Social class can absolutely shape the way you look at and participate in sport. As a lower or middle class family member.. would you ever think about getting on a horse and hitting a ball with some odd shaped stick? NO. But would you be inclined to pick up that basketball or baseball and shoot around or have a catch? Yes. Social class has too much to do with the outcome of sports for youth. Soccer may be the only universal sport for youths but no one cares or plays it after the little league anyway... is there a reason for that? A sport everyone plays until their 12, then its the least watched sport in the US...

Social class is the basis for each and every sport. The first things you notice about a sport are the types of people playing the sport. For instance, at the Olympics then entire U.S men's water polo team was completely white, while the entire U.S men's basketball team was made up entirely of African-Americans. Water polo is a tough sport to become involved in. Olympic size pools are not readily available across the nation and the time it takes to develop the skills needed in water polo would seem to take a long time to learn. Basketball, on the other hand can be played rather easily by anyone. Even the first basketball ever used was just with a ball and a peach basket. Anything can be used to simulate a basket and balls of any kind can seemingly work if need be. Another plus to basketball is the ability for it to be played in confined spaces. Clearly water polo lends itself to a wealthier audience and in a country where the top 5 percent owners of wealth are overwhelmingly white then it is easy to see why the water polo team is all white. Basketball can be played any where so you would think there would be an equal amount of race on the team. I believe this is not a racial issue but an economic one. People living in the cities are predominantly black and the sport of choice among city dwellers is basketball. As a person becomes wealthier the range of sports participation grows as well. Social class fits into every sport in unique way, especially spectators. In the era of the mega suite this is much more apparent. Every Sunday 70,000 people fill the stands with beers in hand, screaming, yelling, and reveling in the game on the field. In the luxury suite the atmosphere is completely different. My one experience in a luxury suite allowed me the opportunity to eat filet mignon and crab cakes while I sat in a posh leather chair. If a big play occurred you could calmly say something to your friend or acquaintance but you did not cheer. Your attire changes as well, while everyone wears jersey and some paint their bodies, people in the suites dress up and put on their Sunday bests. People use their wealth to buy football tickets. For the average ticket holder this means their savings but for the suite owner this means a variety of things. In a book titled Economic apartheid in America Collins writes “One in five households in the United States has zero or negative wealth… they owe more than they own”

In response to jshorts comments, I completely see how moving to somewhere can really affect the sports you play/watch. He moved to Fredrick and everyone played lacrosse. Where I moved there are more kids playing golf, ice hockey, and other upper class income related sports. The community you live in, social class you fall under, and influence from your friends/peers really determines what you do.

Anyone in America that has had personal sporting experiences can directly relate them to the social class that they fall in. From inner-city children playing predominately basketball to rich, suburban upper-class kids playing golf, the type of family you are raised in and the income that is produced directly relates to the sports you participate/attend. In my earlier childhood up until 8th grade, I lived in a very middle-class dominated town that didn't have many upper-class families. I look back at the sports I played and had the luxury of going to/watching and realize it is very different then what I am able to do now. I played soccer, baseball, basketball and a little bit of street hockey growing up in this town, which mostly all of my friends did as well. That was the socially accepted sports to play, and didn't require a lot of money to play. My family did not have any season tickets, but would occasionally go the whatever Philadelphia games we could get our hands on. After I moved to a much more upper class town, I was surrounded by many "snobs" as you can call them. I wasn't used to the socially accepted norms in my new town, but they grew on me. Since my father had moved on to a new, better paying job, the opportunities for me to play any sport occured and especially being able to afford to go to professional games. At one time we had season tickets to the Philadelphia Eagles, Phillies, and Flyers. It was a dream come true for me, and I completely realized the opportunity I was getting was because of my family moving farther up the social class ladder. I was able to afford playing golf and even ice hockey, even though I don't think I was born to skate on ice. It is very apparent that depending upon your parents income and where you live, you are affected immensely and can only do what your parents are capable of providing you. Under priviledged kids in inner cities don't have the money to buy expensive sports equipment, go to professional games or play pricey sports like golf. The way that you are raised by your parents and genetics you have are definately an important part of what you can and can't do, but that is only a small part of the overall picture. If you don't have the money or access to certain things, then you simply won't be able to participate in that. That is why social class plays, in my opinion, the most important part of participating and viewing sport.

I agree with hinch, its upsetting that class has so much to do with someones ability to be aren't fortunate enough to be able to participate in certain sports

Your social class can definitely shape your veiw of sport. If you are from a privlidged family then most likely you are able to play what ever sport you want. No matter how much the league costs or the equipment cost to play, generally the middle class parent will support the sport. In an under privlidged home, the child may not be able to play a sport like footballl, because of the cost of equipment. Or maybe not be able to be on the traveling basketball team not because of his/her ability but because the family cannot afford the cost. Thats why most under privlidged kids have never been golfing, because the equipment is expensive and the actual game is expensive. This also is relevent in intrest in professional sports. The under privledged child may be a huge fan of Kobe Bryant, but not be bought and be able to wear his jersey; to where a privlidged child may have both the home and away jersey and not even be that big into the NBA. Another example is being able to attend professional games, and if so, where you are seated at the games. Obviously the more expensive ticket has a better veiw and atmosphere to the game rather then a seat in the nose bleeds that may not even be enjoyable to take your child to. Social class plays an extreme role in sport in all aspects; recreation, participation, and enjoyability.

And about AIG, if the government just bought them out, why are they still paying to be put on the front of Manchester Uniteds uniform.

I think that social class has a direct correlation w/ the sports people are involved in, or as i my case, the events they attend. I was raised in a middle class family and sent to only private schools. While there wasn't endless money in my family there was enough to allow me the freedom to get involved in sports to any measure I wanted. I wasn't a big sports participant growing up, but I tried gymnastics & figure skating as a child. My mother financed a few active camps every year that allowed me more exposure to sport. I have always been more of a fan though. Especially when it comes to football. In my family we don't really put a budget on the activities that are important to us. We are not season ticket holders, but we will dish out large sums of money to attend games and events of interest. I think that if my family had less money to spare I probably would have lacked a lot of the exposure and opportunity I was given to explore. Some children are blessed with sponsorships and a few get involved on luck and raw talent. But in the real scheme of things in America if you don't have the finances needed to be involved in certain sports... or sports at all, then you probably won't be. It becomes an unfair advantage in our culture. Since equipment and gear keeps rising in prices as brand name grow it becomes more and more unattainable for those that lack financial backing. The growing seperation between the poor and the rich on the economic front doesn't help matters either. I'm not saying that all athletes come from wealthy families, because that is far from the truth, but the reality is that small pockets don't always add up to big dreams.

i agree, i think there is alot of missed talent in the country but they don't have the finacial means to get themselves seen in order to be recruited.

