Sociogenesis of Team Handball

       Possibly dating back to the Greek antiquity, Handball has been a long-standing fixture in the sporting work. Practiced predominantly within the European nations, Handball features two teams of seven attempting to get the ball inside a six-foot netted arc. Handball forbids the use of any equipment including gloves, helmets or pads—thus the title, Handball. According About.com on their comprehensive “Olympics” page, the game was introduced by the Germans at the 1936 Olympic games in Berlin. It was deemed a “demonstrative sport,” as was their right in being the host that year, but the game did not receive much support due to its previous lack of popularity, and the already-proven mastery by the Germans. Its first appearance as an Olympic sport was at the 1972 Munich games, where Yugoslavia stunned Romania in the gold medal match—cementing the game as an official Olympic sport.

       The origins of Team Handball, as previously mention where found in Greek society, as portrayed by the legendary poet Homer in The Odyssey—using a ball of purple yarn. It also had origins in Egypt, Greenland, and medieval Europe, but the games most direct ancestor is the German game called fangballspiel, which translates to “catch ball game.” Denmark’s Holger Nielsen and German physical education teacher Max Heiser are credited with sharpening the rules of the modern game of Handball in the early 1900’s. The most important change in the games rules came when the International Handball Association (est. 1946) switched the game from outdoors to indoors, most probably due to the snowy conditions of the more northern European nations. The IHA still is the official governing body of Team Handball.

        Although an Olympic sport, Team Handball is still slow to catch on in the US. Being that there are no major college programs for Handball, the amateur circuit has yet to produce an US Olympic team that can compete for a gold medal. This is most certainly due to its lack of national exposure, and the already established dominance of other super-sports in Football, Basketball, and Baseball. At the 2012 London games, France defeated Sweden 22-21 in the gold medal game, and Croatia defeated Hungary 33-26 in the bronze medal game. Both credited as excited matches, and hopefully a spot of brightness for the US to see in the excited game.

Colin Carmody

The Sport Ethic

Work harder, go faster, and go longer, so you can be better, quicker, and stronger. That, in its essence, is what what we call the “Sport Ethic.” It is the idea that athletes must push themselves to be what they believe to be a “real athlete.” This concept may seem like it belongs on a poster, and it does, because that is what society has determined to be the formula for success. What coach wouldn’t love a player that constantly stayed three extra hours in the gym? Show up early for practice on a Sunday? Play through pain for the good of the team? For an athlete, reaching that “next level” requires these things; it demands them. What we should be asking here is, why?

In an article titled, “Positive Deviance Among Athletes,” written by Jay Coakley and Robert Hughes, the two map out the implications of what happens when athletes over-conform to what we call, the “Sport Ethic.” To examine this, we must take a closer look at their four dimensions of this concept.

1.     Being an athlete involves making sacrifices for The Game.

What this concept really boils down to is the athlete’s commitment to the game. They must put this above all else that they are committed to excellence, and have an unwavering spirit for their sport.

2.     Being an athlete involves striving for distinction.

The word distinction is used here to imply that the athlete desires to remove themselves from the masses, and become better than the rest. This requires motivation and drive, whether that drive comes from internal or external reward—the concept remains that they must truly yearn to better themselves and strive for perfection.

3.     Being an athlete involves accepting risks and playing through plain.

         

This is simple enough; it is the notion that because you are an athlete—you play through any pressures that could possibly hinder your ability to succeed. That includes, but is not limited to: injury, stress, fatigue etc.

4.     Being an athlete involves refusing to accept limits in the pursuit of possibilities.

This dimension of the “Sport Ethic” is one that takes the ideas of sport and personifies it. An athlete should always acknowledge that they must use their skills within the game to reach unseen heights and pursue perfection.

