on sports as a whole, and helped me to understand their role in Australian culture. By no means will this be the end of my development, as I hope to continue to learn and study sports in my own culture more in depth when I return.

Snorkeling and Diving in Australia

Australia is fortunate to have some of the best places in the world for snorkeling and diving in the ocean. The Great Barrier Reef, being one of the seven wonders of the world, is the primary spot for this adventurous activity. I have had the opportunity to meet several experienced deep sea divers on a trip up the coast and many amateurs as well. This was the first time I got the chance to experience the sport of snorkeling and diving, but I would love to go again if I had the opportunity.


My chance to snorkel was on a sailing trip in the Whitsunday Islands, near Airlie Beach which is located on the southern end of the reef. I initially expected the experience to be casual, but it was much more rigorous that I thought. Being out in the ocean, there was much to see, but also the current and waves keep you on your toes. If you weren't careful enough, you could easily be drifted into the reef and cause damage to yourself and the reef itself. This required much energy and experience in the water was beneficial. The experts that I met were divers as well and they said that they spent every day out in the water in some way or another. I believe this lifestyle of living and utilizing the water/ocean in multiple ways is what makes Australian sports unique. There are people everywhere you go that live this lifestyle and it makes for great sports and entertainment, whether professional such as surfing or recreational such as snorkeling and diving.

AFL match between Sydney Swans and Hawthorne Hawks

The event was shaping up to be an exciting match for myself, as I have been anxious to watch AFL live more than any other sport here in Australia. However, I was not expecting the Sydney Cricket Grounds to be as nice of a venue as it was. Compared to the ANZ Football Stadium next door, it was not as modern but the older structure left a more traditional atmosphere in the air as I walked in. This only heightened my excitement for the start of the match. Since it was family day on this Sunday afternoon, there were many youth spectators amongst the crowd. Almost every one of them that I saw was adorning the red and white colours of the Swans home jerseys. Waving their flags and noise-makers, the kids may have even been more excited than I was to be out here at the match on such a beautiful day in Sydney.

The participation of the adults, however, varied throughout the stadium. There were the rowdy and crazy fans who attended every match sitting in one section in particular. I spoke with one man who lives in Melbourne and I learned that he travelled to every single match in the season, no matter where in the country. This reminded me of some American Football fans I know from the U.S., which can put into perspective how important this sport is for many people in this country. Other adults in attendance were the parents and grandparents of the children here for family day and then many students and others just looking to watch a good football match on a Sunday afternoon. No matter what type of fan they were, almost everyone was joining in with the cheers and boos in response to the game. This was especially noticeable in the second half. As the Swans started losing by a large margin, everyone in the stadium seemed to be getting upset and lose their spirit. Although it was still a great match and a great day, some of the excitement was certainly lost in the air as the Hawks doubled our score in the third quarter. Nonetheless, the fast-paced nature of AFL leaves it as my favourite type of Australian footy without any doubt.

Youth Sport Practices at St. John's College fields

I have been at St. John's College over the past couple months to practice soccer and while I am there I have stayed around to watch various youth organizations practice organized sports out on the field. Primary and secondary school children of all ages are out every day playing soccer and rugby on the fields under the supervision of several adult coaches. There are girls and boys playing both of the sports as well, although rugby is more male-dominated.

This is contrary to primary school from where I grew up. In order to play soccer, I had to pay money to join a community recreational team or pay more for a club team (in order to get more competitiveness). However, these children seem to be part of an after school program that buses them to the fields a few times a week to practice. I have had this experience through high school, but not before that. I think it is a great opportunity for kids to improve many aspects of their life. The most obvious one is their athletics and fitness, which is good to keep kids active and living a healthy lifestyle. Also they are improving their social skills and making more friends (hopefully) within a structured manner. This is one thing that I wish was implemented more within the U.S. education system, as kids would stay out of trouble more and hopefully get in the habit of daily exercise and discipline.

Friday Night Footy at Sydney Uni

I attended the matches at the oval on campus a couple weeks ago (May 6th I believe). I had been anxious to see some rugby at the university level and the free beer and pizza just sealed the deal. The first match was an all-star match I believe between Australia and New Zealand, while the headline game was with more local players (Sydney Uni First 15 against the Northern Suburbs). The atmosphere initially entering the stadium was one similar to that of rugby matches I have attended at my home university with the parents and families in the stands and the students out in the fields partying. Although there are usually less fans in the U.S., it was still a relaxed, but exciting atmosphere to be in.

When I gathered around the other uni students, I noticed there seemed to be many separate groups between them which I found to be interesting. As I joined one of the groups, I found that it was the separate colleges that were in their own areas. As I asked each members from the groups who the best players were, they all had their own opinions (which were inherently biased). The St. John's crew all believed that the players from their college were the best and this trend continued throughout the other colleges. Although it was clear that there were a few more dominant players than others, I found that it was much more of a team sport than I initially thought. The whole team had to do their jobs together and come together in order to succeed. Although they may have come from different places, (especially in the Australia vs. New Zealand game) they had to put those differences aside for the benefit of the team. Even if the fans were separated, the players had to join together.

