Farewell Australia

My experience in Australia these last five months has been unforgettable. I expected to love the culture and people but I never expected to feel this at home in a country that is all the way around the world. Although there are many differences between Australian and American culture, there were enough similarities that I was really able to connect with everything. Since childhood, sport has been a huge part of my life. From the time I was young my brother and I played every sport possible. Whether it was an organized team or just a game in the neighborhood, we were constantly involved. Our weekends consisted mainly of going to each other’s sports games and cheering each other on. My family never missed a game if they didn’t have to. We were always there for each other to provide encouragement and support. Going to some of the youth games while I was here I noticed the same thing. The families were all there to watch their kids. They were so proud of each of the athletes at the end of the game. Siblings also came to watch and play on the sidelines. It was so cute and amazing to see younger siblings getting advise and tips from the older kids. One day they will be so excited to follow in their footsteps. 

Supporting professional baseball, football, and basketball teams was also a central element to my upbringing. My dad is from the East Coast and regardless of the fact that I live in Colorado now, my whole family supports Boston teams. It didn’t matter whether we were watching it on television or if we were actually at the game. It brought our family together and gave us something extra to bond over. Even while I am away at University, or now in Australia, I call to talk to my parents and brother about sport. Observing the interaction between sports fans in Australia I noticed the same thing. It always sparked heated, friendly debate. People from different areas pledged their alliance to specific teams or had alliances based on family history. In the residential college where I lived, there were always people gathered in the television room to watch big games. Even if people weren’t fans of a specific team, everyone would gather together to cheer and hangout. It was a great way to take a break from university work and socialize. I couldn’t imagine my time here without the social element of sport. The St. John’s college teams also brought everyone together. Because I knew so much about Australian sport from taking this class, I could really get involved when I went to cheer on rugby, swimming, netball and rowing. It was a fundamental component of residential college life that I would never have been a part of if I didn’t have a basic understanding of the sports I was watching. 

This fundamental element to my life is a big reason why I feel so at home in Australia. Not only did I learn about the special place sport has in Australian culture, but I was able to see it and relate to it first hand. Without this class, I would never have had the full Australian experience. I might have gone to one or two rugby games but I wouldn’t have an understanding and appreciation for the game and countless other iconic sports. One of the things I looked forward to most about my time here were the weekly field trips. I was always so excited to spend the day with friends and watch sport. Without learning about the various sports beforehand in lecture, I would not have been able to appreciate the games. Once I knew more about it, I was able to get involved by cheering and playing! After learning the rules of netball in class, I actually tried it first hand. Some of the Australian girls I knew invited me to come play with them. Ordinarily I would have said no considering I had never played before. However, with my knowledge of the basic rules from class, I felt confident that I could go and play and at least know what I was doing. I had such a fun time! I was also able to try surfing. My friends at home were so jealous of this experience and I couldn’t wait to tell them all about it. I even knew enough to tell them about some of the historical developments surfing has undertaken since its origin. 

Other Americans who did not take this class did not get to experience one of the main components of Australian culture. I’m sure they went to see some rugby games and tried to appreciate the sport, but they will leave here without the real knowledge and understanding that I was fortunate enough to gain. If I ever have friends come to study here I will make sure they take this class. It truly enhanced my overall experience and appreciation for what a wonderful country Australia is. My family is coming to visit on June 12th and I can’t wait to take them to a rugby and AFL game! They already love American sport so I am excited to show them something new. Hopefully I can find a place to buy a rugby ball before going back home so I can play with my dad and brother. Instead of throwing around a football or baseball, maybe we will try to perfect the rugby toss. 

The True Blue Aussie Sport!

