Allie’s Basketball Dream Just by looking at the cover of the story “Allie’s Basketball Dream” by Barbara Barber I could already tell that the story itself seems to be an ideology. The ideology is not hard to figure out; even the name of the story gives it away. Most girls dream of being a ballerina, a princess, or even a vet but with Allie’s case she wants to be professional basketball player. When I first picked up this book, the name of the book intrigued me to want to read it because I never would have guessed a girls dream would be to be a professional basketball player. As I started to read this book I noticed that the book is based on adults and children of African-American race in urban and inner-city areas.
In urban and inner-city areas, playground basketball is a popular form of recreation. Many children and adults in these areas play neighborhood games in parks, alleys, driveways, backyards, and playgrounds. In the neighborhood I was brought up in, I never saw basketball played anywhere besides at school or if you had a basketball hoop in your driveway.
The story starts out with Allies father giving her a gift of a basketball that she really wanted. Allies father brought her a gift and said “Because I love you (Baber 2)” and kissed
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She became upset and sat on the bench. The picture of Allie sitting on the bench shows her emotions of frustration and her being upset (17). When Buddy came to talk to Allie he said he would trade his volleyball because it would be easier for her to play with. After Allie thinks about the first time her father brought her to a basketball game she said "No way i'm getting rid of this ball! It's a gift from my dad. Someday I'm going to be the best basketball player ever (Barber 20)." Even though Allie doesn’t say something like "I don't want to be girly" she is still resisting the ideology that “only guys play basketball” or “girls don’t play
Remember that boy in high school that was the star of the basketball team? He still holds most of the records for the team. He scored more points than anyone else in the school’s history. He never studied much because he was an athlete. His basketball skills were going to take him places. But high school ended and there are no more games to be played. Where is that former all-star now? In his poem “Ex-Basketball Player,” John Updike examines the life of a former high school basketball star. Flick Webb was a local hero, and he loved basketball. He never studied much in school or learned a trade because he was a talented athlete. Now years later, the only job Flick can find is working at the local gas station. He used to be a star, but now he just “sells gas, checks oil, and changes flats” (19-20). The purpose of Updike’s poem is to convince the reader that athletes should also focus on getting a good education.
Your dreams of being someone may not turn out the way you think they will. The documentary Hoop Dreams is a story about two boys from the ghetto that want to play in the NBA. Arthur ¨Man”Agee goes to Marshalls and William Gates goes to St. Joseph’s which are both situated in Illinois, where their dreams of becoming a pro basketball player vanished. Both of the boys face obstacles that are outside of themselves. Arthur´s family struggled with money, education, and pressure from others hurts him. Also, William struggled with balancing his family with basketball, the pressure from others, and education.
In the collegiate world of sports, basketball has become an increasingly recognized sport among African Americans, predominantly males. The hope of any young basketball player is that one day a scout will come and recruit them into stardom The question that presents itself as a problem to the lucky few who are chosen to go professional, is whether or not an education is more important than a million dollar shoe deal, “The NCAA's (1998) annual six-year study reported that only 33% of Black male basketball players graduated, (Chronicle of Higher Education, 1999). Individually, basketball reported the lowest graduation rate in all divisions,” (Robinson, 2004:1). Basketball players have become so idolized in the eyes of young Black male basketball athletes, that the value of education appear to be less important in the development of these young men, “According to Sailes (1997), there is an over-representation of Black males in particular sports and an under-representation in other segments of American society. He provides the example of percentages of Black males competing in the NBA (77%), NFL (65%), MLB (15%), and MLS (16%) in comparison to the fact that fewer than 2% of doctors, lawyers, architects, college professors, or business executives are Black males.”, (Robinson, 2004:1). The idea of the attainment of a professional basketball player’s salary in the NBA, without even having to go to school for the time it takes to earn a degree is very appealing to some players. Those with a wealthy, or even upper-middle class upbringing may not view material assets as a priority. In the Black community, we have theorized that money and success play a more important role than education in most households. Although these two seem to go together, one resulting from the other, this does not apply in the sports world. Our research will examine the role that the family value system plays in influencing Black vs. White male athletes to turn professional, as opposed to obtaining a college degree before turning professional.
In the beginning of the chapter, gender differences are discussed. Boys being more involved in sports than girls, girls preferring dolls, and more women being stay-at-home-parents are just some of the distinctions between the two genders. However, through sociologist’s examinations, it is made clear that these differences are sometimes exaggerated (269).
