Single Story Project by Benjamin Workman https://padlet.com/bworkman2024/xe983zhp5fpir5ul en-us 2022-01-26 19:11:35 UTC 2022-02-14 15:39:11 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f47d.png Novel - Payback Time bworkman2024 https://padlet.com/bworkman2024/xe983zhp5fpir5ul/wish/2014345758 "Payback Time" by Carl Deuker is a novel where the main character Daniel "Mitch" True is a non-athletic, out-of-shape high school kid. He has always loved sports, especially football, and has tried to play them from time to time. But because of his athletic ability, he is nowhere near as good and well fit for the sport as the other kids. Hurst, the star quarterback, and ex-friend of Mitch is the opposite of him. Tall, fast, and strong, he beats Mitch in every category. We see his inability to compete during football tryouts. While Mitch was on the ground panting, the other boys were running routes and doing drills. Because he wasn't as athletic and fit as the others, he decided to join the school newspaper and make the stories about the sports rather than play them. Athletic ability doesn't determine whether you can be a jock and play sports at a high level, but rather push yourself to be the best you can be. ]]> 2022-01-26 19:15:10 UTC https://padlet.com/bworkman2024/xe983zhp5fpir5ul/wish/2014345758 Payback Time Book Review bworkman2024 https://padlet.com/bworkman2024/xe983zhp5fpir5ul/wish/2022095977 This book review of Payback Time by Carl Deuker really allows me to connect more with Angel Martial and his life. The author talks about how he himself feels connected to him because they have been in similar situations, as well as Angel's leadership. I also have been in similar situations as Angel, and I know how he feels. It allows you to feel like you are in the character's shoes. You can start to realize how much the characters change throughout the book. The author talks about Mitch and how he has used self-motivation to change his life and get healthier. This theme of self-motivation helps you feel for the characters because you can also relate to them. ]]> 2022-01-31 19:26:58 UTC https://padlet.com/bworkman2024/xe983zhp5fpir5ul/wish/2022095977 Article bworkman2024 https://padlet.com/bworkman2024/xe983zhp5fpir5ul/wish/2022128405 The article "Jock Stereotypes" by Harpreet Kalsi of the University of Michigan describes the life of a middle and high school athlete. He is the star soccer player on his middle school team and his hopes of playing in high school are through the roof. But as the tryouts went underway, he began to feel an unhealthy amount of pressure to perform well in front of his teammates and coaches. He realized he was at the bottom of his level and got cut. Jocks are based on ego and popularity, mostly from the sports they play. In this example, this boy's ego got out of control and made it so he was overwhelmingly confident. His confidence led to pressure about trying to play at a level that he was not at yet and he set himself up for failure. You don't need to be the best at a sport to play it and if your ego is too big, you can lose before you even started playing. ]]> 2022-01-31 19:41:52 UTC https://padlet.com/bworkman2024/xe983zhp5fpir5ul/wish/2022128405 Children's Literature bworkman2024 https://padlet.com/bworkman2024/xe983zhp5fpir5ul/wish/2025716601 This children's book "The Boy Who Never Gave Up" by Anthony Curcio describes Stephen Curry's road to the NBA. Curry, a small guard out of Ohio who many thought would have no chance in the NBA because of his small stature and his athletic ability being below average. Most people would turn away and back down now, but Curry kept going. When he got to college, scouts kept saying he was too weak. But eventually, Curry got drafted by the Golden State Warriors and is a 2x MVP, 3x NBA Champion, and is a 7x All-Star. His story is very inspiring to young people because it shows that if you never give up and work hard that you can accomplish almost anything. This was incredible because of what Steph had to overcome. He didn't fit the image of what the scouts and people wanted but still became the best of the best because of his good work ethic. ]]> 2022-02-02 16:09:53 UTC https://padlet.com/bworkman2024/xe983zhp5fpir5ul/wish/2025716601 Poem bworkman2024 https://padlet.com/bworkman2024/xe983zhp5fpir5ul/wish/2025758084 This poem takes a deep dive into the rise and fall of a highschool football player. He is a star player that could easily get a college scholarship. He describes the feelings of different situations that could happen in a game, and how they make himself and the team feel. But then it gets into his ego, and how he thinks he is the best player on the field. The boy starts to slack off during practice and not listen to the coach. He doesn't realize that it is himself that is really hurting his future the most. He starts to focus on other things rather than himself and he starts to move down in the depth chart. His ego has gotten so big that he has blocked out the ones he used to let in. And just like that his football career was thrown out the door. Instead, he used drugs to clear his head. He wasn't a team player and he still wonders why he isn't going pro. He let his ego go out of control. ]]> 2022-02-02 16:26:48 UTC https://padlet.com/bworkman2024/xe983zhp5fpir5ul/wish/2025758084 Additional Text bworkman2024 https://padlet.com/bworkman2024/xe983zhp5fpir5ul/wish/2025759220 The novel "Golden Arm" by Carl Deuker goes into the life of a high school baseball player hoping to make the state championship. Laz Weathers is a quiet and humble pitcher that just transferred schools because his old schools baseball program was cancelled. Unlike Laz, his coaches son and teammate Ian Thurman was not as quiet. Ian was one of the best players in the state, and liked to brag about it frequently. He was also one of the most popular kids in school. Because of this, his ego was insanely high. He thought he could do anything he wanted, including drinking and going out. He would do this on occasion and it would impact his ability to play. Laz would go on to become the star and eventually led them to the championship. But even though Ian was letting other things get the best of him, he still got college offers. This book highlights the bad things that can happen because of your ego, as well as the things that can cause them. ]]> 2022-02-02 16:27:21 UTC https://padlet.com/bworkman2024/xe983zhp5fpir5ul/wish/2025759220 Introduction to Textset bworkman2024 https://padlet.com/bworkman2024/xe983zhp5fpir5ul/wish/2041001934 My text set expresses the single story of jocks and athletes. I consider myself an athlete and can relate to most if not all athletes. While reading the novel Payback Time by Carl Deuker, I got to look at three different students who all wanted to be or were athletes in the past. Each athlete had a different skill, body type, and athletic ability. But this gives us a new look at jocks and athletes as a whole. This novel normalizes athletes not having to be super athletic or good at the sport, but rather athletes with a passion for the game.
Moving away from this novel, the other resources that I found also include the single story of athletes. One thing that the texts focus on is some of the outside factors that can impact their sport and training, such as drugs, gang violence, and school. All of these impact athletes around the world every day. Another thing that was being focused on in these texts was the physical factors that were limiting athletes from getting to the next level, such as athletic ability, size, and strength. Coaches will turn down athletes because they aren't big or strong enough even though they are gifted with talent, and this can ruin the careers of future great athletes. One thing that I take away from this text set is the passion that some people have for their athletics. The characters in these texts put so much effort and intensity into their training to be the best of the best, and they don't stop until they get there. This is a trait that every athlete should have because it will bring the best out of you in order to succeed.

 

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