HSBC Waratahs vs. Western Force

Last Saturday (May 7th) I attended my first rugby union football game in Australia between the Waratahs and the Force at Sydney Stadium. At first glance, I anticipated the game to be very slow-paced and dependent on size. Later I would find out that I was half correct about this statement. There were many more fans than I had expected to see on a Saturday night and the atmosphere in the stadium was very exciting. Fans of all types were present including season veterans, families, and even just people looking for a good night out with the guys (myself included in this category). One thing I did notice compared to the rugby league match I attended (Roosters) was that there seemed to be a huge mix of people together. By this I mean that the fan sections did not seem as divided and there was not as big of a (drunk) crazy home fan section. This could have just been because it was a night game compared to a day one or that the sport just was not as popular among that group of people.

In contrast to what I expected about the pace of the game, it was much more brutal and exciting than I previously thought. The organization was a free-for-all in some respects compared to rugby league. I found it more exciting as the possession changed much more often and unexpectedly too. However, this system made it more difficult to score a try, and much of the early points were scored only via penalty kicks. This worked against the Waratahs (whom I was routing for), even though I found them to be a more athletic and talented squad. Towards the end of the game, however, is when they started to get down to business. As they were the bigger team with more muscle, the Waratahs just pushed through the Force with everything they had in order to make sure they got the try they needed. They were done messing around with skill and just pushed through with brute force. This amazed me and made me realize how all along the fans were almost expecting and waiting this to happen. It took something out of the experience for me with regards to the competition aspect, but I still had a great time at the game regardless. I am excited to see the "Aussie Rules" football, or AFL next week to bring the final comparison to an end. I anticipate this being my favorite of all three from the short bits I have seen and what I have learned in class.

Competitive and Recreational Sailing in Australia

I have had several chances to experience sailing in Australia this semester. I joined the Sydney Uni Sailing Club right from the start, as I have always wanted to learn how to sail and possibly even compete. Weekend trips, along with a separate sailing trip in the Whitsundays, has taught me several things about sailing and especially that it is a very challenging sport to do well.

As a member of the uni sailing club, I have been able to meet people from all types of backgrounds that participate on the team. Some people are there just for fun with little or no experience, while others have been sailing their whole lives and compete on a regular basis. Either way, there is no doubt in my mind that everyone involved enjoys the thrill of sweeping across the water with the wind at their backs. Sailing is not as popular in the U.S. as it is here. I believe it is more for the wealthy, since boats are fairly expensive to obtain.

All of the sailing I have experienced thus far has been purely recreational, although I have had a chance to sail with a world class captain on a (previously) world-class boat in the Whitsundays. Even though the weather was considered by most as 'too windy' for sailing, we pulled up the massive sail and cruised through the water. I watched him as he instructed the crew to make minor adjustments that kept us almost sideways to catch as much wind as possible. I, like many others on the boat, thought we were going to tip several times but it was clear that this guy had control the whole time. Sailing is one sport especially where experience trumps athleticism as far as being a captain goes. However, with regards to the crew, they must be very strong to be able to perform many of the tasks that must be completed in order to make constant minor adjustments. It was after this experience that I realize how much I would like to take my recreational experiences and learn how to sail competitively.

Sydney Roosters vs. West Tigers

I attended my first National Rugby League match this past weekend; it was a tie between Sydney Roosters and West Tigers. I was on the side of the roosters, being that this was the team that most locals in the area cheer for. It was a very exciting match and there were many things about it that will spur me to go again. The facility was the first reason; it was fairly large and once I was in, I could (relatively) sit wherever i wanted. This was a nice change compared to most professional sports in America, where fans are designated to specific seats (often regulated very rigorously). Also, with the cheap price for a ticket ($20) I will definitely be at more matches this season.

The crowd at the competition was very intense, and did not hesitate to state their opinions of the officiating. This was more familiar to the way things are in the states. With the combination of beer and strong opinions, it got pretty rowdy in the stands. This was not discouraging, however it was actually nice to be able to keep involved in the match without knowing all of the specific rules. I was able to just follow the crowd and learn more about the sport.

The children present at the event also seemed to be having a good time. They looked up to their parents and even tried to imitate their cheers to some extent. This could be said as being a bad influence, however I do not believe it was. There were specific sections in the stadium that were alcohol free, which is perfect for parents to take their younger kids for a more sheltered viewing. This allowed them to still enjoy the match without having as much risk for their kids to develop bad behaviors. Overall the day was a success as the Roosters took the match handily with a score of 24-6.

Lawn Bowls - A Popular Sport in the Future?

Before arriving for lawn bowling, I admit I did not really know what to expect. I had a faint expectation of playing boccie ball, which is popular among elder relatives of mine back home. I would sum up lawn bowls as a more structured form of boccie, however, and much more competitive (being as it is played as a sport and not just for recreation). Overall, the sport involves a significant amount of concentration and being able to repeat a similar motion in an identical fashion time after time. It is not a sport that requires a high amount of athleticism and at the higher levels it is more strategy than athleticism in my opinion. For the sake of our competition, however it really was more about fun and learning the basics than anything.