I'm from a middle class family, my dad was retired military but he was always involved in sports whether it was with me or my brother. I was exposed to a lot of different sports just by going to an after school program and playing with different types of kids. Money to fund the sport was never a problem, this allowed me to have a lot of opportunities that a lot of kids don't have. I was aloud to play any sport I wanted to so in that aspect my culture background didn't pin me down to playing only one sport. I happened to choose basketball. It took spending a lot of money on my father's behalf though because just to be able to play on a good team so that they could be invited to play in front of college coaches. Kids who aren't from a middle to upper class family who aren't near a good high school are usually not able to afford that exposure and are often not seen and therefore not given the same opportunity. I think environment has a lot to do with what sports are played and glorified in certain areas. For example, football is popular in the south, places like Texas, Alabama whereas basketball is popular in places like New York, Indiana. I mean both sports reign but the suburbs and inner city also factors into what sport the kid is most likely going to play.

reading all these responses really cements in my mind that most institutions, weather they be sports, education, buisness whatever, are effected by class. Most poeple writing are from at least middle class, so it shows that, for now, middle class young adults can afford college, so we are all here. in looking at the banking bailout, and the current financial debacle, we see that the people who are being in the wrong are private buisness owners who are upper class. These institutions, while being highly class segmented, effect the greater population though, and it is not as easy to see because we are not forced to watch it on the news. As someone said, the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer, but it is because of the actions of a few at the top that this is happening. So much for the trickle down effect....

I agree with mostly all of the responses on the page. Your social class does help the exposure of which sports you are exposed to. I do not agree with this because some students can have the ability to be an elite athlete but are not given the chance because of social class.

Micheal Cole response. For most kids who are pretty weatlhly they play all kinds of sports for fun. Most of them arent really pressured into making it to the porfessional level> Where as a kid from the lower class says to their self that this sport may be the only shot I have at making. So I gotta be one of the best at what i do.

from the other responses its clear that social class does influence sporting experience. we can only play or become interested in the sports we are exposed to in some sort of way whether it be watching it on tv, playing for a team, or just playing in you neighborhood for fun. we can only use the resources that are around us when we're brought up.

I think Bill Reem makes a good point at the end of his post when he talks about the kids playing basketball. This point really proves that is really isn't just ability and genetics that shape our lives. Those kids on the lower class basketball team will probably never get the chance to make it as a professional basketball player and it's not because they aren't good, talented players, but because they won't have the opportunity. Most of that comes down to not having the money. Everything in life comes down to money, and this determines your social class.
Erin Ragan

In response to pacattack's post, I would say that I strongly agree with the statements that your social class defines what sport you are going to choose within society. I feel that no matter what class you are sport will always be apart of your life, but that class also may define the sport you play.

After reading this article I can only say that the author presented a very severe problem that has been steadily increasing over the past couple of decades. “the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.” His main point being that the higher class individuals are the ones generating all of the wealth in America and those of the lower class were losing wealth for the most part. Growing up I considered my family to be upper middle class and my parents signed me up for sports year round. Coming from an athletic family I would play soccer, basketball, and baseball all the way through high school. Because my family could afford it, I was able to have the equipment I wanted and I was able to play in many different leagues of the same sport. Also my family had season tickets for the orioles back when they were a decent baseball team and for the ravens when the came to Baltimore. As far as what shapes an individual within sport I would say that genetics and ability is the main thing that shapes an individuals lifestyle. Just by looking at me I can say that I went to all the camps and had all the best equipment but you don't see me in the NFL or NBA. You see the guys who had nothing from the start using their abilities to make it too the top. They didn't have all the fancy equipment growing up that I had just ability.


Michael Cole

I agree with alauenstein comment about alot of the good athletes being skipped over being they are not given the same opportunities. They are not given the resources to prove themselves that they are just as good as everybody else. Even sometimes better, as in alot of cases in major sports.

I think Bill Reem makes a good point at the end of his post when he talks about the kids playing basketball. This point really proves that is really isn't just ability and genetics that shape our lives. Those kids on the lower class basketball team will probably never get the chance to make it as a professional basketball player and it's not because they aren't good, talented players, but because they won't have the opportunity. Most of that comes down to not having the money. Everything in life comes down to money, and this determines your social class.
Erin Ragan

Nick Campitelli's response supports my point but from a different perspective. Social classes and wealth have a lot to do with the control one has over their sporting experience. In this case, his family was privileged enough to fund for the resources necessary for providing more expensive sport experiences, like sports involving a lot of traveling and golfing at country clubs. Just as one in a lower to middle working class would not be able to fund for such sport experiences, his middle to higher class status has influenced his life the opposite way.

After reading the responses, It is a well known fact that todays sports world, is a upper-class event. The only way people can afford season tickets is if they have a very nice income. Back in the day the season ticket holders were fans of the team, instead, today's season ticket holders are more company tickets owned by major corporations. It is amazing though how mostly everyone feels the same way on this issue becasue there are more cases of athletes who come from nowhere who are looking to prove a point.

Andrew Schwartz

I would have to agree with Kasi Harris in the sense of how money influences one's decision even though some player's with less income have a lot more talent. I had a similar experience with this in a traveling baseball tryout when I was younger..We did hitting, fielding, speed drills and what was good for me pitching. I threw just as hard as all the other kids and with the best control. At the end of the tryout, the gentleman who ran it, with all the kids and parents around, gave a speech on how they get money for the trips and such. He could not have done much more to say 'hey, write me a check with a decent amount, and we'll put your kid on the team.' I understand it now that I am older but its still sad...My little league coach at the time had to call me and put it into words that I could understand as to why I didnt make the team after being an all-star for three straight years.

i would have to agree with Josh#3jenkins...you really do get a big advantage coming from an upperclass family. While kids in middle class and lower class families can play those sports it just harder on them to be sucessful in upper class sports. they dont have the same advantage which makes it a struggle to be good. the only thing i would disagree with is the fact that Mr. Jenkins has a "wonderful" putting stroke. If my calculations are right i believe that he has the most 3 wiggles aka putts on the Towson golf team. But he is improving! So josh#2jenkins is actually josh#3jenkins in my book!

