Rachael Carlen
Education Abroad trip:
- Hi Everyone! Earlier in May I had the amazing opportunity to travel to London and go on a sports themed tour with some people in my scholars program. London is truly a hub of sports and while we were over there we toured many stadiums, such as Wimbledon and the Emirates stadium. We also received a vast range of information on each sport London offers.
- This trip I participated in really opened my eyes to all of the different cultures in London. I never realized how many different sports started in London and was so interested when I learned just how many sports started there. I never would have known as much as I do now about sports which is something I love participating in in my everyday life. Having more knowledge of sports and their roots has really allowed me to gain more appreciation for these sports that most people don’t even give a second thought about.
- Everyday was a new experience while we were over in London. From touring around different stadiums to having the opportunity to explore alone I was constantly interacting with those around me and gaining more knowledge on sports. One of my favorite activities we had while on this trip was we all attended a Rugby match. Before going on trip to London I would not have given a second glance to the sport of Rugby. But, after going to and watching an entire game and really seeing how much this sport effects the people who watch it I had a whole new mindset. Attending this match opened my eyes to just how big a role sports have in the everyday life of the London society. It is much like the American society in that sports are a large focus of society and a lot of people passionately watch some kind of sports. But, what I gained from watch Rugby was not only a better understanding of the actual sport, but also vast knowledge of the history of this sport and its effects on the society of London.Another event we attended while on this trip was a tour of the Wimbledon grounds. Many people who don’t follow sports may not know but the Wimbledon is the home place of the annual tennis tournament. This tennis tournament is not just known to London, it is known across the world. Something I thought was very cool and helped me grow on this trip was talking to all of the people on the tour with us. There were people from all over the world who came to take a tour of this ground and I thought that was so cool how one sport could bring so many people together under common interests.
Finally, the last interaction I had that really shaped my change of appreciation for sports was our tour guides we were provided while on the trips. Their vast knowledge of every area we went to and every sport we talked about was outstanding and provided me with an interest in some sports, such as Rugby, that I had no interest in before. I think not only getting to watch some of the local sports which are popular in London but actually learning about their roots and how they developed from these amazing guides definitely sealed my change into appreciating sports on an entire new level.
4. Sports are a large part of my everyday life, as I have stated previously. But as I went around London, I realized I had been letting so many cool and important sports slip through my fingers. After this trip, I not only brought home a vast knowledge on Rugby, Football (soccer), Tennis, etc. I gained enough knowledge to inform other people about what I learned with enthusiasm. I was, and am, so excited to have such a deeper understanding of sports which I can now share with the people back here in America in order to hopefully get someone else to appreciate sports and the origin of sports from London as much as I do now.