I can understand how it is considered a sport in which (generally) one gets better with age. It has not historically been a popular youth sport. However, in recent years the popularity has grown for several reasons. One is that it can be played competitively from teenagers all the way to people in their 90's. With it also being non-contact, this allows for a competition to develop between multiple generations. Also, since it is generally just fun to play, I can see this sport becoming a popular recreational sport in many more countries in the future. I do not see the sport reaching global popularity as being a top "spectator sport", however primarily because it does lack contact. It is fun to play for sure; nevertheless, it is not as exciting to watch in my opinion. For this reason, I do not see it reaching high popularity past recreational purposes.

Casual Soccer and Basketball in Sydney

I have recently partaken in several games of pick-up or casual soccer and basketball with students and locals from the area. Many of the students for soccer are in a similar situation as me, where we play at our home uni's but do not want to pay $400 to play for the uni squad here. For me, I not only use casual soccer to work on my skills and keep my touch on the ball but also for fun because I love the game. There are many students and locals that just come out to play with us for fun too.

For pick-up soccer, we have created an online group so that we can organize events that most everyone can come to. Usually it works out for us to play at least twice per week and  we get enough for two full teams. As the name implies, the structure is very laid back and nobody gets too intense with fouling or arguing about rules. Everyone is there for pretty much the same reasons and nobody really worries about the score.

My experience with pick-up basketball, however is somewhat different. I have only gone a few times, but my friends and I just try to get five players together (enough for one team) and then head over to a nearby park. When we get there, we warm-up a little and within 10-15 minutes a group of local guys come around and we challenge them to a game. The games usually get pretty intense and the locals especially get into fouling and playing a little cheap. However, it never gets too bad where anyone gets hurt and they are fairly chill about stopping the game to solve a quick issue (foul, injury, etc.).

As the majority of players come from various parts of the world, sports are a good way for us to relate to each other and come together as a team. Even though many of the players speak broken English or have different accents, casual soccer and basketball (among other sports) allow us to communicate to each other in various ways through the game. This has been a great experience and way for me to meet new people and enjoy some good exercise too. I think when sports are structured in a casual manner such as this, it allows other people (especially youth athletes) to enjoy the same experiences and meet new people just as I have.

Boost Mobile SurfSho at Bondi Beach

  They had massive tents set up, with advertisements crawling all over the beach. Some of the advertisments include tents with competitions for prizes, a big screen with replays and commercials playing (shown above), and even people walking around as advertisements (Blackberry phone, Red Bull ladies, etc.). There were even advertisements on people walking down the beach with wetsuits and bikini's on. For such a massive amount of people present (several thousand), I am sure it was a good promotion opportunity for all of the sponsors present.

   There were a variety of people present at the show including kids, genuine fans, tourists, and even locals who were just out to catch some rays (shown above). Everyone got involved with the cheering and supporting the surfers when they performed a gnarly trick or even just an attempt. The participation level varied from old to young, male to female. All participants were professional (or very skilled wildcard) world-class competitors. With all of the sponsors and fans present, especially the youth crowd and competitors, it showed me how important surfing is to Australian culture. The fact that younger competitors are endorsed by big name company's provides others in the country (especially youth) to aspire to be like them. Overall, the crowd had a positive participation. There were of course some die-hard fans that would yell out every hour or so, but the majority of people were just looking for a good show. No arguments or fights of any kinds developed; it was really just a great opportunity for people of all ages and surfing knowledge to get together and appreciate a friendly show.
   This was different to most youth sports that I am familiar with in the U.S. We generally do not have individual sports sponsored at such a high level as surfing is here. It is usually a team that is endorsed, so seeing 10 year old kids endorsing advertisements is somewhat new to me. The skills of these youth competitors was world-class, too. However, as suggested by the name, it was more of a show than competition. Even though there was a prize for the men's group, all of the youth participants were there just to put on a show for the crowd. Therefore, there wasn't any stress put on them to win anything (although perhaps a bit of rivalry between them to do the best trick). This was good because there weren't any fans or coaches pushing them to win anything. They had about an hour or so out on the water to pretty much express themselves and their style. This made the competition strictly Australian for me in a way because of how relaxed the atmosphere was. Since no pressure was placed on winning, it was nice to watch youth competitors at the highest level compete just for fun.
   I believe that some social and cultural learning was achieved for much of the crowd at the show. Especially for us foreign members; I think we all learned that it can still be fun to watch a competition without much stress placed on winning. This can translate into a valuable lesson for primary school education, if they were to have events like this. They could see how it is okay to just compete for fun, even at the top level of competition. This would benefit their learning with regards to sports competitions and overall life outlook. A possible negative effect, however which should be monitored, is that kids could take this relaxed competition style and translate it into other aspects of their life (that should be taken seriously). This could be detrimental if they lived their entire lifestyle this way. Although, as far as sports learning is concerned, this could be a beneficial lesson for kids to learn.