i need help fep

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Mason Packer

08/07/2024

Sports in Society

Field Notes on Observed Youth 7-on-7 Football Game

Date: 4th August 2024,

Time: 1:00 PM

Location: Vancouver Washington

Weather Conditions: Sunny, slightly windy, and around 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

The selected activity that will be observed is a youth 7-on-7 football game with two

teams of young football players from the community within a competitive youth football league

in the city. The version of football characterized by high speed and focus on talent usually

refers to players not older than 14 years. The game would be scheduled for a weekend with

many people who would likely attend the event, such as families, friends, and other members of

the society in places such as a public park.

Main Focus

Therefore, the behavior of a given set of people, including the parents, the coaches, and

other community members when at the game, will be of prime interest. As it is clear that

players’ actions are essential on the field, off-the-field actions and outcomes of spectators and

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coaches are equally important in developing a sense of community. These interactions build the

support structure, sense of community, and cultural practices within the distinct geographical

locality. Studying these dynamics reveals how and why youth sports function as models of the

overall social order.

The 7-on-7 football was played in a park environment on a football field. The field was

outlined and numbered with white chalk, which included end zones and yards, but the field was

not as big as an actual football field due to the kind of football being played, the 7-on-7

football. The lawn was neatly manicured with a slightly faded color in some parts, most

probably because of the number of people who trod on it.

The park, which itself was a congregation place of sorts, a play area, and a small pond

surrounding it. Beside it, there were benches and picnic tables for the people to stay all together,

some of which were occupied before the game began. Some trees, under which several parents

accompanied by their young and tiny siblings, watched from a distance as the game proceeded.

The field had two small goalposts, one at each terminal end. Of course, there were no

bleachers in the field, so most viewers either preferred standing or bringing their own

collapsible chairs. Cones were placed in the line, and players’ equipment, including water,

another jersey, and bags, lay beyond these cones. Some coaches were positioned by the white

lines and occasionally moved around the technical bench.

Social Environment and Participant Interactions

This prompted me to observe parents hanging around the field area waiting for their turn

to have their child practice. Small groups of parents were gathered around the field fringes,

walking and chatting with one another and, at the same time, observing their children practicing

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in the field. There were not many people, and the mood of the majority was calm. Occasionally,

children were seen on the field running or with balls on the sidelines.

Player Dynamics

It was a game between two teams, with players wearing red and blue. The players, all

boys aged 12 to 14, warmed up on the field, performing necessary exercises under the

supervision of their coaches. This was nicely done since the players had a seamless sequence to

the next activity that was performed. The boys looked sharp; at least a few were laughing with

each other, which presented teamwork. But there was also the rivalry tension since they were

measuring each other up as if already aware of the rivalry they were to experience on the

playing field.

Coaches’ Behavior

Each team was also accompanied by two coaches who also managed the players. The

coaches on the side of the students were in their sports garb, speaking loudly to aerate the

learners and guide them. They seemed to be men of about thirty-seven or forty years of age, tall

and authoritative to make the players listen to them. In more detail, the head coach of Team A

demonstrated many expressive gestures, excessively used a whistle to attract the players’

attention, and called out loud, encouraging, and, to some extent, comprehensible commands.

While the head of the first team was still quite active and even demonstratively expressed his

authority, the head of the second, Team B, warmed up the players individually, talking to them

and correcting their mistakes occasionally.

Spectator Behavior

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Other spectators included parents, relatives, and friends, including mothers, fathers,

young siblings, and a couple of grandparents. Many parents remained close to the edge of the

playing area, some with drinks and some possibly taking pictures of the warm-ups on their

mobiles. Parents’ conversations were informal, and very seldom talks included physical

laughing. Few talked about school functions, the coming season, or their children's results in

earlier games. It seemed as if they were all friends and crossed as if they were acquainted.

When the game started, it became clear that the parents’ full attention was devoted only

to the field. The audience clapped in support, more so when, after a set of plays, trying as they

might, the other team failed to score. Sayings like ‘good catch’ or ‘good throw’ were often

used. Some parents got more vocal, for instance, when a certain play did not go as intended. For

example, after a missed pass, one of the fathers yelled: “Come on, you’ve got to make that

catch!” Again, these coordinates were positive but contained a tone of competitiveness due to

the nature of the event.

Interaction Dynamics

Most of the time of the game, the parents were seated and rarely spoke to the coaches.

Even throughout the game, the conduct of the coaches was very professional, and they spent

nearly all their time attending to the players, sparing little regard for the audience. However,

after each play some of the players would look at their parents, asking for affirmations or a

word go ahead. On the other hand, the younger siblings were more concerned with other

activities around the periphery of the playing field, although they occasionally looked at the

match.