We started heading to ANZ stadium by taking a bus to Central Station. Once we arrived, we had no idea where to go to get to the Sydney Swans game. However, that question was answered when we saw over one hundred fans dressed in red walking out to a bus stop. We decided it would be a smart move to follow them- we were right. We ended up on a packed bus filled with Swans supporters. When we got to the stadium it was so crowded! Unlike the rugby league game, the stadium was almost full and everyone had on Swans uniforms and scarves. It seemed to be a much bigger event. As the only true and original Australian sport I couldn’t wait to see what it was like. The Swans ended up losing to the Hawks but it was a great game! I could definitely see why Australian Football League is the most popular in comparison to league and union. It was such an exciting game. It is so different to any sport I have ever watched. The skills were amazing and I could really see why some of the players go to America to become NFL punters and kickers after their careers begin to dwindle down. They were incredibly talented. Like at the Rabbitohs game, we were fortunate enough to be sitting by some dedicated fans. They helped to make sure we understood the rules and were giving us great information about the players and teams. There was a little girl around the age of 10 sitting behind us who was a huge fan! She seemed to know everything about the team and players. She was there with her dad and it reminded me of Sundays at home watching football with my dad. It was just another wonderful example of sports bringing people together in Australian culture! 

The South Sydney Rabbitohs

I was so excited for my first professional rugby league game! We took the train to Olympic Park with other excited fans dressed in the Rabbitoh’s colors- green and red. It was a beautiful stadium that was clean, well organized and huge! When we got inside we went to our section to find the rest of the class. We had great seats right behind the try-line. Although there were many excited fans in the stadium, it was not very crowded. We were able to sit right in the front row! In America, this would never happen. Especially at NFL games, the tickets are sold out and very expensive. Even if the seats aren’t full in the front row, you would not be allowed to sit there. It was really cool! The South Sydney Rabbitohs were playing the Tigers. They proved to be very good competitors! However, the Rabbitohs won! The crowd was really excited and everyone was cheering. It was a laid back and fun evening. Although I’m picking up the rules really quickly, it was helpful that we were sitting by some really intense fans. They were constantly talking about the different players, rules, and official calls. This really added to the experience because I felt like I learned even more! There were many families in attendance at Olympic Park. There were tons of little kids dressed in green and red having a great night with their families. It was a great event and we even got to meet the mascot! 

University Pride

Around the University of Sydney campus there have been flyers promoting the rugby team’s match against the North for weeks. Everyone was really excited when game time came and I headed to the University Oval with a group of my friends from St. John’s College. We got there early enough to enjoy watching the pre-game match against another Sydney team and a New Zealand team. Despite our enthusiastic cheering, New Zealand handily beat Sydney. We were hoping for better luck during the main event. It was really cool to watch the University team because three members of the team go to St. John’s College. Everyone was out cheering for them and it was a great time! Now that I have seen several rugby union games, it was much easier for me to follow and get involved in. Still, I made sure to sit by some Australian rugby players so that I could make sure I had all of the rules down. Unfortunately, Sydney lost the game. However, the team played really well and there was plenty of excitement! I can’t wait until the next game so I can go and support the University of Sydney team. 

A Family Affair

We arrived at Nagel Park bright and early on Saturday morning. The first thing I noticed was how many people filled the intimate area. There were a dozen different playing fields that were all covered in children playing rugby in various brightly colored uniforms.  Aside from the showing of youth athletes, there were over a hundred spectators made up of supportive parents, relatives, and siblings. It seemed like such a fun family event that brought everyone together for a day of iconic Australian sport. It reminded me of my time playing soccer as a kid. Every Saturday we would go to the park and it would be filled with families and teams. These are some of my favorite childhood memories. My Dad coached my older brother’s soccer team and we would all go and cheer them on before heading to my game and then out for ice cream. There was a food stand at Nagel park that attracted the athletes and spectators for a hot dog and refreshment after the game. Then, we headed just down the street to courts filled with youth netball players. This had the same family oriented feeling as the rugby did. All of the coaches and parents were there to cheer on the athletes and there was plenty of encouragement and support for all the participants. These types of youth events promote such amazing peer interaction and help to build confident, well rounded children. It also brings families and communities together in the popular joy of sport. 

