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Marissa Lotz

Natalie Cornu

KHP 300 – 003

16 September 2022

Writing Assignment #1

The term sociology is defined as “the study of the social worlds that people

create, maintain, and change through their relationships with each other” (Coakley, 2020,

p. 4-5). When we think of sports, we tend to see just a game, or competition, because this

is what we are taught. However, sports have a much more influential role because they

also incorporate several important life skills. These sports can be either individual, team

based, or both. For example, gymnastics is a sport where each gymnast competes

individually, but the overall team score is the deciding factor. The United States

Gymnastics Championships is a major competition that is held each year where both men

and women participate. This event promotes several social, cultural, and structured

aspects of life. When an athlete becomes a professional, everything has an effect on their

relationships with the public, their coaches, and sponsors.

In the sport of gymnastics, the opportunities to form and grow relationships are

endless. Most people view gymnastics as an individual sport, and they would not be

entirely wrong with that statement. However, the team as a whole must do well in order

to win the competition. With that said, one relationship that gymnasts have the

opportunity to form is with their teammates. Receiving support from your teammates in

gymnastics actually improves the connection that the team has with each other. The team

must help each other meet individual goals in order to meet goals that the team has.
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Another unique relationship that gymnasts can build is with the public. The public has a

large influence on the performances at competitions. The support and encouragement that

comes from the crowd at the event is truly remarkable. Being an athlete at the U.S.

Gymnastics Championships allows the chance to build better connections with important

figures as well such as coaches and trainers. These are the people that you see with the

gymnasts the most at the event. Their coaches are constantly encouraging them and

giving them advice when they need it. Similarly, trainers appear at this event to ensure

the safety of the gymnasts throughout the competition. The least talked about connection

that is made in professional gymnastics is the relationship that a gymnast builds with their

sponsors, and the media. As an athlete begins to compete, every step of their journey is

then followed by social media, news stations, and other television channels. All of these

relationships have their own purpose and positively impact an athlete’s career.

As a child, I participated in a variety of sports including volleyball, swimming,

gymnastics, etc. However, gymnastics was my priority and the sport that took up majority

of my time. I started doing gymnastics when I was two years old, and I continued doing

so until I was about twelve years old. I remember watching gymnasts like Shawn

Johnson, Nastia Liukin, and Gabby Douglas compete and I was always amazed. I would

think to myself, “How cool would it be if I was doing that?” and “I want to be like them

some day!” as any child does. So, to compete in the U.S. Gymnastics Championships

would be a dream. I think for me, the most memorable experience would be that initial

feeling of walking into the gym being surrounded by all the fans. Knowing that everyone

there is going to watch you would definitely be intense, but I think ultimately it would be

exciting to hear everyone cheering for you and your opponents. Another part of the event
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that I feel would stand out to me, would be the excitement of watching your opponents

compete. Obviously, the gymnasts are all going to be amazing competitors so to watch

them perform their routines and get to cheer them on throughout the competition would

be a special and memorable experience. In the higher levels of gymnastics, you have

routines that are customized to you, and I think that is one of the unique things in the

sport, that not everyone is the same. It is fun and exciting to watch different tricks that

your opponents incorporate that you don’t normally see or do. Lastly, I think another

memorable experience from the competition would be the feeling of accomplishment

when you complete your last routine in the meet. That feeling that you just competed in

one of the top gymnastics competitions, no matter the result. Now, obviously if you were

to win the competition, that feeling would also be an experience that is unforgettable.

Although just being allowed the opportunity to be there and competing would be super

special to me.

The U.S. Gymnastics Championship includes both a session for the female

gymnasts and a session for the male gymnasts. If you were to just say gymnastics in a

conversation, most people would automatically assume you were talking about the female

athletes. This might be due to the fact that the female gender has more competitors than

the male, or simply because the media portrays it this way. Both genders compete at this

event, but their opponents are only of their own gender. The events in gymnastics for

each gender are also different. The males have six events, while the women only have

four. So, when we look at this idea of gender equality in sport, the U.S. Gymnastics

Championship both reaffirms and challenges this idea. More specifically, it is reaffirmed

because both genders are able to participate at the event. However, it is also challenged
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because they are not performing on the same events, other than the floor exercise, but

even this event is very different between the two. Another idea that I believe is reaffirmed

at this event is the inclusion of all racial and cultural backgrounds. One of the U.S.

Olympians, Jordan Chiles, competed at the event and she comes from an African

American family. Especially in the Unites States, the face of gymnastics is evolving. Will

Graves wrote an article called, ‘This can be me’: Black participation rising in gymnastics,

where he outlined the inclusiveness in this sport. Graves mentions that half of the U.S.

