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Open Character trait anazlysis

Gil Caring - “Gil guards my body, my head, my game, my heart, my girlfriend. He’s the one immovable object in my life. He’s my lifeguard”

Father figure - “I tell Gil that I don’t know when I’ve felt so peaceful...I’m right where I want to be...My life has always belonged to someone else...Even my own body wasn’t my own until I met Gil, who is doing the one things fathers are supposed to do. Making me stronger. So being here, Gil, with you and your family, I feel for the first time in my life that I feel where I belong.”

Generous - “The strain, the sordidness, exact a heavy toll on Gil. He worries constantly that he’s not doing enough, that he may have missed something, that he’ll blink or look away one time, and some creep with slither past. He becomes obsessed. He falls into a nearly debilitating depression, and I fall with him, because I am the cause.”

Philly Relaxed - “Philly didn’t have the killer instinct. My father says this about Philly all the time. He says it to me, to Mom. even to Philly-right to his face. Philly just shrugs, which seems to prove that Philly doesn't have the killer instinct.”

Caring - “Then along comes my father. He jumps in and helps Philly gang up on Philly. There is name-calling, slapping. By rights this should make Philly a basket case. At the very least it should make him resent me, bully me. Instead, after every verbal or physical assault at the hands of himself and my father, Philly’s slightly more careful with me, more protective. Gentler.”

Non Judgemental - “My father, as expected, is horrified by my hair and earring. But he refuses to blame himself or the Bollettieri Academy. He won’t admit that sending me away was a mistake, and he won’t stand for any talk of my coming home. He simply asks if I’m a faggot. No, I say, then go to my room. Philly follows. He compliments my new look.”

Pete Good Athlete - “ I see that Pete has improved since that day but not much, he has a big serve, has s fast arm, good action and easy motion.”

Mike Content - “ You’ve beaten all the local boys. You’ve beaten all the boys in the west. You've beaten all the players at the local college! I have nothing left to teach you ”

Prideful - “ says nothing. Not because he disagrees, or disapproves, but because he’s crying. Faintly I hear my father sniffling and wiping away tears, and I know he’s proud, just incapable of expressing it. ”

Steffi Good Mother -  “ Stefanie bursts through The door with the kids. They flop on the bed, and my son asks how I’m feeling. fine, fine. How are the bones? fun! Steffanie gives them sandwiches and juice and hustles them out the door again.”

Good Athlete - “Steffani sees. She feels. You don’t win twenty two Grand slams without a highly developed intuition. Besides she was the same way before her matches”

Supportive - “ Besides she was the same way before her matches she said the back in to the locker room: Go will be here. Do what you need to do. She won’t watch the match from ground level. It’s too close for her. She’ll stay in the skybox with the children, alternately pacing, praying, and covering her eyes.”

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The difficulty pinning down gender

1.) Dutee Chand

- First Indian sprinter to reach final at global athletics

- She failed a genetic test that had nothing to do with her sport. The test was focusing on testosterone levels which he had a high amount of

- She was withdrawn from the National Team

- Refused taking pills to adjust her testosterone levels to be accepted in her sport

- Led change for challenging sports rules on genders and a debate about testosterone

2.) Dora / Heinrich Ratjen

- German Athlete who competed for women’s high jump but was later discovered to be a male

- He nearly won a bronze medal at the 1936 Olympics

- Ratjen was discovered to be a male by a police officer at a train station and was later escorted to a police station to be further investigated. He was charged with suspicion on fraud

- Now one of the biggest sporting scandals on gender fraud

- Made into a movie that Ratjen was forced by the Nazis to compete fraudulently to improve medal tallies

3.) Maria José Martínez-Patiño

- A former Spanish hurdler

- She failed a gender test which dismissed her from a Spanish Olympic team in 1986

- After a genetic test showing that she had XY (male) chromosomes, Maria was then disqualified from the 1985 Kobe Universiade

- Maria was diagnosed with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome.

- Even if there’s a Y chromosome, this diagnosis is a phenotypic development that leads to a female. This is because of a lack of functional response to testicular androgens.

4.) Caster Semenya

- Took 7 seconds off her personal best in 2008.

- Caster was investigated by the IAAF hours before the race. The governing body of her sport also asked for the gender test.

- Caster experienced medical examinations and targets on media due to her rare talents.