Off to the Races! The Sydney Carnival

This weekend I put on my best dress and hat and headed to the Sydney Carnival at the Royal Randwick to watch the horse races! Although it was raining, it did not put a damper on the excitement at the carnival. It was fashion day at the races and everyone was dressed up and the track was buzzing with excitement. After walking around and experiencing the atmosphere, we took our seats to watch the first of nine races. The 1600m Bacardi Breezer Fernhill Handicap went off at 11:50am. The winner was a horse called Darci Be Good who was trained by Bede Murray and came all the way from New Zealand. Perhaps the closest race of the day was race four. The first two horses came within a nose of each other! It was a true photo finish with Lucha Libre just barely beating Levi’s Choice. The day concluded with the 1400m Bungalow 8 Handicap. The winner was Mr. Unforgettable and his trainer Kevin Moses. All of the horses and jockeys were exceptional athletes. All in all, the day was extremely exciting! I had never been to a horse race before. It seemed to be a big cultural event that was tradition for many families in attendance. It was cool to be a part of that tradition. 

Rugby League Game

Today we went to Coogee to see our first Australian Rugby League game. Prior to today, all of the rugby games that I had seen were Rugby Union games. Today I realized how different these two variations are. In Rugby League, there are 13 players on the field for each team. The objective is still to score tries by touching the ball down past the opposing team’s goal-line. However, a try is worth four points, a goal is worth two points, and a drop goal is worth one point. In this sense, the scoring is very different from Rugby Union. Also, Rugby League is similar to American football in the sense that there are forms of “downs”. The team on offense can only be tackled six times before they have to turn the ball over to the other team. Or, the team can choose to kick the ball away after the fifth tackle is made. It was great to experience the rules we learned about in lecture, in person! Also, I really enjoyed seeing the family dynamic that was present to support the Aboriginal teams. It really highlighted the fact that in Australia, sport is a family centered, cultural tradition. Many children were there to support their dads and spent most of the time passing rugby balls and playing various sports. It was an awesome dynamic to experience!

Surfing on Sand

This weekend we went to the Gold Coast to explore a new area of Australia. We took a day trip to Moreton Island to go snorkeling and sandboarding. When we got to the island, we took a van through the forest and arrived at a large area of sand dunes. It was beautiful! We learned that Moreton Island is one of the largest sand islands in the world! We grabbed our boards (long, narrow pieces of wood) and climbed to the top of a really large, steep sand hill. Once we were at the top, we were given pieces of wax, similar to waxing a surfboard or snowboard, and told to cover the bottom of the boards. It was necessary to wax the boards before each ride down the hill so that the wood would glide smoothly over the sand. Once we did that, we were given instructions to lay down on the board and use our arms to pull up the front to create a sled shape. Then, we were pushed down the hill for our first ride. I was surprised at how fast we got going! It was such a thrill! After a few more rides, I attempted to go down standing up. This was much more similar to snowboarding and surfing and a much bigger challenge. Balance was extremely important and it took a lot more concentration and athletic ability. It was such a unique new sport to try! I was able to use some of my experience surfing and snowboarding to get the hang of it. However, it was still very different and was an awesome new Australian sport challenge.

Lawn Bowling

We arrived at the lawn bowling location in a downpour of rain. After worrying that we would not get to bowl, the rain cleared and we were finally able to start our game! The first time I bowled the ball, I expected it to be like bocce ball. I quickly learned that these balls are weighted so that they automatically curve a certain way when you throw them. Once I understood that, I learned that I needed to hold the ball with the colored dot facing inward and aim about two feet to the right of the white ball. This time, my ball curved the way that it was suppose to but I threw it too hard and it went into the gutter. With the closely cut lawns, the balls roll really quickly so you do not need to throw it very hard. After a couple more tries, my accuracy and form improved tremendously. However, despite my best efforts, my team was the only team to end up with zero points at the end of the day. In lawn bowling, only the team with their ball closest to the white target ball, gets points. Then, for each subsequent ball they have closer than the opponent’s closest ball, they are awarded a point. For example, if a team has bowled two balls closer to the white ball than their opponent’s nearest, they are awarded two points. Although we never managed to bowl the closest to the white balls, we got closer and closer as the afternoon went on. I definitely want to go back and try again! What a fun day!

