Is it Spirituality or Religion? :)

                I’m getting more and more in depth in my research! J It’s exciting because I feel like it’s going somewhere, and I’m getting productive feedback from others.  I found an article entitled, “Spiritual Well-Being and its Influence on Athletic Coping Profiles”, which reveals the positive outcome of spirituality in NCAA Division I athletes.  The authors, Heather Ridnour and Jon Hammermeister, found that “athletes who scored higher in spiritual well-being also displayed a better athletic coping skills profile for sport performance.”  In this study, spirituality does not necessarily mean a belief in One God or many gods, but a strong connection with others.  Spirituality is what links mental and physical health together, making it a vital component for not only athletes, but all human race.  The researchers made a great point in their study: “The terms religion and spirituality are often confused and misrepresented” (82).  Religion can easily be corrupted because it divides people; it’s a tradition and if certain rules are broken, separation may occur.  Spirituality, on the other hand, is having an intimate relationship with God (from a Christian perspective).  The same way you spend time with a friend to get to know them better, you spend time with God in prayer.  The same way your friends text, calls, or emails you, God does the same through His Word- the Bible.  In my research, my objective is to understand the impact of spirituality, not religion.  The belief in a high power may reduce anxiety in many ways, increasing the confidence in athletic performance.  To be continued... :)

BLESSINGS =)

-Enlighten7

Taking it ONE day at a time... :)

The work-shops are AWESOME!!! I finally feel like I'm progressing! 

As you may know, my research is revolving around Alonzo Mourning's (former Miami Heat Basketball player) book, Resilience.  His life reveals the most important aspects that influence the development of resilience: focus, perseverance, determination, courage, social support, and faith.  My first multimodal will focus on three STU sports, including one of the meetings of the Break Thru Club, which consist of a social support group for athletes.
If you're wondering how Alonzo describes resilience, visit:
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-uUgy7a__Q

From my own interactions with other athletes, I've realized their common approach to unfavorable situations; they often view them as challenges, not threats.  Mourning mentions, "It's amazing how adversity introduces a man to himself; you go through different trials and tribulations in your life, and it helps you stop and reflect, and understand your purpose here and not once did I give up...I could have easily given up."  That's simply amazing.

Anyways, before I actually begin filming for my multimodal, I MUST begin my observation, in order to determine what sports event will give the audience a better understanding of what I'm trying to portray.  I want to show athletes struggling and persevering in their sport and studies, team/coach support, and what it's like to be an athlete.  My first interviewee made an interesting statement, "College athletes, in general, are more resilient than non-athletes...athletes run a risk of having a major setback and then having the decision, 'should I fight back or quit?'"  That is something that sets athletes apart from non-athletes. 

Blessings,

ENLIGHTEN 7

=)

Themed Road Trips Reveals TEAM UNITY :)

  I officially completed my FIRST interview! =) What a relief! It went great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  My interviewee provided so many great ideas that will help me TREMENDOUSLY!  So, thanks to my professor, I narrowed my research topic: “How do athletes develop resilience?”  I realized that my interviewee continuously mentioned the importance of social support for athlete’s (and non-athletes).  He provided a few examples, including the Tampa Bay Rays (MLB) team, coached by Joe Maddon, who CLEARY encourages team unity.  The team goes on themed road trips, where they ALL dress exactly the same.  You know, the higher you get in athletics (e.g., NFL, MLB, NBA, etc.) the less fun it becomes.  The idea of doing theme road trips just makes the game a little bit more interesting. J

The picture above is the Tampa Bay Rays dressed in “BRaysers” (Blazer jackets).  Events like these actually build team relationship, which is important for professional athletes, especially. 

I will divide my research into different sections, one of them being SOCIAL SUPPORT.  My interviewee also requested a website (a charity organization located in Miami) about Alonzo Mourning’s book, Resilience, which is my research foundation/framework.  There, I may be able to conduct an interview regarding his book, which will definitely enhance my research and provide MORE & MORE answers...and QUESTIONS!!!!!

Blessings,

ENLIGHTEN7

=)

Athlete's FAITH :)

Ephesians 2:8-19: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift from God- not by works, so that no one can boast."

“What if we choose to believe in God’s promises?”  This simple question changed my perspective FOREVER!  It led to one simple statement, “Let go & let God.”  So, I went to church on Wednesday and was able to apply the Pastor’s teaching to my project.  Because I wanted to use Christian faith for my framework, I’m using The Athlete’s Bible to enhance my research.  It’s amazing how many scriptures can be portrayed from a competitive viewpoint, depending who is reading the verse and what they are presently experiencing.  The book of Corinthians states, “No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”  As an athlete, we are continuously being challenged and sometimes want to quit because of physical pain.  However, we must not become slaves to our body, and not allow our pain affect our performance but let the body become your slave, enduring through the pain.  Another verse that applies to athletes, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?  Run in such a way as to get the prize” (1 Corinthians 9:24). 

            As I mentioned in my Research Proposal, Why is it that life, which is vital and precious for most, is inferred as the “race of faith” in the Bible?  How can a person who has never experienced a competitive situation in a race (or other sports) understand Paul’s interpretation of life?  These questions lead me to another question, “Where does resilience truly come from?”  Remember, resilience is the ability to bounce back or recover successfully from an adversary.  According to Alonzo Mourning, resilience comes from faith; surrendering your troubles, worries, doubts, challenges and helpless moments to God.  Not everybody puts their hope in God, so who or what do they put their faith in and how does it affect their performance?   I’m pretty sure many individuals have witnessed an athletic event where a ‘non-religious person’ (whatever that means), acts upon a religious ritual out of suspicion or hope from God for a better outcome.  For example, some baseball/softball players will do the holy trinity symbol before going up to bat.

I haven’t really focused in non-athletes! As I was reading The Athlete’s Bible, I realized many characteristics that athletes posses, which are vital for a peaceful and triumphant life, even for those who aren’t athletes.  The writer mentioned, “Competition is a great thing.  It moves people beyond mediocrity to greatness.”  The great thing about being an athlete is the consistency of challenges; however, not every athlete lives up to those challenges but simply become content or back down.  Competition makes you work harder and helps you become better in what you do.  Whether it is writing an essay or running a race, competition is what makes you or breaks you.  It’s vital for non-athletes to put themselves in competitive situations to learn how to persevere.  This life is filled with challenges so people must be able to grasp resiliency, and that is what my research WILL provide- how resilience can be obtained!

Have a blessed day! :)

-Enlighten 7