Emma Nicholas Essays - Sports, Live Action Role-playing Game

Emma Nicholas Professor Jonsson Anthropology of Sports 5 November 2012 A Different Sport, a Different Play Imagine taking the risk of being thrashed into sharp rocks while trying to catch a colossal wave. Or perhaps boxing day in and day out in the far land of Thailand; ramming a hard right hook for that final knock-out before the moment of glory. Another consideration might be running up and down a lengthy court trying to score that three pointer. Even grown adults show their alternate personality when they clothe themselves in costume and battle amongst made up realms. These risk, these communities, the opportunities all play a part in the form of play. These various forms of play come from the sports we choose to take part in. The different forms of play relate people to community, inequality, opportunity and risk. The sport communities in which we congregate, act as a role in the ways we play. The loose knit community of surfers brought all sorts of "beach bums" with surfboards together. This group of people known as "beach bums" all grouped together on the beach and spent an immense amount of time on the hot sand as well as the refreshing water. In the film Riding Giants, it was discussed how all the surfers related to each other in their passion for surfing. At the time, a crowd could be considered ten people surfing for two to three hours alone. Amounting to the total eight to ten hours just being in the water and on the beach altogether. These surfers were so intertwined with each other, that relating to each other was extremely easy. For example, the population of surfers had their own jargon of slang terms. Such as "hang loose" or "gnarly". Their mentality was exceptionally cheerful while being hugely carefree. So carefree that the surfing group would pitch a tent right on the beach, fish right from the ocean for food and collect the freshest fruit they found. Even s ome of the big time surfers such as Pete Peterson, George Downey and Woody Brown came from this surfing community. They all started where every unknown surfer was, just sitting on a surfboard waiting for a wave as a whole of people who could relate to each other. Though the surfers had a great time relating to each other, not all communities of people were as equal. A not so lucky group of girls faced an immense amount of inequality. On the Lady Lions basketball team, coach Rene Portland made no secret of her training rulesno drugs, no drinking, and no lesbians. This discrimination had been put into place for as many as twenty-three years, the time Portland had been coaching at Penn State. Basketball is not necessarily a sexist game, nor is it meant to be. However, Rene Portland made the game as sexist as she could due to her firm rule of no lesbians. Portland even asked girls she knew were straight to spy on some of their fellow teammates and find out if anyone was lying about their sexuality. Rene Portland's tactics were deemed "intimidating, hostile, and offensive". Portland's intent of the discrimination was to take the stigma of lesbianism out of woman sports. The female basketball players at Penn State suffered so much inequality and unfairness that if the girls were lesbians and wanted to play basketball, they had to keep quite of their s exuality or get kicked off the team. The disconcerting part was not only did coach Portland exude extreme sexism, but also Penn State did nothing to stop it. The women of the Penn State Lady Lions basketball team faced some of the most prime example of inequality within a sport due to their sexual orientation. Though the inequality was huge, does not overpower the fact that these ladies still had the opportunities to play. Among other opportunities to play, the colorful and unusual people of Darkon take hold of every opportunity they get to live action role-play (larp). Larping is a way for the community of "larpers" to simulate real life battle. If you wear armor, then you have more strength and will not die instantly. There are hexes, charms, poisons, etc. different types of magical mischief to aid in