Netball

Finally, my first hands on experience at an authentic Australian team sport! Some of the girls that I’m living with at St. John’s College encouraged me to come out and play netball with them this Friday afternoon. I was hesitant because I had never seen a game of netball living in the United States. However, I am always up for a new sporting challenge! I hoped that with my experience playing basketball, I wouldn’t make a complete fool out of myself.

Just like my observations comparing cricket to baseball, I discovered that playing basketball did not translate as seamlessly as I had hoped into playing netball. In netball, the court is divided into three different sections and each of the seven players on each team are assigned positions that limit their movement on the court. Unlike basketball, only assigned “shooting players” can score. Instead of dribbling the ball, players can only take one step while holding the ball and must pass or shoot within three seconds. Although I am a good shooter in basketball, netball hoops are smaller and have no backboard. This makes it much harder to score! Accuracy is very important and the shooting players are exceptionally talented and spend a lot of time practicing. With the help of my Australian friends, I caught on quickly and had a really great time learning a new sport. Netball is really fast paced and high intensity which also makes it a great workout!

Cricket is like baseball?

Living at a residential college like St. John’s makes it easy to be exposed to a whole variety of Australian sports. One of the most popular sports during the Spring season is cricket. This Wednesday, the St. John’s team had a big game against St. Paul’s (one of our rival colleges). As an American who is clueless about cricket, everyone kept telling me that I would catch onto the game quickly because “it is just like baseball”. 

When we arrived at the field, I immediately realized that this was not true. Although both sports are played with a bat and a ball, my prior knowledge of baseball did not help me understand the rules of this foreign sport. As I sat and watched, I learned that in cricket there are only two batters that are playing at one time. Unlike baseball, the batters remain in the game until they are struck out and then they do not reenter the game. Then, another one of their teammates takes their place until ten of the eleven batters are dismissed. Once this happens, the other team gets a chance to bat while the dismissed team gets their turn to bowl (pitch) and field. Instead of scoring a run by running around the bases to home plate, the batters score by running back and forth to touch the crease without being dismissed. Although I feel like I understand the basic rules of cricket, there is still so much I have to learn! Despite the fact that it is very different from baseball, it is similar in the sense that it brings people together to cheer for their team and enjoy a great sport. 

Surf's Up!!

This weekend, I headed up to Jervis Bay for the ultimate and iconic Australian sport experience. We left Sydney from Central Station in the afternoon and drove four hours to a campsite right by the beach. After a night spent listening to the sound of the ocean and gearing up for the day ahead, we woke up bright and early to drive to our surfing lesson. When we arrived, we met our surf instructor and we were outfitted in our “rash guard” surfing shirts. The water was so warm that no one needed to wear a full wet suit. 

Then, we grabbed our nine foot long surfboards (made of a foam material that makes it easier for beginners to balance) and headed to the sand. We started the lesson by gathering in a circle around the instructor to learn all about ocean safety when dealing with potential rip tides, currents, big surf, and dangerous marine animals. After the short safety talk, we learned how to position ourselves on the board and paddle forward to catch a wave. It was time to hit the water! The whole group began to practice catching small waves and riding them in like you would on a boogie board.  

After we mastered the simple task of catching a wave, we regrouped on the sand to learn the next step of surfing- standing up. We were taught the correct way to “pop-up” quickly into a standing position after we caught the wave. Now, it was back to the water to try again. The first few times I tried to stand up, my board took a nose dive, flipping me into the water headfirst. After a couple more failed attempts I finally successfully stood up on the board and rode the wave in. It was such a liberating feeling! After the first successful ride, it became much easier and I was able to regularly stand up and ride the waves. I have such an appreciation and understanding of why surfing is such a popular sport in Australia. It is such an exhilarating experience and is a great way to spend some time in the sun doing something fun! I definitely hope to have another surfing experience during my time here.