SP#15 - "Final Reflections"

Prior to taking this course, my perception of US sport was one created and highly influenced by the media and those around me. I was never really interested in the social constructions and issues in the sports world and this course really brought insight on the realities of the sports world. Understanding the US sports culture has changed my views and opinions on sports dramatically changed through taking this class, mostly because I was not aware of the many different issues and injustices that take place in the sports world and how it affects not only the life of an athlete, but the team and the sport as a whole. I think as viewers/ fans, we often take for granted the life and performance of an athlete and construct ideas of how they should perform, but we cease to realize the severities of cases some athletes go through off the field. One of the most interesting topics we talked about this semester was the athlete identities, able bodies. It was very surprising to me to realize how little acknowledgement these athletes receive in the American culture, especially during Olympic events, I believe that as a country that offers equality for all, we should put more effort in being just and fair with all athletes. This course will definitely trigger me to ask more critical questions about the US sports world and I will be able to have deeper perspectives on many topics. I think that this class served as a close study to the social constructions of people in sports, being able to think critically and outside of the box will help me in my career in criminal justice as it will remind me to think of things from different angles. I would definitely recommend this class to a friend as it helps you develop and create critical thinking skills, and teaches you a lot about the sports world, knowledge that is very often overlooked.