Introduction - Week 1

To start off, my name is Brandy Rosebrock and I am an event planning/tourism major. I'm from Hicksville, OH which is about an hour west of Bowling Green. I am taking this class because I had Dr Spencer for SM 221 and I really enjoyed the class. At first I just picked 221 off a sheet of electives, but after taking it I have found out many interesting things about sport and I'm really looking forward to taking 425. I am a big fan of the Miami Dolphins who are doing very well in the preseason and I hope they keep it up! I also love the Ohio State Buckeyes, always have. Of course I support my Falcons as much as possible too. I also like the Cavaliers, but I am more into playing basketball than watching it.
As for sports I have participated in, I used to play soccer when I was in elementary school for about 4 years, softball from t-ball all the way up to my sophomore year in high school, and basketball from Jr. High to my senior year. I would have continued playing softball, but for some reason I became uninterested in it. I have always loved playing sports, being part of a team, and of course winning. Basketball has always been my favorite sport to play. It's exciting from the second you start to the very last shot. I was the team co captain my junior and senior year. I even coached 4th, 5th, and 6th graders throughout high school because I love helping them understand the game and I love seeing their excitement when they master a layup or hit their first jump shot.

As for my sports interests, being a Miami Dolphins fan wasn't really a choice in my household. I was dressed in Dolphins gear since I was a baby. My dad is a huge Dolphins fan so it just sort of fell into my lap. That's okay though because I love them! I have only seen them play in Miami once but someday I would love to go back down there for a game. Football is my favorite sport to watch and is really the only one I do so consistently. I did get to go to a Cavaliers game last year for the final regular season game; however I was very disappointed that Lebron James didn't play. I was so excited to go watch him and I didn't even think about it being the last game and the Cavs saving their best players for the playoffs.

Let's see, I'm going to go ahead and say Lebron James for the male I would like to see compete in their sport. It only seems fitting since I didn't actually get to see him when I tried last season! I think it would be a great experience to watch Lebron play because he has a lot of potential and he is a great basketball player. I believe Lebron is one of the greatest athletes of our generation and watching him play is something I've wanted to do for a long time. As for a female athlete I would pay to see, I think I would choose Venus or Serena Williams. I am not a big fan of tennis, however I do respect the sport and I think that the Williams sisters have a lot of talent. Also I would like to watch them play because not only are they great athletes, but they have also had to deal with a lot of ridicule and I really respect the way they handle those situations.

In taking this class, I am hoping to gain a broader knowledge into the world of sports. I've taken a women's studies class and a history/philosophy of sports class, so I think that this class on sport and gender will be a good one for me to take. I don't really have any concerns or issues but as for goals I am hoping to do well in this class. I expect to learn a lot of new things and see sport and gender issues from a new perspective.