- Semenya wasn’t rewarded for her astounding accomplishment. The authorities decided to hit the “moral panic button”

- Modern sports do not believe in strong women which is a big reason why biological racism has grown over the years.

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Understanding gender identity and sexual orientation

1. What are the four characteristics of sexual identity? Explain the differences. Biological sex (intersex): assigned at birth Gender identity (two-spirited/third gender): our innermost sense of self Sex rule (androgynous): how we communicate our gender Sexual orientation (bisexual): romantic and erotic attractions (Asexual): attraction without sexual desire

2. Explain the following terms from the PowerPoint; Intersex: Intersex people are born with any of several variations in sex characteristics including chromosomes, gonads, sex hormones, or genitals Third gender:Third gender or third sex is a concept in which individuals are categorized, either by themselves or by society, as neither man nor woman. Androgynous:partly male and partly female in appearance; of indeterminate sex. Bisexual: sexually attracted to both men and women. Asexual: without sexual feelings or associations.

3. Give me all of the statistics from the file. Find other statistics about homophobia. Cite your sources. In a clear, focused and organized response discuss which statistics stand out to you the most and why.

- LGBT students hear anti-gay slurs an average of 26 times each day.

- 26% of LGBT youth are told to leave home.

- LGBT youth are more likely to become homeless.

- 30% of all suicides are LGBT

- 43% of trans-identified persons attempt suicide.

- 122 countries allow homosexual acts between consenting adults.

4. Slides 21-24 introduce the concept of Heterosexism. Explain what this means in your own words. Explain if you accept this concept or not. A good answer will have a clear beginning, middle and end. It will also have specific examples to support their stance. The examples can be either hypothetical or real world.   You can also use the prompts on slides 22-24 to help you. Refer to the movie Beholder where you see fit.

Heterosexism to me is what is consider the “normal” sexual orientation in today’s society. It is to be attracted to the opposite sex in which you identify under. I believe that this is not a good concept, it isn’t fair to the people that do not identify as heterosexual to be penalized for what they feel. 43% of trans-identified persons attempt suicide. Someone who isn’t considered to be heterosexual now a days isn’t as new as if it was a couple years ago. A couple years ago when liking the same sex was considered bad, people have been treated badly and considered self-harm but now that its known around the world people support and soon it’s going to be considered normal.

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OPEN Questions (100 pages)

1.  On pg 8 Agassi writes, "...now that I know roughly who I am, I want to close my eyes and hide from it." This is before his last match. What is he talking about? Who is he and why does he need to hide?

When Andre says that now he knows roughly who he is, he want to close his eyes and hide from it. He means that he’s going to close his eyes and hide from tennis because throughout his entire tennis career he didn’t want to continue it but he did so that he could keep his father happy. When he closes his eyes, to him he’s mentally, physically and emotionally preparing any challenges that comes his way so that when the day comes he’ll be prepared. While growing up his father preferred him to play tennis than to got to school, and for a parent to take away a child’s education would be selfish but unfortunately that is what happened to him. Andre knows that he doesn’t want tennis as a career but he does it because he’s forced to, so therefore he says that he hides from it as in “tennis” so that he could have a peace of mind without thinking about it. Andre also feels the need to hide from himself because he doesn’t want to confront the person who he turned into because he knows who he is and what he wants, but tennis and his father is stopping him from being the person he is.

2. Despite the negative attitude towards tennis, when does Agassi talk favourably about tennis?  Find examples and explain the good things he feels about tennis.

A part in the book where Andre Agrassi talks favourably about tennis is page 13 when he says, “ when I pull a fresh racket from my bag and try to serve out a match, the string tension can be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Because im playing for my family, my charitable foundation, my school, every string is like a wire in an airplane engine. Given all that lies beyond my control, I obsess about the few things I can control, and racket tension is one such thing.” He explains that he’s happy playing tennis for all the important things in his life, such as his family, charitable foundation and his school. All these things is what motivates Andre to continue playing tennis, and if this is what pushes him to play then he will do so. Another example that Andre talks favourably about tennis is on page 29 when he says, “ Though I hate tennis, I like the feeling of hitting a ball dead perfect. It’s the only peace. When I do something perfect, I enjoy a split second of sanity and calm.” He suggests that even though he dislikes tennis, the feeling of hitting a ball dead perfect makes him feel like he accomplished something within the sport, besides him winning a game.