.After reading the Collins and Yeskel reading, I can understand how many can be upset and think that becase many people that have money and may have less talent than another who has very little money but a lot of athletic talent make it further in the athletic realm of things. It is very hard for me to go either way on this because I grew up playing multiple sports and by my early teens I had stuck with golf and baseball. I would say my family is probably on the higher end of the middle class but thats it. We never had tickets to any big professional teams growing up; my God family was best friends with Harold Baines-pretty much the only one from my area to ever go professional in any sport so they always had season tickets and a good amount of money, but all the money in the world couldn't buy their kids some athletic talent. I was lucky because my whole family had been involved in sports so it became a second nature to me. My father played a college sport, his father, my uncles and so on... My parents never pushed me or threw money at my golfing career growing up...I would dredge the water ponds on a course near my house at home to get balls to practice with not because we didnt have the money to buy balls but because I liked earning what I got, not given which is why I have to take my stance on saying that no matter how much money you have, people cant judge you on how you got to where you are unless they know your road to success. Being from the eastern shore of Maryland, I was on the unfortunate side of trying to get recruited to play golf in college...My parents never paid for $400 tournaments or traveled very far, which is part of the reason I never got recruited but I had a lot of talent for my age level growing up but noone could see that because I was from the eastern shore. I had been in several junior tours and won some big name tournaments, but that didnt matter. Noone knew anything about me, where I was from, and didnt care to learn. I went to a small school down south my freshman year of college and got cut from a very good D3 team. I came to Towson and received in-state tuition, and walked onto the team...I believe I am the only one without a scholarship on the team and I take pride in that in a way. I worked hard to get here even though my family could have afforded anything I needed, I chose the working man's way

According to Collins and Yeskel, our lecture notes, and my own personal affirmations, social class plays a huge role in determining which sports one plays. As we have discussed in class, a person of greater SES has more opportunities and resources available, such as clean parks and fields and the involved parent willing enough to drive you there and supervise you. A child of a lower SES whether they live in the city or not may not have enough money for a basketball or have transportation and/or supervision to play basketball on a public court. While growing up I played travel soccer for WAGS, which travels as far as western Virginia for league games and North Carolina for tournaments. It is not an expensive league to be in, as alauenstein mentioned, but it costs a lot in terms of gas money, uniform requirements such as balls and equipments bags, and fees to be in tournaments outside the league. In which case, it would be more difficult for those of lower SES to participate in. Even if they did manage to hook up with another player and carpool together, the fees for everything else would exceed $500 a season. Because this is a premiere soccer league, it was common to see college reps at the games scouting for potential players, which put me at a greater advantage than say a high school athlete. In general, I feel that children of higher SES have more options available to them because most of the time they have a guardian available to help them when it comes to transportation and time, whereas children of lower SES usually have both parents working, and therefore less help when it comes to the option of playing a variety of sports. They are usually limited to those that play locally and are just for fun rather than for competition. Jacqueline Betts

Im not surprised to be agreeing with Tiger14frank right now since we both experience similar upraising and golfing careers. We are both from the Baltimore area and we faced the same challenges in golf. Hard work and some God given ability got us where we are today, not our parents banks account. Which is something we can both be proud of.

I would classify myself as being from the middle social class. In PG County which is were I'm from we were limited to thing we're allowed to do and sports we could play. Majority of the kids in my neighborhood as well as myself started playing our sports in the rec. league and that was because it was the cheapest thing we could afford. Alot of the boys went out for football and basketball and the girls went out for cheerleading or track. We never had the opportunity to play games like rugby or lacrosse and barley even soccer. Me personally I was a track runner it was cheap and something I was extremely good at. It cost my mother $20 to register to me and that was it. And for cheerleading you paid $50 for your uniform and u were good to go. My mother pushed ran track because that's what she did when she was young, I ran track all through middle school then continued through majority of high school till I lost interest. I do believe your social class has a lot to do with the sports your allowed to play. We're I'm from our schools don't have the funding to provide all the sports that kids would like to play or sports that kids in the upper social class the opportunity to play, but they do make sure they have two most important ones which are football and basketball because that's what African Americans kids have excelled in and its also a way out the hood in their eyes. A lot of the famous African American football players and basketball players are from the lower and middle social class which proves exactly what I was saying because they started just the way I did in a rec. league fighting for that dream to get out the hood. My family really isn't big on sports and even if they were spending money on season tickets wouldn't even be an option because there are bills that have to be paid and more important things that money could be spent on besides tickets to some sporting event.

Kadie Bangura

After doing the reading, I have to agree that social class does indeed influence the role of a athlete in sports. When children decide to play athletic sports as a child, they are basically in an evaluation process by which they will come out of it as an athlete in the perspective sport or decide to not ever play it again. I am here to tell you that the higher up a family is in a social class, the better opportunity the child of that family will have when competing in athletics. When a higher social class family can give the child anything and everything they need for the sport they are in, that child has a better chance of making it down the road as a professional athlete.
Some better talented athletes who do not have the opportunity to have the same treatment some kids have is not fair, but it happens. There could be a kid who does not have the parent one might have who can influence and oush their child the way some kids who have talent should be.
Whatever sports ties a family has will be passed down to the children and the child will inspire to be like his/her dad/mom which will inluence them to try and be the best at the sport depending on the families social class.

Andrew Schwartz

I come from a middle to upper class family form Montgomery county, so my experience with sports may have been different from others. Growing up I played many different sports before sticking with football and lacrosse. Growing up I played soccer, roller hockey, baseball, football, and lacrosse as previously mentioned. The main reason I didn't stick with certain sports was because I just didn't stay interested in them. Also, majority of my family plays lacrosse and my father and step-father both played football so there was more encouragement to stick with those sports. As far as attending sport events, it was never really much of an issue. My parents didn't own any season tickets but my grandparents did for the Redskins so we were able to use them whenever we wanted. My parents didn't purchase any just because not everyone in my family all liked the same team and we always had a lot going on. I did run into certain situations where my equipment may not have anyways been the best on the team but for the most part I always had good equipment. I would definitely agree that social class makes a big difference in what sports someone can play and what games someone can attend. For instance, lacrosse seemed to have more middle to upper class families because of the amount of equipment that had to be purchased; whereas playing football at my high school all the equipment, for the most part, is provided to you. Looking at sports now, you don't see many working class people participating in golf or hockey or even lacrosse due to the prices of equipment and for golf and tennis and such, lessons are strongly encouraged to excel. Unfortunately, even though there may be some youth who would be really exceptional at hockey or golf or a sport along those lines, but due to their social and family's financial circumstance, they might not have the chance to show their talents. There is the rare occasion that a young teen can get a scholarship to a private school to play a sport which can then possibly propel them into a collegiate scholarship which could improve their future overall. That being said, there are the circumstances where sport can unite social classes, but more often than not, that unfortunately is not the situation.

I have to agree with alauenstein to think that some of the best athletes are being skiped over because they don't have all the oppurtunties that other kids have makes you wonder about who is playing professsional sports now. Is it the best of the best or is it the kids that had the most opportunities. I feel like if you have the talent you'll be discoverd and probably epolited for you're talent. But are their kids we skip over. Kids who never get the chance to even try.