Women’s Olympic Team are considered minority. He also states, “There are more

athletes of color starting – and sticking – in a sport long dominated by white athletes”

(Graves, 2021). This stood out to me because I remember when I was younger watching

gymnastics competitions, most of the gymnasts were white. In an interview with Gina

Chiles, Jordan Chiles’ mother, she says “It was refreshing to be able to see people of all

colors. But to see the amount of little Black girls doing gymnastics, it just did my heart so

good. It’s hard to explain. It just felt like ‘Wow’” (Graves, 2021). For a parent, seeing

your child included is a good feeling, but to see other children of the same race also

included is even better. This idea of inclusiveness, especially racial inclusion, was

definitely reaffirmed at the U.S. Gymnastics Championship. Another article that I read

emphasized the history that was made at this event. The 2022 U.S. Gymnastics

Championship was the first time that three black female gymnasts took first, second, and

third place on the podium. Konnor McClain stated in an interview, “It’s so unreal” (Noel,

2022). She was in shock that they had just made history. Fans were going crazy over this

and even posted phrases like “Black Girl Magic” and “Black Excellence”, which is

important to be shared in the news and through social media.

In class we learned that one of the reasons that we study the sociology of sport is

because they are ‘integrated into major spheres of social life’. These major spheres are

the following: family, religion, education, politics, economy, and media. In sports, the

media is known to create story lines around both the sporting event as a whole, and the

individuals that are associated. Although, it also gives these athletes the opportunity to

share their own stories and journeys in a way that will not be construed by anyone else,

which is important. The media also works to engage the audience and fans of the sporting

event and athletes. It can be a really useful tool, but when the media releases alternate or

incorrect information, it can be dreadful for athletes and others involved. Jordan Chiles,

who was a competitor in the 2022 U.S. Gymnastics Championships speaks on her

relationship with Simone Biles and the event that occurred with her mental health. In an

interview Chiles stated, “Still to this day, I get sometimes emotional about it because

what she went through and then how the media perceived it, is just 100 percent the wrong

way” (Gajewski, 2021). This is just one of example that shows how the media can be a

negative resource. She goes onto say, “It was just very devastating. But I had to put that

back because I knew I still had to compete and do this for her because she’s my friend –

she’s literally my ride or die. I will do anything for her.” (Gajewski, 2021). Chiles did not

appreciate the media coverage on Biles’ story. Gymnastics is a huge mental sport on top

of the physical aspects. This example of Biles struggling with her mental health is just

one of many and media does not always accurately share these types of stories. Chiles

hopes that she in never portrayed by the media in the wrong way. Going into the 2022

U.S. Gymnastics Championships, Chiles told media that she was there for herself and that

she was there to have fun.

Another major sphere of social life mentioned in class was family. Family can

play several roles in the support of a professional athlete. Majority of the time, an

athlete’s family life can determine what kind of athlete they will be. I found an article

from many years ago that states, “A successfully functioning family is one of society’s

most cohesive units” and “Recent events in professional sports indicate that the nature of

the relationships within professional sports teams clearly mirrors those of families”

(Hagovsky and Gerson, 1983). I do believe that family can have this impact on an athlete,

but I think in today’s time an even bigger part is the supporting role. An athlete needs a

support system to lean on during competition, especially in gymnastics. When

researching the family ties of the gymnasts that competed in the 2022 U.S. Gymnastics

Championships, one in particular stood out to me. Konnor McClain’s story about her

father. She was on the verge of quitting elite gymnastics and everything. In an interview

that was conducted just before this major event, McClain said, “If my dad dies, I die”

(Caplan, 2022). She struggled to find the motivation to focus on training because her dad

was intubated and suffering from COVID-19 miles away. He passed and her grandmother

passed soon after. However, McClain continued her training and had the support from the

rest of her family to continue. She said that her dad had taught her to be passionate and

always persevere and that’s exactly what she did. Her mother stated, “I don’t know how

she’s done it” “She’s just freaking amazing” (Caplan, 2022). This shows how important a

support system is, especially when it comes to family. McClain went on to compete in the

championships and at the end of the competition she received first place all-around. Her

determination and perseverance to push through grief and loss was truly remarkable and

had she not had her family to support her, who knows if she would have even competed.
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Reference Page

Caplan, C. (2022, August 19). 'If my dad dies, I die': How Konnor McClain now

balances family grief, gymnastics stardom. Dallas News. Retrieved September 16,

2022, from https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/other-sports/2022/08/11/if-my-dad-

dies-i-die-how-konnor-mcclain-now-balances-family-grief-gymnastics-stardom/

Gajewski, R. (2021, November 4). Gymnast Jordan Chiles says media reacted to Simone

Biles' Olympics withdrawal "The wrong way". E! Online. Retrieved September 16,

2022, from https://www.eonline.com/news/1308360/gymnast-jordan-chiles-says-

media-reacted-to-simone-biles-olympics-withdrawal-the-wrong-way

Graves, W. (2021, July 24). 'this can be me': Black participation rising in gymnastics. AP

NEWS. Retrieved September 16, 2022, from https://apnews.com/article/2020-

tokyo-olympics-gymnastics-sports-college-sports-race-and-ethnicity-

d6771eec6f4319ab08f083a2f6d6c5d0

Hagovsky, M. R., & Gerson, M. J. (1983, May 22). The familial relationship of the Pro

Sports Team. The New York Times. Retrieved September 16, 2022, from

https://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/22/sports/the-familial-relationship-of-the-pro-

sports-team.html

Noel, M. (2022, August 25). Black women make history at 2022 U.S. gymnastics

championships. Essence. Retrieved September 16, 2022, from

https://www.essence.com/news/black-women-history-gymnastics-championships/