Perry Devin Pollock November 20th, 2013 Germain 1101

Mini-Ethnography:
occer occer, al!o kno"n a! #ootball, i! the "orl$%! mo!t pop&lar !port in the "orl$' "ith t"o h&n$re$ an$ !i(ty #ive million people playing "orl$"i$e )*&n+,- . #orm o# thi! !port, playe$ "ith a !pherical ball, can be trace$ back to Mayan time! thro&gho&t Me!oamerica- /nly it "a! calle$ 0lama, "here the ball "a! ma$e o&t o# r&bber, "eighe$ eight po&n$!, an$ the player co&l$ only &!e their hip to to&ch the ball- 1ra$itionally it "a! playe$ in #ront o# the the *ing, an$ the re!t o# the city, "ith the lo!er! &ltimately lo!ing their live! a! "ell )2o(,- .ltho&gh to$ay the !port o# !occer i! no "here near a! violentoccer ha! been a pop&lar !port in E&rope, .!ia, .#rica, an$ o&th .merica !ince the mi$ eighteenth cent&ry b&t, only recently ha! it ca&ght on in North .merica )3N-p-3,0nite$ tate!, !occer really became a common !port in the 1450%! )3N-p-3,peci#ically in the

ince then, the !port ha! !een

a boom in pop&larity, "ith the yo&th being the key contrib&tor! in thi! tren$- 6ith over eighteen million .merican! playing the !port, aro&n$ !eventy-eight percent o# the c&rrent player! are &n$er the age o# eighteen )33,- 6ith !&ch a high ma7ority o# player! being yo&th, only rein#orce! the #act that !occer i! contin&ally e(pan$ing it%! reach aro&n$ the "orl$ an$ maintaining it! !&periority over all other !port!6hile mo!t team !port! re8&ire a level o# team"ork, one can arg&e that !occer re8&ire! the highe!t level o# team"ork in or$er to be playe$ properly- 9n mo!t !port! having a !ingle player "ho e(cel! at "hat they $o, can give a team a high chance o# "inning a game- 6herea! !occer can not be manip&late$ by a !ingle player an$ re8&ire! a team to comm&nicate "ith each other an$ "ork together in or$er to accompli!h a !ing&lar goal' to "inoccer can al!o be playe$ at any age, time, or place-

1hi! i! &ni8&e in the !ince that !port! !&ch a! .merican #ootball can not #ea!ibly be playe$ at an el$erly

age, ice hockey can not be playe$ in a $e!ert, an$ "ater polo can not be playe$ on lan$9n the 0 . !occer organi+ation! can be #o&n$ in 7&!t abo&t every !tate an$ range in competitivene!! to !&ite each player! !kill level- 1hi! allo"! anyone to play at any age or !kill level.l!o it it i! e(tremely ea!y to 7oin- 9n mo!t organi+ation! all regi!tration re8&ire! i! #illing o&t a #e" #orm!, proo# o# re!i$ency:9D, an$ normally a payment1he $i!co&r!e o# !occer i! e(tremely important to me beca&!e it i! one that 9 am a part o#- 9 have been playing !ince 9 "a! #ive year! ol$o, nat&rally, thi! i! "here !ome o# my re!earch !temme$