The root of gender based inequalities seen within sports, most specifically softball, are preconceived notions, which often stem from highly influential individuals (i.e. parent/coach/mentor) during the developmental stage of adolescents. The common perceptions exist because individuals of high authority have confined the boundaries to which gender exists. For example, the Barbie Girls versus Sea Monsters story illuminates that sex segregation and common perceptions begin to form even as little as four and five years old (Messner, 2015). Messner proposes that society should not look at these gender inequalities separate as boys and girls, but rather comprehend the environments of the children and how the children declare themselves into divided paradoxical categories (Messner, 2015). The foundation of his ideology derives from the “social organization of gender difference” being “so clearly tied to gender
In the book, the authors detail the lives of the players and those around them. The impact of being away from family also takes center stage, from dealing with the death of parents and siblings to coping with changes in family dynamics. The game of basketball also helped the girls get away from the Indian Wars and the Dawes Act that had occurred before the boarding school was founded. For many of the girls, basketball was a grounding force that continued to foster an important sisterhood among team members.
To conclude, the poem “Ex-Basketball play,” is a poem that shows the reality of life. It reflects the nature of life in the real world and it helps people who have a dream and want to pursue their goals to go for it. The poem was formally organized and provides a number of figurative languages that helps to bring out tone of the poem.
Girls are told to stay indoors and play with their dolls or bake, while boys are encouraged to go outdoors, get dirty, and be adventurous. Wade and Ferree also state “sports are squarely on the masculine side of the gender binary” (Wade and Ferree, 174). Hence, we are brought up with the understanding that playing and talking about sports is a boy’s thing, which further promotes the notion that sports are a very masculine thing. Furthermore, as playing sports is competitive and is a way to show excellence, young boys are considered as “real boys” and “real men” later on. However, when boys do not talk about or play sports, they are considered feminine or “not real men.” The same rule applies for young girls. If young girls are too into sports, they are considered to be “too masculine.” This is true for me too. When I was younger, I was told to not play too much outdoors and to behave “like a girl.” The stigma that only boys should be allowed to play sports and it is not a feminine thing needs to be erased for us to welcome a more gender-equal
Many Americans watch sports for the fun of the game; it is a form of relaxation or excitement. Becoming an athlete is something many dream about and some strive for a portion of their lives trying to make it a reality. But is it just as attainable for women as it is men? Being able to make a career out of something a person enjoys is something many dream about. Women do not have the same advantages when it comes to being an athlete or upward mobility in employment. There has been some progress in the equality of men and women but not enough. Hegemonic masculinity still affects women’s chances at succeeding in employment and sports because of perceived gender roles, stereotyping, and discrimination.
The history of sports goes back since ancient times. It has been a useful way for people to explore nature and their environment. Sports include different activities and games such as football, soccer, basketball, and etc. to express their skills and talents. Also, sports are a way to relax and have fun; but are sports all our African Americans rely on? The dream to become future sports stars. The reason why Gates begins his essay with an anecdote is to show and compare how many african-american athletes were at work today and how little the chances of African-Americans becoming athletes are compared to being a lawyer, dentist, or even a doctor. African-Americans assume that they are born athletes and it’s because the school system doesn’t teach them reality and educate them to undertake more realistic goals for careers.
Smith , Earl. Race, Sport and the American Dream. Durham, North Carolina: Carolina Academic Press, 2007.
After Allies father catches her and Noah making out in the truck, he tells Allie that he wants to have the chance to meet her friend, so he politely asked Allie to invite Noah over Sunday for dinner. While seating at the dinner table, Noah was asked what job he does for a living. After Noah stated that he was a laborer it was pretty clear by their facial expressions (especially her mother’s) that they did not approve of their relationship. Later, Anne makes the statement that “summers almost over” giving her daughter the idea that her and Noah probably will not be seeing each other anymore. Moreover, Anne decided to tell Noah about Allie’s school plans, and how he was not in the plan. Anne believes that their relationship is just a summer fling, or a short-term initial attraction. This scene most certainly relates to chapter nine. Allie was unable to develop her Relationship of Choice simply because they did not find Noah suitable for her, mainly because he was not wealthy. Al...
Gender roles contribute to both the past and the present. However, gender roles were a bigger issue in the past. Men were seen as superior to women. More specifically, I’d like to focus on gender roles that convey male dominance. The superior roles of men are prominent in many works of literature that I am associated with such as The Color Purple by Alice Walker.
Wallace, Robert. “Should Girls Play on Boys’ teams?” Creators.com A Syndicate Of Talent. N.P. 2011. Web. 8 Dec. 2013.
Basketball is a team sport which has enormous admiration and frolicked with the aid of a ball that is shot into a basket placed horizontally. The objective to shoot the ball that is scores which are increased by resulting definite rules of the game. The game is played by 2 teams establishing 5 players each who play on a noticeable rectangular floor with baskets on mutually ends. The game of basketball was invented by James Naismith in 1891. James Naismith was a physical education teacher at McGill University and later at Springfield College (then Y.M.CA.) at Springfield, Massachusetts. Under the guidance of physical education specialist, Luther Halsey Gulick, he invented basketball as an indoor sport. Basketball is the world’s popular sports