self-ex·am·i·na·tion (noun)
the study of one’s own behavior and motivations.
In class recently we discussed who the people or topics of our papers were going to be, and it was brought to my attention that we, the writers, were also a topic of discussion. We have insight on our topic of choice that no one else has. Which made me do a lot of self reflection- why did I chose this as my topic? If I were to interview myself the way I were interviewing strangers, what would I say? So, that’s exactly what this piece is: me, interviewing myself.
I started playing soccer when I was 4 years old. My parents enrolled me in dance classes, t-ball, and a soccer league all at the same time and wanted me to try them out for a couple years and then pick my favorite to pursue. When I was little, I dreamed of playing on the women’s national team- Mia Hamm was my hero. My family would always watch the games together, supporting the United States National Teams. At one point, however, the difference in male and female athletes came to my attention. I had friends who didn’t take me seriously because I was a girl who played soccer. Why were women not given the same opportunities as the men? At the time, in my eyes, playing for the national team was one of the highest honors. While the women’s team consistently outperformed the men’s team, they were never held to the same regard.
Fast forward to when I was in middle school and I had a soccer coach who was from Peru. He was very excited about soccer and named our club team after his favorite team, F.C Barcelona. We were a rec-A league team, which was the top level for a standard league before moving up into a travel league. My coach however, entered us in travel league competitions and drove the team around to all the games. He suggested that we watch international soccer to see how the international athletes played in comparison to the United States teams. This was the first time I had watching international soccer to appreciate the other teams, and not solely to cheer for the United States. I was instantly hooked on F.C Barcelona and have loved (and occasionally hated) them since.
All of this had occurred before I had left the country and before I had been able to watch a match in person. When I was able to travel abroad, I grew a further appreciation for international soccer. The fans were also unbelievably passionate and rather than just watching the game, it truly felt like I was involved in the experience. I was able to play while I was there and it was a completely different experience than when I played in the United States. I loved the soccer culture while I was abroad and found myself looking for the same experiences when I got home.
Many of my friends in the United States are also fans of international soccer, which is what ignited the idea to write my paper about it. I knew how I happened upon the team that I follow, but how did other people find their teams? Did they prefer to watch MLS or one of the many international leagues? I have altered the specifics of my thesis question so may times since I first started this project, and quite honestly I’m not certain how it will end up; but I have had such a good time researching my topic and interviewing people that I am friends with and people I had never met before. I have learned so much about those who watch soccer in the United States and I am eagerly looking forward to doing my participant observations the next upcoming weekends.