These concepts are simply the things that athletes see as being a real athlete, otherwise known as the “Sports Ethic.” They exist because of the athlete’s willingness to conform. Our society has created a realm to which limits to not a play, and ceilings should not exist. Athletes desire to reach the level to which they can be great, rewards aside, athletes must be driven enough to push themselves to achieve the ultimate success. The willingness to conform can come from number of reasons: fame, money, personal satisfaction, glory, legacy, etc. An athlete sees another athlete in their field, and automatically desires to be better…well that’s what the great ones do. Those who fully embrace theses ideals demonstrate something called ‘positive deviance;’ deviance is often thought as something that is regressing from the norm, but positive deviance is demonstrated here by the athletes full committal to ‘The Game.’

    I myself have fallen victim to this “Sport Ethic.” I only refer to myself as a victim because I suffered the consequences of over-committal. My first two years of college were spent at College of Marin in California, playing basketball. During a tournament near the California-Oregon border, I felt my legs begin to cramp. I felt this, but also recognized that a teammate had previously gone down with a bad ankle sprain in the first quarter—I knew I had to play through it. I felt a rip in my right hamstring, but refused to acknowledge it, and for two years I played colligate level basketball with a tear in the casing of my hamstring muscle. Three years later I was forced off my leg and into surgery. Haven’t played since.

    Being an athlete requires a unique sense of self-identity. It requires that one must constantly push them so that they can better themselves. It becomes less about the game, and more about identity. That reason alone is why the “Sport Ethic” exists. It will always be there, because someone is always better.

Welcome to America

America is three sports. Yes, there are other sports in America—but only three are “American.”  I put the term American in quotes not for emphasis or exaggeration, rather, the acknowledgment of the word itself. To be more specific, the three sports we will be discussing all provide definition for the term “American.” Let me explain.

The United States of America was created to be something new, something original. Our settlers pioneered this country to stand out to the world and break away from the British conformity. Sparing us from an over-detailed metaphor of the beginnings of our nation, I introduce American Football. Created, established, and performed only in America (sorry, Canada). Football is a game based on imposing your will upon those who line up in front of you. You defend your endzone, and you attack the opponents. Football players resemble something of warriors, determined to do whatever it takes to succeed. As only America could, we have created a sport that is almost strictly our own.

Basketball, the second of the American Trifecta of Sport, a far more globalized game to which America has taken upon itself to market, brand, and dominate. Speaking in more global terms, the competition for the US lives across the Atlantic pond—fitting isn’t it? Spain, France, and Greece all posses great knowledge of the sport, not to mention top ten spots in the World Rankings of Basketball (FIBA), but as our history as indicated, the USA is number one. How American is that?

To complete the metaphor, we end with baseball. Commonly called “America’s Pastime,” baseball has made the USA the top destination for the game, as Major League Baseball is unsurpassed as the most prominent hardball league in the world. What makes baseball truly, “Americas Pastime,” is the fact that it is not just Americans that play it. Players from around the world come to US soil to play the game, making it one of the most diverse sports in America. Summoning talent from South America, China, Japan—baseball provides the biggest opportunity for those who posses the skill to succeed. Now that is truly American.

Regardless of the sport, we measure ourselves based on our ability to succeed. How is that done? It is done in the only way it can be—winning games, matches, tournaments, and championships. From youth leagues to the professional levels, we are always finding ways to compete against one another. We have playoffs to prove who is the best team, we have MVP awards to reward the best player, and we have all-star games to prove who deserves to be acknowledged for their demonstration of elite ability. Success in America has become synonymous with winning. Peyton Manning can never be the greatest quarterback of all time until he gets more Superbowls than Brady and Montana. Lebron James cannot be considered the greatest until he gets more rings than Kobe and Jordan. Today’s athletes need accolades for their resumes; they need to prove that they are better than the rest. This becomes clear on what we call “game day.” Before each game we hear questions like, Who is better? How is each team doing? What players have been playing the best? Who will win today? Game preparation is as much for the athletes as it is for the spectators. While the players are preparing, we are comparing. We need to know who is best, we need to contrast each team, and we need to make predictions.  As only Americans could, we must award a winner—not on merit alone, but on result. We must prove who is number one.