The first basketball game of the season at Lobo Middle School, the
Lobo girl’s team will be competing against the Indians at six o’ clock.
Entering into the gym from the cold autumn weather, I encounter a middle aged
women- who is wearing a district name tag – charging for
admissions. Fifty cents for students and one dollar for adults, are the ticket
prices. Based on what I can from the
entrance of the gym, I conclude that the school is making a killing selling
tickets for already the gym is quite full. I pay the fee, get my hand stamped
with mark of payment – I guessing this is to prevent people from getting in
free by falsely claiming they already paid. The fact that the school had to go
to this measures of identifying I people who paid hints at a previous problem
of people sneaking in –I’m guessing students since the game is being held on a
weekday.
Finding myself a seat on the wooden bleachers I take in my
surrounding before the game starts. There is no heater in the gym – has the school
not installed one in hopes to avoid a
unnecessary expense that the upcoming
bond would render obsolete with the building of a new gym. Frankly I don’t see
the real need for a new gym – compared to other schools Lobo Middle has no
visible damage to the walls or ceiling and it is relatively new being about new
at fifteen years old. Hanging on the wall are painted posters made out of long
sheets of butcher paper. I wonder if the
cheerleaders or student council made them. The bleacher are fuller compared to
the volleyball game. I wonder is this due to more student support for the game
is held on a school day , is it easier for parents to attend coming out after
work , is it because this sport is more popular in general? I’m not attributing
the added attendant due to the size of the team, for volleyball had more;
players on the team. I also notice that the majority of the adult present
appear to be mainly parents with few grandparents present – is this due to
Saturday being more accessible for members outside the nuclear structure? I
hear a mix of Spanglish and English being spoken by the spectators. There are some people from the booster club
set up on the side of the gym selling snacks and advertising t-shirt and sweat
suits sets. The t-shirts are the same price from volleyball. The offering of
the sweat suit is new- is this due to the fact that it is more appropriate in
this colder weather or is because it appears more people are fans of basketball
and thus is a smarter business venture with the basketball crowd then
volleyball crowd?
The seventh grade start, their coach is the young women who coached the eighth grade volleyball girls earlier this year. I wonder how her team due will, will they be affected due to the inexperience of the coach and their inexperience of actually playing. The seventh graders on both teams appear to be of equal height- height can be an advantage- and of the same race. The majority girls on the Lobo team are the same who played volleyball – they had teamwork playing volleyball will that still exist during this different sport.
The seventh grade start, their coach is the young women who coached the eighth grade volleyball girls earlier this year. I wonder how her team due will, will they be affected due to the inexperience of the coach and their inexperience of actually playing. The seventh graders on both teams appear to be of equal height- height can be an advantage- and of the same race. The majority girls on the Lobo team are the same who played volleyball – they had teamwork playing volleyball will that still exist during this different sport.
The crowd seems more lively compared to volleyball crowd with their
loud cheering , stomping of their feet , and protest to free throws - I don’t truly
understand why for it is the same parents from volleyball or is the game
considered more exciting because it requires running and contact?
Watching the game, you can tell this is the first game of the
season for both teams. For one thing there appears to be a lack of a play in
motion as girls are bunching up. A second reason are that shots are not going in,
even many layups are not going in. I do
not see any major animosity within the teams. Is the lack of tension due to the fact the
majority of the Lobo girls had work
together to win a championship in an earlier sport, is it due to lack of
pressure that occurs later in the season. Even the new girls are not being
regarded unkindly by being visible excluded or yelled at – I’m guessing because
one of the new girls was a volleyball mangers so therefore is not a stranger .
The game is won by the Lobos 22 to 16- will this win inspire future
wins?