#rom' my pa!t e(perience!- 6hile 9 "a! re#lecting on the!e e(perience!, 9 al!o began to $o re!earch on !peci#ic !tati!tic! an$ hi!tory o# the !port a! a "hole- 1hi! le$ me to a ma7ority o# the in#ormation that 9 #o&n$- 9 mo!tly &!e$ the internet to $o my re!earch on the !tati!tic! an$ in#ormation 9 "a! not a"are o#- Mo!t o# the in#ormation 9 previo&!ly ha$ "a! $erive$ #rom my e(perience coaching a 012 team #or the cl&b that 9 playe$ #or back home in Green!boro- 9 learne$ a lot abo&t !occer, an$ the comm&nity a! a "hole, thro&gh the $i##erent vie" a coach ha!, #rom $ealing "ith eleven an$ t"elve year ol$!, an$ interacting "ith the parent!- Dealing "ith the parent! al!o opene$ my eye!, an$ #&rthere$ my lengthy re!earch, to the !i$e o# the comm&nity that i! the organi+ation!- Each organi+ation i! $i##erent in !ome "ay! b&t, overall they are e(tremely !imilar- ;eing aro&n$ the $irector! a! a yo&th:player coach !ho"e$ me ho" the comm&nity i! hel$ together an$ ho" it #&nction!Di!co&r!e comm&nitie! vary "i$ely #rom comm&nity to comm&nity- 6hile they all have $i##erence!, they all have !imilaritie! that make them $i!co&r!e!- 2or e(ample, they all have common goal!, they &!e participatory mechanic! to to provi$e #ee$ back, an$ they all create they o"n le(icon! "ithin them!elve!- 9n the comm&nity o# !occer, !ome o# the!e are more obvio&! than other! b&t each o# the!e are common thro&gho&t the "hole $i!co&r!e1he !port an$ comm&nity o# !occer have many !hare$ goal! bet"een the player!, coache!, organi+ation!, an$ even nation!ome o# the!e goal! incl&$e "inning, improving, an$ en7oying the

game- 6inning i! the mo!t obvio&! goal in every !port b&t, in !occer, it i! act&ally a very broa$ one- 9n

!occer "inning i! only abo&t beating the oppo!ing team on the !core boar$ b&t can mean beating an oppo!ing player on a one ver!&! one, "inning a hea$er in the air, or tactically "inning on a #ree kick2or e(ample, "hile 9 "a! playing !occer #or my high !chool team "e "on o&r con#erence an$ a$vance$ into the playo##!- 1hi! i! an e(ample o# one type o# "inning b&t on the other han$, "hen "e got to the !econ$ ro&n$ "e #ace$ a rival !chool o# o&r!, Page <igh chool- D&ring the Page game "e beat them in 7&!t abo&t every category e(cept #or the #act the !core remaine$ +ero to +ero thro&gho&t the #&ll 40 min&te! an$ on into $o&ble overtime- 9n !occer thi! mean! yo& go to a #inal penalty kick !hooto&t- 9n thi! =P*> !hooto&t, "e &ltimately lo!t- 6ith that being !ai$, mo!t o# the team "a! $eva!tate$, a! "a! 9, b&t looking back 9 #eel a! i# "e "on- 1hi! i! beca&!e "e "on the in$ivi$&al battle! "hich, in t&rn, ma$e each o# &! better player!occer i! !&ch a complicate$ game, an$ comm&nity, that the "or$ improving co&l$ be e(plaine$ in a m&ltit&$e o# "ay!- 2or e(ample one can improve hi! !kill in pa!!ing the ball, or a player co&l$ improve hi! kno"le$ge o# the game- 1hi! al!o applie! to the in$ivi$&al team! an$ comm&nity a! a "hole- 1he team co&l$ all practice their team"ork, improve, an$ increa!e their chance! o# "inning9n the !ame !en!e the comm&nity, or organi+ation, can implement ne" training techni8&e! #or the coache! to &!e in practice' thi! "o&l$ improve the comm&nity a! a "hole- D&ring my re!earch, thi! happene$ to appear- 6hile 9 "a! coaching, an$ playing, the cl&b 9 playe$ #or intro$&ce$ a ne" training !che$&le "ith ne" g&i$eline!- 1hi! improve$ the comm&nity a! a "hole beca&!e o# ho" it improve$ the in$ivi$&al player!, "hich improve$ the team!, "hich ca&!e$ the cl&b to $o better, that then ca&!e$ the comm&nity to better it!el#- 6ith that being !ai$, thi! i! one "ay that !occer began to make it! emergence in the 0nite$ tate! $&ring the 1450%! )3N-p-3,- 1hro&gh the ever increa!ing !kill o# the player! "ho playe$ the !port an$ the improvement in their play the M? , then the N. ? or North .merican occer ?eag&e, began to gain pop&larity beca&!e it "a! becoming more appealing to people "ho ha$ never !een the game6inning an$ improving are both very important in the !port o# !occer b&t mo!t "o&l$ arg&e that