Key Events and Observations

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First Score:

In the earlier part of the game, Team B made the first touchdown play through a series

of passing plays. The spectators clapped, and a few parents of children from Team B

immediately fist-bumped each other. The communication that stood out was the call of one

mother who yelled, “That’s my boy!” The desire of the Team B players appeared to surge, and

there was a much-heightened sense of energy.

Mid-Game Conflict

Half through the game, there was tension when the referee made a certain call on an

out-of-bound play. The head coach of Team A protested about the call, stating that the player

had stayed within the field. This action caused a rather intense argument between the coach and

the referee for a short while. It was at this time that some parents on the side of team A

overheard each other whispering their agreement with the coach’s viewpoint. The incident was

rather brief and, hence, easily solved; however, it indicated the competitiveness and passion the

coaches, as well as the audience, expected and were ready to show.

Player Injury

In the game's final stages, a player from Team A dived for the ball, and in the process,

he tripped over the foot of an opposing team member and fell to the ground holding his knee.

That is when the whistle to stop the game was blown, and the coaches and the player’s parents

moved onto the field. The spectators’ anxiety was rising, and people learned to wait to see

whether the player was harmed or not. Fortunately, it seems to be a minor injury, and the player

was helped up and able to walk off the pitch. Everyone cheered as he walked off the field, win

or lose, and people in the stands were united.

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Post-Game Interactions

Thus, the game ended, and the players needed to interact physically and verbally with

their coaches. The coach clued in the players on their work, and the winning team was

showered with louder praises. Gradually, parents rushed onto the field; some hugged their

children, and others motivated or corrected them. It could be described as pride and relief all at

once. Both teams then embraced, and the players from the two teams started to joke with each

other, suggesting that there was real athletic rivalry on the field, but off the field, they were

fraternities.

Reflective Information

Community Solidarity and Socialization

Thus, a 7-on-7 football game was not simply a sports competition; it was one of the key

social activities likened to the native sense of commonality and interpersonal interaction. This

aspect of the parents’ participation—from clapping to encouraging words after a game—made

it apparent that the essence of sports was the establishment of unity. The social relations

between the parents were perceived in the form of greetings and discussions before and after

the game, which depicted the unity and support within the community.

Parental Influence and Expectations

The parents’ attitude during the game, when they cheer the child but also call him

names, points out the problem of being both the cheerleader and the coach. They patted their

children on the back as they watched them win games but frowned when their off days came,

the pressure that youth sports put young athletes through. This interactivity implies that as

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much as children can get encouragement through sports, there is also a possibility that through

sports, children are possessed into feeling like they have to produce.

Coaches as Role Models

The coaches’ behavior, particularly the practitioners’ different behaviors, exemplified

the effectiveness of leadership in youth sports. The more active coach could be concluded as

motivating the team through their activity; at the same time, the less active coach provides

personal help. Each style was somewhat useful, but the players’ reactions indicate that the

middle ground may elicit group unity and personal growth.

Social Dynamics Among Spectators

This was evident from the interactions of the spectators, who took cognizance of the

community's existing social relations. Some spectators, young children with toys and young

siblings playing at the adjacent field, parents chatting, and collective concern during the

player’s injury all contributed to making way for the event, which was more of a social event

where sports were the unifying center.

Gender Roles and Expectations

Another interesting observation was based on the audience and, more specifically,

gender distribution, with male spectators taking most of the loudest hats during the game’s

process. This may imply that there is still patriarchy in the undertaking of youth sports, with

men assuming more aggressive positions in competition and women being relegated to support

or social events. However, this observation would need more investigation.

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Impact of Competition on Community Dynamics

This brief fight over the correctness of the referee’s call demonstrated that tension

between people occurs even when they are considered to be friendly competitors. The

whispering that went on around parents and the tense atmosphere during the dispute depicted

the aspect of rivalry and division resulting from sports, meaning that while it brings people

together, it also brings division at times.

Final Reflection:

Indeed, due to the competition, the opposing team had also formed a fellowship that

socialized the youth that participated in the game that was being observed during the study,

involving a 7-on-7 youth football game. In this event, people with their interests and values

were enforced, support for the common goal was achieved, and healthy rivalry was manifested,

but with certain indicators of tension and pressure. The involvement of parents, coaches, and

other people influenced the young athletes’ experience of the event, providing insights into how

such occasions transformed the participants and the community.

In future observations, more attention could be paid to the relations between genders,

the consequences of early pressure put by parents on children and athletes, and the roles of

different coaching styles in molding athletes. Furthermore, research on how such dynamics are

portrayed in various community settings or across different age brackets might help expand the

social function of youth sports.