Literacy Profile

One of my favorite things to do is watch football.  American style football that is, not soccer.  Enjoying football requires understanding a vocabulary set pertinent to the game as well as concepts relevant to the way in which the game is played or, the rules.  The same can be said of all other sports as well but my interest is in football and that is what I shall discuss. 

            My interest in the game goes beyond a mere casual viewing of a match here or there; I watch as much football as I possibly can.  I am mainly concerned with the happenings of the National Football League, the largest and most successful American Football league, but my interest extends to college football, the Canadian Football League, high school football, or any such meeting of two athletic clubs that follows the general guidelines, rules, and procedures of an American Football game.  In years past I have taken in games of now defunct leagues such as NFL Europe and the Arena Football League.  Others have labeled my fascination with the sport an obsession.

            It is hard to say exactly how I became so deeply interested in football.  I have never played on an organized team; my “on-field” experience is limited to pick-up games in parks and backyards.  It should be noted that these experiences seldom led to any kind of success for me as I am a horribly un-athletic individual.  Still, somehow, I became fascinated with the game and performance in it at the highest level.  Through all my years of football viewing, I have developed a thorough literacy of the sport’s various aspects. 

            Anyone can watch a football game but to get the most enjoyment from the experience it helps to know the rules.  Procedures vary between leagues and organizations.  For instance, while a National Football League field measures 100 yards from one end zone to the other, a Canadian Football League field measures 110 yards from end zone to end zone.  Canadian players only have three attempts to gain ten yards before having to turn the ball over to the opposing team and they play with twelve players on each side, differing slightly from the NFL standard four attempts to gain ten yards and eleven players a side.  Minor differences also exist between collegiate and NFL play, such as requiring a receiver to possess the ball and touch two feet within the field of play to complete a reception.  Rules and procedures can be complex, are nuanced, and at times open to interpretation by game officials.  Manuals exist that describe league rules so one can become football literate through written texts, however, most football literate people become so by actively participating in the game or by vicarious viewing.  

            In addition to knowing the rules of the game, a football viewer benefits from being able to “read” the field or television screen.  Knowing player positions and where they line up on the field helps football enthusiasts and participants to be able to communicate effectively and relay information to one another.  It can also help if one is trying to decipher a team’s intentions, their scheme, or tactics employed against their opponent.  Those who are accustomed to viewing televised matches can read the screen and increasingly sophisticated graphics provide information such as the point from which the offense tries to advance the ball, the yard mark to which they must advance in order to gain a new set of attempts, the score, player statistics, the game clock, the play clock, number of time outs each team has, and more.  These can all be useful in helping new viewers to become “literate.” 

            There is also a set of vocabulary unique to football that constitutes an explicit literacy.  These terms are most likely available in a glossary but a more effective means by which to familiarize oneself with them is to participate in or survey a game.  In this way a person can better understand terms as they encounter them in the context of the game as it is played.

            Having a firm understanding of the concepts, regulations, and vocabulary of American Football, I am able to engage my friends and other football enthusiasts in conversation regarding the game.  I relish opportunities to enlighten those ignorant of football in hopes that they will become interested once they understand the game. 

            As a teacher I could have an opportunity to coach or be involved in a football team if I work at a school that fields a team.  Otherwise my interest in football could help me interact with students in a non-academic manner as many young people enjoy football.