As we talked about it in school social class had a huge effect on the sports I played, while growing up. My intermediate family such as my mother and father were considered lower class. Me and my sister are the only ones out of them two to go to college. Growing the only sports that I was involved in were mainly basketball. This is one of the cheapest sports I could play. All i needed was a basketball. It was inexpensive so I played all the time. I have been to sporting events. I 've been to ravens games but they werent the best seats in the world. The best seats I ever got were on the 50 yard line. But it was a preseason game. The people in middle and upper class has the opportuntity to be sucessful at any sport. They can get all trainning and equipment they need to be the best at what they do. Where as lower class, has to blessed to get middle or high class opportunites. But I believe for the most part that its other things that play a role in our daily lives. Such as the people we have in our lives and what we want out of life. Over and over again people hear about basketball players who are from lower social classes that have made it to the NBA. A majority of the nba and nfl player are african american. This could be agrued but i think its mainly because a good amount of them were in lower classes, meaning that Footballl and Basketball were easy sports to get in. You dont hear of too many black athletes in golf,polo,swimming, etc. In closing social class does have a influence on your sporting experience but it aslo depends on how bad the persson wants to excel in that sport. Kristopher Boyd

I agree with Josh Jenkins when he says that social class does make a difference but it is difficult to overcome. I believe that this is true with some sports. Golf is one of the sports that this works for. The money that you need to make it to a school like USC or Oklahoma St. is much more than you would need to get into a school like Towson. That is not a knock on Towson in anyway it is just saying that in order to go to the top schools you need to play in the best tournaments in the world and have some of the best instruction. Most of this stuff is not affordable by the lower and working class. Frank Olszewski

Growing up in middle class family I never had the chance to have season tickets to any sport. I had many friends who had season tickets to Ravens and Orioles game that would frequently invite me to them with me but I couldn't pick and choose which games I wanted to go to. The only privilege I had in reference to any type of sports team would be the Baltimore Blast. The fact that my dad is the soccer coach here at Towson gave him connections for us to be able to get free tickets to most games. He had three players from Towson on the team at the same time and at least one of them would be able to get us tickets for the game we chose. When it comes to which sport I could and couldn't play there wasn't really anything that I was forbidden from playing. I never really was interested in football and my dad wasn't either but that was more because he didn't want me to get hurt. He usually tried to get me to play soccer which was natural just because he is a coach and he has great love for that sport. I also played baseball which all members of my family played as well. When it was all said and done I ended up playing golf as my sport of choice. I had trouble getting the top equipment because it is fairly expensive. I would have to slowly update my equipment by buying only a couple clubs at a time and eventually I would have a full new set. There were times in my life where my social situation affected my but not that much, my parents have made many sacrifices when it comes to my athletic career. I am able to go to college for free because of my dad's job and because of that it has helped with my career. I believe that being in a different social class does help when it comes to golf. I mean of course there are cases where people in lower classes make it but in general golfers need many things that cost lots of money. They need clubs, lessons, and money for playing in tournaments. If you are trying to play in college it is very important to play in many to two-day tournaments. Two-day tournaments cost about $400 each and most of them require travel and lodging. So this $400 tournament ends up costing much more. Social class does make a difference. Frank Olszewski

Overall I would classify my sporting experience was pretty good because of the social class that I was in. I would classify myself as middle to upper middle class person. For the most part I was pushed towards soccer when I was younger for the fact that when I was growing up my family was more towards the lower part of the middle class. My dad was in the air force and my mom was a stay at home mom taking care of 5 kids. So as you can imagine there wasn't too much money to be spent on camps like that and soccer was pretty cheap. But as I grew up my dad advanced in the air force and retired and got a job that paid more so opportunities for me to play different sports opened up and I played lacrosse. Unlike my brother I was fortunate enough to still be young when my dad was making more money and they could afford to spend more money on me. I think that your social class really defines the type of sports you are able to play and where you live. In other countries the popular sport for the lower social class is soccer but in America it is basketball. Both sports are relatively cheap and all you need is a ball and some type of goal. Also both sports are a way for the lower class to rise to the upper class. They both inspire the dream in many youths to be able to reach the upper class and have a better life. Then all over the world there are the “rich” sports such as polo, horse riding, golf, etc. These are pretty much unavailable to the lower classes because of how much these sports cost and how exclusive these sports. Overall the saying is that “sports bring all the classes together” when in reality they seem just to show how different we are and show the barriers that separate the classes.

I agree with most of the posts, in how social class definitely shapes how we grow up and playing sports. Most people don't even realize that social class has something to do with the sports we play and how we play them. Athletes who come from a high social class than those of a lower social class, have a better chance of (some) receiving scholarship to play in college, and sometimes even going on to play a professional sport.

I agree with Brian Elliot when he talks about how the American dream is not what it used to be. That mantra has been used in this country for quite sometime and is not based in reality. There are those who have rose above class struggles but for the most part people stay within their economic class. I also agree with what Brian and Justin Short said about their fondest memories at sporting events were in the cheap seats. My family could usually afford to get decent seats for Orioles' games but Ravens games were different. The ticket prices are much higher so we seat in the proverbial "nose bleeds". But the most fun I ever had at a football game was when I was 10 and the Ravens were playing their first game ever. My dad, brother and I sat in the highest row at Memorial stadium but it didnt matter. We had an awesome time. The point is class doesnt have to dictate what you take from sports.

Bill Reem

This is a tough topic for me to really pick a side on. In my personal case i have to agree with the readings in American Dream, you can make your own success. I am from lower class family and have had a pretty succesful golfing career to this point, two things that"arent supposed to be" said in the same sentence. We were never season ticket holders but both my parents were avid sports fans so i would find my way to a couple O's games a year.
In todays era with the amount of money some people are willing to spend on their kids sporting careers, there is a huge advantage coming from an upperclass family. Even if you participate in lower class sports such as soccer and basketball, parents can find a way to spend thousands a year to help make their kid a star. My mom played soccer in college and my dad played baseball here for Towson so i grew up playing those sports along with golf. Against my parents wishes i chose to pursue golf, as i specialized in golf my final two years of highschool. Golf is considered an upperclass sports where you can easily spend thousands a year. Although it would have been nice to have gotten lessons from the top instructors and have a membership to the nicest country club in my case it wasnt neccessary. It took a little bit harder work for me to get where i am but it made me a better golfer as i had to perservere. My parents have spent a couple thousand dollars to make me the golfer i am, which yes is a lot of money but pales in comparison to the money spent by some other college golfers. Ive been able to overcome my lack of funding by hard work and a natural gift for the game that includes a wonderful putting stroke. The thing about the money my parents did put into my golf is that they have gotten it all back. From a highschool golf scholarship, to scholarships to pay for my junior tournaments, to now my free college tuition they made a very sound investment. So yes i regret to say it but social class does make a difference but its not an insurmountable difference. Josh #2 Jenkins