the mo!t important i! en7oying the game' !occer i! meant to be #or en7oyment- 9# yo& are not en7oying the game, "hy play it- .#ter all it i! a game- 6hile other! "o&l$ arg&e that !occer i! more than a game an$ i! a "ay o# li#e, mo!t "o&l$ $i!agree- 1hi! can be relate$ to a !tati!tic 9 mentione$ earlier- .bo&t !eventy-eight percent o# c&rrent player!, in the 0 ., are eighteen year! or yo&nger- 6ith that being !ai$, a va!t ma7ority the!e ki$! "ill never make a living o## o# the !port "hich in t&rn prove! it i! playe$ #or the en7oyment an$ love o# the game )33,6ithin the comm&nity o# !occer, there are m&ltiple mechanic! in place that allo" member! to participate an$ better them!elve!- 0nlike "hat "a! previo&!ly $i!c&!!e$, member! &!e the!e participatory mechanic! to better them!elve! o&t!i$e o# thi! partic&lar comm&nity- 1hey &!e thi! to learn ho" to "ork better "ith other!, help o&t in the comm&nity, an$ to !imply better them!elve! a! a h&man being- 1he e##ect! o# thi! can be !een thro&gho&t other comm&nitie!, b&t al!o aro&n$ the "orl$@&!t like any other !port or $i!co&r!e comm&nity, !occer ha! it! o"n lang&age- 1he lang&age &!e$ in !occer i! both verbal an$ vocal comm&nication- Aerbal comm&nication incl&$e! the han$ ge!t&re!, bo$y movement!, or any o# the comm&nication that $oe! not re8&ire !peech- /#ten time! thi! i! &!e$ #or !et piece! !&ch a!, corner kick!, #ree kick!, or thro"-in!- Aerbal comm&nication i! "i$ely &!e$ a! a 8&ick "ay to comm&nicate "ith teammate! "hile playing the #a!t pace$ game o# !occer- /n the other han$, vocal comm&nication i! 7&!t a! important, i# not more important, than verbal- Aocal comm&nication re#er! to the &!e o# !peech to comm&nicate #rom teammate to teammate- . #e" e(ample! o# the!e in !occer are phra!e! !&ch a! =man on>, =thro&gh ball>, =goal !i$e>, or =$rop>1he!e phra!e!, a! li!te$, are &!e$ to noti#y a teammate that a opponent i! clo!e, call #or a ball to be playe$ %thro&gh% the $e#en!e to !et &p a goal !coring opport&nity, comman$ teammate! to p&t them!elve! in bet"een an opponent an$ the goal, an$ to either pa!! the ball back"ar$! or #or a player to retreat back $o"n the #iel$- .ll o# the!e are le(icon! o# the $i!co&r!e an$ the !port1he $i!co&r!e comm&nity o# !occer i! almo!t a! comple( a! the game it!el#- Bon!i$ering 9 have been a part o# thi! comm&nity, thi! "a! the mo!t !&rpri!ing to me- .! a member 9 "a! not a"are o# all

the comple(itie! o# the "hole comm&nity &ntil 9 !tarte$ my re!earch- 9n a$$ition to it%! comple(ity, 9 became #&lly a"are o# the general val&e! o# the comm&nity- Canging #rom teaching yo&ng people to be better people, to playing #air in all !cenario!, to playing the game "ell- /verall, the $i!co&r!e comm&nity o# !occer ha! many p&rpo!e!, "hich are !imilar to "hat the comm&nity val&e!- 1hi! comm&nity !erve! a! a place #or a$&lt! an$ ki$! alike to learn, play, an$ en7oy the game they love-

Works Cited
*&n+, M-- N-p-- 6eb- 21 Nov 2013Dhttp:::"""-#i#a-com:mm:$oc&ment:#i#a#act!:bco##!&rv:emagaE43FGE1050G-p$#H 2o(, @ohn- n- pageDhttp:::"""-!mith!onianmag-com:people-place!:&lama-htmlH - N-p-- 6eb- 21 Nov 2013Dhttp:::library-think8&e!t-org:11G31:hi!tory-htmH - N-p-- 6eb- 21 Nov 2013Dhttp:::&!a-&!emba!!y-$e:!port!-!occer-htmH-