3. How has Agassi's father turned him into the man he is and the father he is?

Without Andre’s father he wouldn’t be the person he is today. Although his father forced him to pursue a career in tennis and kept him away from his education throughout most of his childhood, his father pushed him and motivated him so that he could win every game that he plays in. Andre wouldn’t have the mindset of motivation, commitment, and dedication if his father wasn’t there to do so. Since Agrassi didn’t attend school as much, he hopes that his kids Jaz and Jaden can have the education that he didn’t get to have while a child, and having an education in general is something every child deserves to have without their parents ruining it for them. Andre learned a lot from his father, such as his parenting skills, the way he spoke to him, and the way he kept him away from school. Although he learned from his father, Andre knew he wouldn’t grow up to be like him to his children. Therefore, if he hadn’t been through all of this with his father he wouldn’t be the person he is today nor be the father he is to his children.

4. One of Agassi's closest relationships is with his friend Perry. What is the connection between the two?

Perry Rogers and Andre Agassi have a good friendship. Perry and Agassi share something in common and that is their relationships with their fathers. Perry says that his father is a narcissist that only thinks of himself and Perry as his personal property and despite his views it’s his father’s way or no way. Just like Andre’s dad with tennis although he doesn’t have a passion for tennis his father does so that’s the way it’s going to be. They both agree that they have very controlling fathers and most times it can be pretty overwhelming. They are able to talk about things they can relate to with each other instead of other people because they just may not understand. Agassi talks to Perry about tennis, despite hating tennis, as well as school although he hates school and Perry talk to Agassi about his mouth and nose. Agassi says “…I don’t care what’s mine is Perry’s because I’ve decided that Perry is my new best friend.” Perry and Agassi have a very go to friendship which suggests a tight bond. To me it seems as though Agassi and Perry spend every moment they can together. They meet everyday at Cambridge until it was time to go home. Agassi says they are inseparable, partners in crime. I can relate to his friendship with Perry, but instead with a group of girls. My friends and I do almost everything together and we associate all day and everyday. We’ve been told that we’re inseparable and that we’re always talking to one another.  

5. Agassi does not speak highly of the Bolliteri Tennis Academy.  Compare Agassi's observations with the information found at the academy's website  https://www.imgacademy.com/sports/bollettieri-tennis

This answer could be done in chart form if you wish.

Andre Agrassi’s observations

Doesn’t like the way It looks

He was humiliated by the way he dressed

You had to be dressed a certain way

Looks like a military

The website’s information 

There’s help for athletes

Boot camp

Motivates students to better themselves

Training environment

6. Do you have more sympathy for Andre or his brother?  Explain.

I have sympathy more for Andre than his brother Philly because as the older brother you have a lot put on you than you’re younger siblings. Being responsible for many things as the older one can be tough and overwhelming. Although they both were put through a lot, Andre was kept from school almost his entire childhood and had to focus on tennis. His father forced him to hit 2,500 balls a day because his theory was if you can hit 17,500 balls a week and nearly a million balls a year, he would basically be unbeatable, so that’s what Andre did for most of his childhood. Having an education taken away from you so that you could focus on a sport can ruin an individual mentally and emotionally. His father yelled at him a lot when he messed up, and being yelled at by your parent can be stressful. Living a life as a lie can mess up an individual in many ways because not only are you lying to yourself but your becoming a person that you’re not to make someone else happy.

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Quick hit #4

In the article the raptors believe that they can beat the cavaliers. No I do not agree with that statement. The raptors have proven to choke in postseason moment, to be more specific, their starting point guard Kyle Lowry. In past seasons he’s probably averaged 10 points and pointless amount of turnovers in his postseason matchups. Now he’s never played up to the hype, except in regular season and everyone knows Lebrun switches the dial when it comes to the playoffs. So his mediocre performances need to stop if they have a chance to beat him. For them to beat the cavaliers they need to have their 2 stars in Demar Derozan and Kyle Lowry to perform, also they would need their bench to play at an all time high out scoring the cavaliers bench, lastly they need to be together as a unit like never before. As for the prediction of the finals matchup, it will be Houston and cavaliers. The best offence efficiency in the league and in NBA history is the rockets so they are a force to be wreck-end with. The cavaliers showing up in the finals is just because the eastern conference is weak and has been weak for years so Lebron has it easy. As of right now, Lebron doesn’t look like he’s slowing down anytime soon so for now the raptors will not be able to eat past Lebron.