After reading Collins and Yeskel's chapter on inequality of wealth, it became evident how much influence wealth has on one's role in society. There are many ways to group social classes together whether you base it on wealth, income, occupation, lifestyle, education, or social networks. However, Collins and Yeskel referred to the importance of wealth in different social classes. “If income is the stream of money that comes into our lives every year, wealth is our reservoir (Collins, 52).” When you really think about it, these factors that shape social classes do not stray far from the sport experience at all. When I look back at my sporting experience, I really see the different influences that social class had on me and my peers, in this case income and social networks. During my high school years, I was on a highly competitive travel soccer team. All the girls on the team weren't actually from the town that we played for. Each of us were from different towns throughout Long Island, each town differentiating in levels of social classes. The reason I decided to play for this team was simply because my town and high school's soccer programs were not very good. In order for me to market myself to colleges at that time, I needed to be on a very good team with more resources to provide for me a better soccer program in training and have a better network system to reach to colleges. The class issue that was present here was that most of my teammates were in higher social classes and had advantages over me due to their participation in their own high school soccer programs that were very well-known and had better income to resource more specialized trainers. Because the girls who had great networks both with their school teams and our travel team, it was a lot easier for them to market themselves to schools for college. Due to my social capital in comparison to the other girls on the team, I was at a disadvantage to put myself out there. As the lecture quoted, “Our social class location does have considerable influence on shaping our life chances and experiences, sometimes irregardless of our individual actions.” This was the exact case for me. I found the weaker players on my team receiving scholarships, a lot which was simply based on just knowing the ‘important' people from those colleges. It's easy to just follow the American Dream and say “anyone can make it” in America, however, that is not the case for the most part. A lot of your future is out of your control, however, the higher the social class you are in, the more control you can have over your destination. -Gincel

I was brought up in an average middle class household. The great part about that is that there were a lot of other kids who lived in the neighborhood besides me. We all were interested in sports and loved playing them. Most of our parents would have cookouts and play whatever sports game that was on TV at the time. When I was about 10 years old my dad installed a basketball hoop by the driveway. That's where me and the other neighborhood kids would play during the week when we got back from school and on weekends. Basketball was the first sport we really got into. In the beginning we weren't very good due to the fact that we weren't strong enough to shoot the ball the right way so we had to do the granny shots. After a while we got really good at the granny shots until we were able to shoot the right way. When basketball season was going on I would have friends over to watch the game. We would keep tabs on our favorite players and study the crossovers they do. The next day we would practice what we saw on TV on the court when we played each other. That's essentially how we got better at basketball. Since we lived in the same neighborhood we went to the same school and tried out for the basketball team. We all made the team and played really well together mainly because we played and practiced with each other prior to trying out for the team so there were no issues playing with each other. We continued to play through basketball all the way through high school.
My social class played a huge role in my sporting experience. If I grew up in a lower class area then my dad wouldn't have been able to afford to buy me a basketball hoop or if I grew up in an apartment instead of a house then I would have missed out on the practice that made me and my friends better players. Without that start there's no telling when or if I would have found basketball as a fun sport to play and watch on TV.

In response to Scott's message a little earlier in the week, I relate to what he is saying. The income for a family has gone up tremendously and continues to rise. As a child both of my parents worked full time jobs and were able to leave work early or even call out to pick me up to take me to practice. Sports have been a part of my life ever since I was able to play them. Without both of my parents in the workforce I do not know if I would have been able to have the same opportunities as I did.

Social class clearly defines what sports are available to certain people. Many lower/working class people cannot afford the same as the more privileged citizens. It is noticeable that different classes play different sports. For example, the lower/working class might be held to pick-up games such as “street ball” or basketball, sandlot games or baseball, or even soccer in the streets. These are easier for that specific class to play because they need few items to play the game. The reading talks of how much of the US is in poverty and that proves why there are so many kids who are playing in these pick-up games. The graphs are showing how usually the rich get richer, while the poor continue to get poorer. The middle class goes up a little higher in the equipment area of the games. The same games are played, plus a few extra such as tennis or golf. The regular games though, such as baseball or basketball are a little more high class. They will include nicer courts, maybe indoor, or nicer shoes or whatnot. The upper class will get even better equipment. They will have the $150 shoes, gloves, golf clubs or rackets. They will not change much in the sports they play, just how or where they play them. I fall somewhere in the middle of upper class and middle class. I was able to play pretty much any sport that I wanted as a child, and I did as much as possible. I played soccer, basketball, and baseball. A lot of times I would go to numerous camps for each sport. I actually switched from soccer to football in high school as a lot of my friends did. I am able to look back at some friends who had a lot better equipment and some friends who were not able to have some of the equipment I was able to have. I feel like I was very privileged as a child and still am.

I come from middle to upper class town in Montgomery County. Growing up I played a variety of sports at all different levels. Throughout high school the two sports that I stuck with were football and hockey. It's funny that these two sports are what I lettered in seeing as they both have different positions on the "sport related to social environment" scale. Hockey, which is a sport that tends to cost a lot of money to play once you include required materials like skates, pads, ice time, and club fees; and football, which is known for its relatively low cost and its easy accessibility to play. I think if I had grown up anywhere I would have had the opportunity to play high school football. Football has become such a big part of high school culture that every small town between here and Las Angeles has one. Hockey on the other hand is not as popular. Growing up where I did, in a suburb of Washington, I was given the chance to play and learn different sports as a child. Because my friends and their parents shared a common interest in hockey my parents had no problem paying the extra money so I could take part, where as if someone from a different background wanted to take up the sport for similar reasons they might not have been as fortunate. I am very lucky that my parents had the means to allow me to play hockey, I learned many things from playing the game. I defiantly agree with the reading and with what have discussed in class how ones social class can and most certainly does affect not only the sports we play, but also shape us into the people we are.

Strickman

In response to kharri22's post I think that it is fair that private schools have nice things. I mean that is one of the benefits of going to a private school, isn't it? I went to a private school and I know there were alot of girls there whose parents did not have money sitting in a bank account and they were working and living pay check to pay check to pay tutition. But, having the benefits of private school, not only sports facilities but other educational facilities too, seemed worth it. Also, these schools give out financial aid and scholarships so if circumstances do not allow parents to work and pay for it if it matters to the student tand they work hard they can attend schools with nice fields and stadiums too.

