After hearing all the presentations about qualitative research, i started to think how frequently the methods are used, not just in terms of sports public relations, but in everyday life. The topic that really stuck with me was the presentation on observation and ethnographic research. I find it fascinating to submerse yourself in a totally new environment to get a feel for the surroundings and how other people live. The group talked about a MTV show in which a guy went week from week living the life of another individual. Immediately my mind went to sports, and all i could think of was recruiting trips.
As a former athlete, and one who went on many recruiting trips, i realized i, myself, participated in ethnographic research. For that weekend I was a member of the team. I did not go to that school yet, and it was never even certain I would, but for my time there i became on of the girls. I went to their classes, ate with them, stayed in their room and went to their parties. I observed their practices and was part of the locker room talk. I felt as though I was undercover living one of their lives.
When i thought of this idea, i started researching it on the Internet, and found someone who had a similar experience as myself. I read an article about a boy being recruiting to top southern schools on a football scholarship. He talked about how great it was to get letters from the school, and calls from the coaches, and the five star treatment from the team and supervisors because it made him feel wanted. He felt he had already adapted to that lifestyle saying, " when you go on (a recruiting visit), it makes you feel a part of the program before you even go". That's a good recruiting trip. That means that he felt as though he meshed with the team and student body, and as a type of undercover critic, found himself being easily submerged in their culture.
However, not all recruiting trips go as smoothly, and there are times where the athlete finds themselves not fitting in. They don't like the people, they don't like the lifestyle, they don't like the school. Regardless of a positive or negative outcome from a recruiting trip, ethnographic research is still being done. For that weekend you still must live as them, you can just choose to enjoy it and continue on there, or hate it and find a better home.
Another topic in the presentation was observation. Like in many daily situations, when an athlete goes on a recruiting trip they must observe. They need to take in what they like and what they don't like. They need to understand what they are getting themselves into, and that goes for any student looking at colleges. You observe what the kids are wearing, what they are doing, what music they are listening to, and then try to place yourself there. I know that when I was looking at schools, I would see one, meet the team and coaches, and when I got home my parents would make me write out a list of everything I liked and didn't like. At the time I found it to be a pain , but looking back, especially after having a better understanding of qualitative research, i realized it was one of the best things i could have done. It is the reason i am so happy here at Quinnipiac. I took the time to observe, be part of the community, and make the decision to ultimately spend the next four years of my life here.
Ethnographic and observational research is done almost everyday. Whether you are aware of it or it is a subconscious habit, people on constantly observing. We all want to fit in and be part of the community. We all see what people do and if we like it, we do it. It is a part of natural human instinct to observe, and copy what you like, and as soon as I learned that, all I could think of was my experience searching for the perfect team.
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