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Quick hit #3

In Hit #3, we take a look at athletes and mental health.  Here we have two prominent NBA players who are openly admitting to dealing with anxiety and mental health issues.

The question is this: Why is this an important development in pro sports?  What impact will these athletes potentially have on sport at all levels?  Explain why

NBA players who are openly admitting to dealing with anxiety and mental health issues is an important development in pro sports because it helps players feel more comfortable in expressing what their dealing with when they’re not playing the sport, and it helps fans understand that a sport isn’t just a sport, there’s more going on behind a sport. Athletes will potentially gain more confidence in expressing how they feel which will eventually help fans understand what they go through on a personal level and it will help decrease the drug use, suicides, self harm, etc in players.

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Quick hit #2

shut up and dribble

while watching the video of Laura Ingraham talk about Lebron James, I disagree with her opinion about how he’s a basketball player and that he shouldn’t be talking about politics because not only is she shaming him about being a basketball player but she is also excluding the fact that everyone has a voice. In the video she brings up the fact that he didn’t graduate, but later on Lebron cleared that up and said how he did in fact graduate and then went to the NBA. Throughout it all she was against him speaking his opinion because of what he does for a living, I personally disagree because no one should have to worry about what they do for a living to speak their mind. Lebron did the right thing to defend himself from Laura Ingraham, therefore he shouldn’t just play the game and be quiet because everyone can speak their mind and say what they wanna say without being bashed.

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Iconic Athlete

For my Iconic athlete I chose Michael Jordan aka MJ, because not only is recognized as a basketball player from the time he used his leaping ability, demonstrated by performing slam dunks from the free throw line in slam dunk contests, but he’s remembered as a businessman, principal owner and chairman of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association. Jordan is also known for his product endorsements. He fueled the success of Nike's Air Jordan sneakers, which were introduced in 1985 and remain popular today. Jordan also starred in the 1996 film Space Jam as himself. In 2006, he became part-owner and head of basketball operations for the then-Charlotte Bobcats, buying a controlling interest in 2010. In 2015, Jordan became the first billionaire NBA player in history as a result of the increase in value of NBA franchises. He is the third-richest African-American.

During his rookie season in the NBA, Jordan averaged 28.2 on 51.5% shooting. He quickly became a fan favorite even in opposing arenas and appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated with the heading "A Star Is Born" just over a month into his professional career. Jordan was also voted in as an All-Star starter by the fans in his rookie season.  Jordan's marked talent was clear from his rookie season. In his first game in Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks, Jordan received a prolonged standing ovation, a rarity for an opposing player. After Jordan scored a playoff record 63 points against the Boston Celtics on April 20, 1986, Celtics star Larry Bird described him as "God disguised as Michael Jordan."

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Quick hit #1

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Essay Introduction paragraph

Have you ever wondered how being involved with sports can make an impact on lives? Through sports being present everywhere, they are seen to leave an impact among lives in different ways. Within points brought upon in the article and our own experiences, sports are found to be forces of change in our everyday lifestyles. Steve Benedetto is able to relate to this change through events that he faced, and also individuals that he encountered along the way. By examining the social development that sports create, the force of individuals becoming self motivated, production of relationships with those around them, and racial injustice, it will be proven that sports are transformative.The argument of sports being a strong force of change will be analyzed by key details in many scenarios to prove why we identify it in this way.

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Unbreakable Records

The most unbreakable record that i’ve found was the 1988 Summer Olympics Women’s 100m by Florence Griffith Joyce.  She had barely competed before the Olympic Trials, only running her personal best 10.89 into the wind in San Diego. Then at the trials she shocked the world by taking more than a quarter of a second out of Evelyn Ashford's world record and backing it up with three other races that were significantly faster than any other woman had ever run. Her next races were at the Olympics and her ability was no longer a mystery. In the first round, her time was 10.88, a hundredth faster than she had run in San Diego, but it was the Olympic record, almost a tenth of a second faster than Ashford had run winning the gold four years earlier. In the semi finals, she matched her Indianapolis semi final time win a 10.70 that was still .06 faster than any other woman had ever run. While watching her run in the video, this proved to me that not only can men break a record but women can too because when we talk about about sports most people talk about which guy is the best player or shooter but never about a women. Therefore, choosing Florence Griffith Joyce wasn’t just about explaining her unbreakable record but to show that women in sports have the right to be talked too.

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