I'm responding to Amy's post, I completely agree with what she has to say. It's a shame when the next great athlete in any sport wont get recognized or even worse get the chance to be because of where they live and their social class nick campitelli

Before this class I never really looked at social classes and how they had a part in what sports you play. Now looking back I completely agree with our class notes and lectures. When I was a kid I grew up playing baseball, something everybody around me played. I lived in a rural area where we had open fields to have pick up games in, and then I started playing in leagues. Nothing special as I grew up I started playing during the fall and most of the year for travel teams. In one league we all had to have the same baseball bag, shoes, undershirts etc. and my parents had to buy all of that which can start to add up, plus we traveled all over the eastern shore which the league did not pay for so that also was paid for by my parents who sometimes had to take off work to get me to games in another state. Also when I was younger I also belonged to a country club which was private and a membership cost several thousand dollars for my membership alone, just to play golf. My father and I also would go play other golf courses that ranged in price on other weekends. If I didn't come from a medium to upper class there is no way I could have had these chances to play these sports, at least not at the places I did or have the chance to take lessons in certain sports which I did. This class really made me look at how privileged I was and am. nick campitelli

I grew up in a working to middle class community. No one was super rich and not many were extremely poor. Most of the families made ends meet and could afford for their children to play sports. I played football baseball and basketball growing up which was an all year event. Football carried over into the start of basketball and basketball carried into baseball and so forth . It was an every weekend kind of thing. At the time it didn't dawn on me that this was very expensive for my mom and dad to do. Not only was there a ridiculous amount of travel but eating every week at the ball fields and all the little things that go along with sports. Other than these traditional sports I didn't play many other. My dad never played golf or anything along those lines so I never picked up golf clubs until college. Lacrosse was a foreign word to me until high school when I moved to a Frederick where everyone plays lacrosse. Of course all the neighborhood kids (if you want to call the side of a mountain a neighborhood) would have pick up games of basketball on our gravel court or play home run derby's in the open field across the lane. To this day all of my high school friends and I get together Thanksgiving morning and play our annual "Turkey Bowl."
Growing up in a somewhat working class community it was a rare occasion that any of us went to sporting events let alone have season tickets, but i think that made going when we did get a chance much more enjoyable. Our seat were never fantastic but the atmosphere was much more exciting in the cheap seats. To conclude my aimless rant here I would have to say that playing sports in the both organized leagues and in the sandlot ways has shaped myself into a never ending love for sports, and really all sports. The times i spent at Camden Yards or RFK and now FedEx with my family or friends are some of my fondest memories as a child growing up. Sports whether being played for enjoyment or as a way to make money should always be fun.

Justin Short

When I was growing up, i played soccer. I lived in a middle class area in Montgomery county, where the spanish population was fairly large. At school when we played sports, soccer always appealed to me because the people who were good were shaped like me, so i though i could be good too. Also all my friends played and we could all play together. I played soccer for about six years in childrens leagues and at school. When I got to high school however, and everyone who played soccer was awesome, i didnt seem as good, and never made the team. Living in a place where the people play soccer religiously butted me out of that sport at that time, but it didnt completely keep me out. From that point on i ran cross country because it was cheap and i already had the skill. After high school, the group of people that i hung out with were high school graduates who went straight into the workforce. They were not particularly bad off, but definately not swimming in the dough. When we got together, we always played soccer because all you need is a ball, a field and some sticks for goals. We always wanted to play roller hockey but no one could afford skates or sticks so we had to play soccer.
The thing about those upper-class sports is that for some people, if they want to partake, they have to give up something else important in their life. In order to pursue even an interest in ice hockey one has to invest almost enough to buy a computer, new appliance. For many families, if they are given the choice of one of these commodities or their child playing a sport that they want to play is no choice at all. All they can do is send their children outside to play cheaper sports, without any thought about the next big sports star inside them.

I grew up playing baseball and basketball throughout every season of the year. I think that the main reason I was able to play in sports every season was because I grew up in a middle class family. My parents were very supportive of me playing at the highest competition I wanted and understood the time it would take to play. I continued to play baseball in high school and through the summer and fall. During the winter I played club basketball and attended baseball workouts twice a week. With such a busy sport scheduled maintaining a steady part time job would have been near impossible. But because of my family being middle class I wasn't needed to work to support my family or my future in college. If my family wasn't middle class I may not have been able to play recreationally without a goal professional career. This isn't a luxury that all people have.

I believe that social class has a lot to do with sports. I grew up in a middle class town. I played just about every sport you can think of from ice hockey to wrestling. I played soccer for a club team until my freshman year in highschool. My parents were all about me being active in sports. The main sport I played was golf. I kind of got lucky getting introduced to golf. Golf is a really expensive sport but my pops was an assistant pro at a golf course. I got to play and practice for free and got good deals on normally pricey golf clubs. If that weren't the case I would have probably never had the chance to play golf. Most kids that grow up in a low income household never really get introduced to upper class sports like golf, skiing or tennis. While the upper class can play any sport that they would like. Growing up my family didnt have season tickets to any sports team. Since ive graduated high school my parents have bought season tickets to the Aberdeen Ironbirds which is a minor league baseball team. It is horrible that social class has such an impact on what sports kids can play, but that is just the way it is.

Even though “American Dream” tell us that we can become whatever we want it's not always true. Why this dream can be realized, and is by some, for most people they won't climb to the top of “pyramid.” Social class does have an impact on the sports we play and are exposed to. When I was growing up, as a low middle class kid, I played all the middle and upper middle class sports soccer, basketball, and baseball. Even though I was from a one income family that only had little money I was able to be a part of this class because either I had the basic necessities in equipment or my wealthier friends would help out. In my neighbor, about two minutes from Washington DC, basketball was the most popular sport. It was easy to be close to the city and have a basketball pick-up basketball game, but moving further away from the city it got harder and harder for me have easy access to a full game. Most of my friends where wealthier middle class and they either played golf or were into video games and non-athletic entertainment, so I had to become part of this different class or just pretend that I know what I was talking about. As it was said in lecture, I accomplished the step up in social class by my connection and relationships. As my family accumulated more wealth the more opportunities I had in athletics. When I got to high school, I was able to play lacrosse which is an expensive sport to play. The only times I ever go to Washington Redskins football games is when my upper middle class uncle would gives us tickets from his company. Watching a game in the stadium I experienced, what Collins and Yeskel wrote in “Economic Apartheid in American,” the five “quintiles” of social classes. Sitting at the top are, in my opinion, the “real fans” and they are the lowest level of social classes. As I got closer and closer to the field level the higher the social class. As the years progressed, the middle class got pushed up and as a result the lower class got pushed out, mainly to do with the rise in ticket prices.

Brian Elliott

I agree with kierra that its crazy how there are private schools, calvert hall, who have stadiums and baseball fields and tracks that cost more than their school campus combined most likely. Sports do play a big part in today's society, but how social class determines a lot of times whether or not a student should get looked at by a school for sports is absurd. There are many sports athletes today who came from no name towns and who didn't go to private schools to become the great athlete they are today. Instead they were out on the dirt basketball court, or out on a patch of grass with friends playing the sport that they loved. They spend hours working on their skills because they have dreams of becoming that idol that kids looked up to like they had looked up to with Michael Jordon or Misty May, etc.

