Sport and Globalization 2018

On Saturday, March 3rd, most of us went to Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium to watch
Sevilla FC take on Athletic Bilbao. We arrived at the stadium and were pleasantly surprised to
see how close our seats were to the field. Despite the rain, we were all excited to see how Sevilla
FC would compare to cross-town rivals Betis. There was a large Sevilla fan section that was in
perfect view from our seats. That section was standing and waving flags the entire match. They
had songs and chants to keep the energy high for the full 90 minutes. Aside from the hardcore
Seville fan section the stadium was surprisingly empty. This was likely due to the rainy weather,
which is uncommon in typically sunny Sevilla. The game ended in a 2-0 victory for Sevilla,
with goals coming in the 27th and 32nd minute. Watching Sevilla score was particularly fun
because their goals were not only accompanied by cheering but also by singing and dancing. We
were glad to see a home team victory!

The main difference between the Sevilla FC game and the Real Betis game was the
atmosphere. The Betis game had a more energetic atmosphere, despite the Sevilla fan’s
reputation for being lively. This disparity was likely caused by the bad weather of the Sevilla
game. The Betis game was on a clear and warm night whereas Sevilla was cold and rainy.
Additionally, Betis was playing Real Madrid, one of the most famous soccer teams in the world,
and featured one of the most famous soccer players in the world, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Furthermore, the Betis game featured a whopping eight goals, with Sevilla took a 2-0 lead by the
32nd minute. Both games had a lively atmosphere and were great experiences but the
circumstances of the Betis game caused it to be more exciting.

On Friday February 23, we travelled to Ronda from Sevilla. After a two hour coach bus ride through the edge of the scenic Parque Natural Sierra de Grazalema we arrived at our destination. We then began our walk through the new town to the bullring in Ronda, Plaza de Toros de Ronda. There, we met up with our guide and began our trip with a tour inside of Plaza de Toros de Ronda. We learned about the basics of bullfighting, a brief history of bullfighting in Ronda, and the relevance it has to the people of Ronda as well as some celebrities who often enjoyed bullfights in Ronda like Orson Welles. While touring the ring, we got to see many pieces of art that have been featured on the bullfight tickets, including a piece of a matador done by Pablo Picasso. We were also able to see the traditional outfits worn by the matadors as well as the traditional clothing worn by men and women attending bullfights. We were able to enter the bullring and walk on the same sandy surface that many bullfights have occurred on. There we learned more about the bullfight as a spectacle, some of the new safety measures put into place for spectators, and the treatment of the bulls prior to them entering the fight. It was interesting to learn that the bulls fighting in bullrings are often worth about €12,000 and receive very good treatment throughout their lives before entering the fight. It was also interesting to learn that not all bulls die during a bullfight. If the matador believes the bull he is fighting is very brave he can have the option, with permission of the Prime Minister, to spare the bulls life. Following that, we had some time to explore the arena and complex where many of us went to see the horse training facilities in the Plaza de Toros as well as the holding areas and the tunnel that the bulls go through when entering a fight.

Following the tour of the bullring, we continued into the new town of Ronda and saw views of the countryside, the new bridge, and the many small tourist shops that exist in Ronda. From the new town, we walked over the new bridge and entered the old town of Ronda. It was fascinating to see the many old buildings, learn more about the history of Ronda and it’s past rulers, and learn more about the local wine and olive industries that could be seen everywhere.

Being nestled between two mountain ridges and atop a mountain of its own Ronda was an ideal place for cities and fortresses since the Roman times. As we walked through the old town our tour guide pointed out where the Romans first settled in the area. After the tour we were given time to wander on our own through the city. Many of us hiked down the mountainside to see the waterfall and the river. Some walked through the spanish shops and restaurants. All of us eventually found a sunny spot to enjoy lunch and the beautiful day before jumping back on the coach to head home. Ronda is an incredible place unlike anywhere in the world. The Beautiful greenery and sharp cliffs matched with the white stucco facade and barrel tile roofs of the spanish buildings created fairytale sights all over the city.

Today we went to visit Lora Tamayo, our civic engagement service learning project home in Bellavista. We were able to tour the school and get a bit of a history lesson about the town before having a chance to play with the kids at their recess. We began the day by meeting at the Sevilla San Justa train station and all took the train down to the town of Bellavista together. From there we walked through a small traditional Spanish town to get to the school. Once at the school we met with the director of the school, Rafael, who was going to lead us around for the day. Rafael took us around the school where we visited each one of the classrooms and briefly met the kids that we would be working with. We were able to see the English, French, computer, math, and science classrooms.
After we visited the classrooms, Rafael gave us a history lesson of the barrio Bellavista so we had a good idea as the heritage of the kids we would be working with and what their background is. Rafael, didn’t speak any English so we had to have our own Sam Reategui translate for us. We learned about how Bellavista was home to work camps during the Franco dictatorship, religious events that take place there, and how their everyday life represents the core values of the town.
Finally, we went outside for the kids’ thirty minute recess. We were expecting the energy, excitement, and general chaos. What we weren’t expecting was to be swarmed by kids of all ages asking us for our signatures. We each probably signed about fifty little pieces of paper by the end of the break, but not before we played with the kids. The centerpiece of recess was two large scale soccer games in the back of the school where at least forty kids in total played. The younger children were separated from the older in a fenced off area where they could play unimpeded by larger, stronger kids. Before we knew it, our time was up, and we left for the train station, looking forward to three weeks of games, kids, and fun.

 

Today We traveled to Wimbledon to experience the magic of one of the best tennis grand slams in the world. With the help of our friendly tour guide, we got to learn about the history of Wimbledon, see the grounds and imagine what Church Road looks like every two weeks at the beginning of July.