Social class plays a huge role in sports. My family lived in a normal middle class neighborhood. Where I grew up I had plenty of opportunities, I played soccer, softball and basketball. I also played in WAGS, which is an expensive women's soccer league. Sports were a priority in my family's life so my parents made sure we could play any thing we wanted. Even though I played a lot of sports I did not go to a lot of professional games because my parents did not have the money for that. Occasionally we would go to an Orioles game but I think we only went when someone gave my dad tickets. Now my family has lower level season tickets to the Raven's games, but my parents have definitely climbed a bit in social class. It is sad that social class can decided someones sport future. There could be a kid who grows up in downtown Baltimore and is an amazing athlete but never really amounts to anything because he has no opportunities. First of all it is expensive to join a league and second if a town is poor than they might not have leagues at all. On the other hand that same kid could grow up right down the street in Mt. Washington and could end up getting a college scholarship for sports because he had the opportunity to get recognized. I was very fortunate to grow up where I did but I do know if my parents were rich than I would have had way more opportunities in sport.

Amy Lauenstein

Since I started playing sports in middle school, social class has definitely played a huge part in shaping my sporting experience. Once I really began getting into sports, I was playing multiple sports year round. Being able to play all these sports within and outside of school was a huge privelage I had being in the social class I was. A lot of different social classes participate in school sports, but being able to join a club team and play year round is a huge privelage that not even middle class kids are able to partake in most of the times. I was one of the few lucky middle class kids that were able to play for a club volleyball team year round and also play volleyball in the fall at school and also run indoor and outdoor track the rest of the year. Focusing on my club volleyball team, my club was one of the lower costing clubs. Only $100 to start up and then about $50 for jerseys. We were considered a “poorer” club team, and with that came the classification that we weren't as skilled as the other higher paying teams. This was a terrible assumption made considering my 14's year, we went to Junior Nationals and were the best in the state of Maryland that year. We had beaten out teams that paid thousands of dollars to play and who all had matching warm up suits and bags and hair ties/ribbons. Looking at some of the girls in these upper class areas looked like volleyball was this huge hassle to do year round. On the other hand, you would look at my team, who only paid a fraction of what the other teams did, and we all enjoyed it. It was something we loved to do. It was sad to see that the girls that played in the club system I was in get looked over by college scouts at the huge conventions just because we a “low” paying team. When there was much talent within our club, but scouts always went straight for the big named clubs that made girls pay thousands apon thousands to play. It's sad to see how social class is even brought into sports; something that MANY use as a past time and others use to achieve their dreams.

Kasi Harris

I have not really thought a lot about how my social class has shaped my sporting activities that much until class this week when we talked about it in the lectures. Growing up in central Jersey, playing soccer and baseball were the things to do. Ever since I could remember, kids always played soccer when they were young and then moved onto baseball when they got a bit older. Of course there were the exceptions where kids played soccer all throughout high school, and the same with soccer. But for the most part, this was how it went. I feel that being in the upper middle class has helped me and given me the opportunity to try as many sports as I wanted. Pre-college, I played baseball in the spring (until I hurt my shoulder), and basketball in the fall. Even though they were recreation leagues, it still gave me the chance to get out and play and see if I really enjoyed the sports. After I left high school, college gave me even more opportunities to try out different sports. Lacrosse and Hockey were two more on my list. I feel as if I didn't come from the background which I came from, I would never have been given these opportunities. The opportunities to come to college, purchase all the equipment, and get out and play these sports. As Collins and Yeskel stated in the reading, “The fact that at least two incomes are required to maintain a financially stable household in last decade means that many more women have entered the workforce, albeit at a lower wage than their male counterparts (Collins 46). This has been happening all across the different classes, but mostly seen in the middle classes. Ever since I was born, and even before, both my mother and father have worked, contributing towards the family salary. This has helped me be able to go and tryout and play all the sports that I have.
Scott Rappaport.

In reply to btrott2's comments, I was shocked to here about the hazardous fields and the mismatching uniforms. I was pleased though to hear that alumni and fundraisers contributed to the attempt to make your situation better. I'm sure this issue of social class consumes you and affects you to the point where I probably don't understand the extent. All I can say is we just have to hope for the best and maybe this next Presidential election will change the way social classes are perceived.

After reading what Collins and Yeskel said about the concentration of wealth is America, I have come to see that it is not just genetics and ability that shape our lives as Americans. Yes, income is very important in your social class determination, but in their writing they focused more on the importance of wealth, which is what you accumulate. “Wealth is very important because it is what people have to fall back on and pass on to their children” (Collins, 52). As you move up on the economic ladder, wealth takes the form of boat, second homes, artwork and even social events such as sports.
Growing up in the suburbs in Annapolis, I had a lot of things to be thankful for. My parents pushed me to play almost every sport a girl could play, as did all my friends. My family was active in coming to all my games, for mainly lacrosse and soccer . It was expected in my community for most of the kids to play these sports, and for the parents to make it a social event and participate in the organization and fundraising. Once I turned 10, I wanted to dance. Competitive dancing costs more than a private school tuition, but I was so lucky my parents could afford it. Once I got serious about competing there were monthly fees, fees for competitions and costumes and private lesson fees added onto my yearly tuition. Not many kids get the opportunity to get the proper dance training and technique that I got, and it mad me realize that it is NOT all about genetics and ability. For some lower class kids, they might be able to get a scholarship to a good performing arts school. But that is rare since not many of those kids are ever exposed to professional dancers, nor do their parents get them interested in it.
In the class power point on social class and sports, it says that social class determinants of sporting activity are economic capital, social capital, and cultural capital. Cultural capital is learned preferences for particular activities. In my life, dancing was a cultural capital, because it was something that I was exposed to, being in the middle working class. For the lower class, basketball would be a sport that would be more of a learned preference. Many of the kids growing up in lower class, inner city neighborhoods play basketball because it only requires a ball and a hoop and that is the most popular sport for them. After realizing that genetics and ability play only a minor part in shaping our lives as Americans, I see that it is Social class and wealth that play more major roles in our sporting activities.
Erin Ragan

Throughout my experience playing sports growing up, I have learned that I was a privileged young man. Growing up in a predominately poor area, I learned from an early age about social class and other kids not having the same opportunity as myself. I was fortunate from an early age to play baseball, basketball, and soccer. Up until about middle school, I played all three and was pretty good at all of them. A lot of kids my age did not have the opportunity to play more than one sport, if any at all, because of family money problems. They could not afford the proper equipment or uniforms to play as competition got better and we got older. In high school, my school baseball team was the best in the county. We had alumni donate money, had fundraisers, and parent help to maintain one of the best fields in the area. When we traveled to other schools for games, most teams had very old uniforms, some didn't even match. Other teams would have uniforms but the majority of the fields were not where they should be. They were huge injury hazard fields, with some of them not even looking like a baseball field. I find it sad, looking back at these memories because most of these kids were just like me and great athletes. Because of lack of money and where they had grown up, I am sure they did not have the chance to travel all over the U.S. to play and show their skill.
Bryan Trotter

I agree with the lecture notes and with the article that your social class does shape the amount and kind of sports you are exposed to. With my social class, I grew up in a single family home where my mother was an instructional support teacher and made enough money to keep the family "comfortable". I was never able to go to any Orioles games or Ravens games because of the ticket. When I was in high school I got an internship with a law firm that gave away free tickets each week, so I went to a couple of games then. I went to a college preparatory high school where the big sport was football. Everyone came to those games. Alumni, the band and current students. Most of the money and attention goes to the sport of football in my high school because lots of our alumni have become CEOs and Mayors. My predominately black neighborhood does not have a playground within 6 blocks of my house. So the only way students get exposed to the sports is in school. Then most of the time the school does not get enough money for all different types of sports. Then you have schools like Cardinal Gibbons and Calvert Hall where the stadium for their sports team probably cost more than my entire high school campus. A higher social class gets exposed to different types of sports because the schools have a bigger budget to put into their different programs. This gives kids more opportunity to branch off into bigger and better things. Plus, sports build up disclipine.

Kierra Palmer

Since I was young, I was always involved with sports. I played field hockey, lacrosse and basketball at a young age, and then when I reached high school, I kept it to field hockey and lacrosse. During high school (and even before) I always participated in indoor/outdoor leagues throughout the year and attended camps, and I also played on a club lacrosse team. With that said, I do feel as though my social class has shaped my athletic/sporting experience tremendously. Playing club lacrosse wasn't cheap. There were all sorts of fees that needed to be paid. But I was able to play because financially it was not a problem, and it also aided in recruiting for college. Now the club team I played for was good. I also had teammates who went to private school and had to pay $20,000 a year for their high school education; these people were also able to pay for private lessons, camps etc. So a team where the people come from a lower social class might not be as talented as a team from a higher social class. It was very interesting to read a chapter from Collins and Yeskel. It is definitely a wake-up call to see how fortunate many of us are and how we were able to participate in different and numerous sporting events that we could.

Although I don't have a very good understanding of this financial debacle, it is clear that the failures of the financial institutions could have grave repercussions on the American people if we do not bail them out. It is still hard to comprehend handing over $700 billion to these financial institutions knowing that tax payers will most likely feel the pain. I would look at the bailout solution as the "lesser of two evils". Unfortunately, even with the bailout, there is no guarantee that the financial institutions will recover. I do believe that the outgoing Chief Executive Officers (CEO) should not be compensated for their bad behavior and one has to wonder where the personal accountability was.

I agree with our lecture notes that social class definately plays a role in an individuals sporting experience, just as it does in almost any aspect of life. For example, I did competitive travel cheerleading throughout middle school and high school. We had oppertunities to travel to Florida, Las Vegas, and Hawaii. In addition, before I made the team I had private lessons for over two years for tumbling. Competitive cheerleading is a completely different experience than the high school cheerleading that most people think about. If it was not for my families fortunate circumstances I would not have been able to travel and have the private lessons that I had. My junior and senior year in addition to the competitive team, I cheered for my high school. Since people could not afford or dedicate the time to private lessons , a nice gym, an experienced coaching staff, and travelling obviously the high school cheerleading team suffered. In high school girls and parents weren't expected or willing to even pay the thousands of dollars we spent a year for all-stars, so we practiced in the cafeteria, had uniforms that were too big, and could not even travel with the basketball team due to limited funds. Sure genetics have some to do with a persons ability to play a sport, but when you have 1 on 1 instruction, who wouldn't be able to learn the basics and more of a particular sport. This ideas all fall under the middle class sporting practices and even some of the upper class sporting practices, such as lavish lives mean lavish extreme pleasures. I think that AIG needs to be bailed out because the general economy is doing this to the company. In the case of welfare queens, alot of it comes down to not getting a job or wanting a change. AIG affects many people such as employees and the general public and welfare queens although they are using our tax money and such, it will not affect people in the same way. I am a fan of the American Dream and pulling yourself up by the boot straps and that is what the government is trying to do with AIG. Now saving all the welfare families.. that is bailing them out of a hole for them to only dig another one. In regards to the reading, it is mind boggling to think that the top one-fifth of American households with the highest incomes now earn half of all the income in the U.S. However, how many of our parents pull in over $100,000. We also belong in that category, it is misleading though because the millionares and billionares here are really the ones who are making the largest percentage.

From my time growing up, I have learned that social class has shaped my sporting experience. When I was a kid I played various sports like baseball, football, basketball and soccer. During my middle school years, I was playing football in the fall, basketball in the winter and baseball in the spring. To be able to play three different sports in one year is not a privilege that everyone can have. During these years without really focusing on it till now I encountered the issue of social class and sports. My basketball team during middle school was fairly good. We would travel to the various Annapolis suburbs and play teams that like us consisted of middle to upper class players. We had nice jerseys and matching brand new Nike basketball shoes. The last tournament we played in that year was held in Baltimore. The gym we went to was in desperate need of maintenance and the team we played didn't even have jerseys; they had to wear matching shirts. These kids were our age and loved the game just like us. But for them, basketball was an escape. For us, it was just another sport. Now looking back I realize how class not only shapes sports but how people look at sports. None of us on my basketball team were going to play professionally and for the most part we knew that. But the kids on the other team were hoping that if they kept playing and working hard, maybe they could be the next Michael Jordan. It's unfortunate that so many kids who are fantastic athletes will be denied a chance to play because of their social class. And, as Collins and Yeskel stated, 2.7 million people receive nearly half of the national income which is more than the poorest 100 million people. There are people who will come from poverty and make it in professional sports, but there are others who will never get the opportunity.

Bill Reem

In terms of AIG getting bailed out by the U.S. government, it may seem like a helpful hand from our friends from upstairs but it is in fact setting our economy back further and further. What ever happened to the United States stance on a laissez faire government? Free markets are getting smaller while our government owns 80% of AIG. Does anyone see how big of a hypocrite the U.S. has become? Anyway back to the task at hand, I do believe social class has helped shape my personal sports experiences dramatically. When I was a kid I was able dabble in any sport I pleased; whether it be indoor soccer, recreational baseball or club basketball, I was given the chance to play. Where I grew up in the suburbs, sport organizations for young kids are not only accessible but prominent as well. I think social class comes into play not just due to the fact that a recreational sport can be costly but due to the fact that in a lower class I don't feel that recreational organizations are prominent. When I think of low social status and sports I think of pickup basketball in an inner city not a planned out, organized indoor soccer match. I remember my dads car dealership sponsoring my basketball teams' with jerseys which is a site you rarely see in a low social status society. I'm not discriminating in the least bit that's just simply how I and the rest of America have unfortunately been programmed. On the ticket front, while my dad was a high ranking employee at a car dealership we did receive free Ravens and Orioles tickets over the years. I even got a chance to see Cal Ripken tie Lou Gehrig's Iron man record. Genetics and overall athletic ability can only do so much for a person but now days it's who you know and who you network with that gets you opportunities in life.