Blogs : Hugh Murphy

Hello....My name is Hugh

Athletically, I focused on the javelin at Brown. Despite a decent first meet (215’7”, 65.72m) I suffered an elbow injury, and subsequently missed the next two seasons. I returned for my junior year, but continued elbow pain and a growing disenchantment with sports led me away from track until the spring of my senior year. I threw in two meets in 2006, hitting a new pr of 225’. After calling an end to my season following the Ivy championships, I received word that the NCAA had approved a two -year eligibility extension for medical hardship. I took this eligibility to the University of Kansas, which is where I am today.

The primary focus of my blogs from here on out, will not rest on javelin technique and training, but rather on the relationship between athletics and society. I believe the factors that produce good athletes can be the same factors that make interesting people. This is not often the case, however, as I see more and more athletes sacrificing their personal identities in order to fit into a “sports culture.” A few examples of this: 1.) There have been, in my opinion, only a handful of interesting/original athlete interviews over the past five years. 2.) In case you can’t identify your University’s basketball team by their height, they are all wearing full athletic gear no matter where they are. 3.) It’s not hard to find certain classes filled with athletes. Favoring easy classes over interesting classes sounds absolutely terrible to me, but then again, maybe that’s just me.

I recently read an essay by a poet who preached the importance of distinguishing writing as an activity from writing as an identity. Adopting an identity as a writer is harmful and limiting, he argued. Anyone who writes is a writer. In this way, anyone who plays sports is an athlete. Regardless of your talent or the level at which you compete, playing sports should not pre-dispose you to a certain identity, way of living or way of acting. This will be the focus of my blog. To clarify, I'm not arguing that it is a good idea to act in ways that are harmful to yourself or in conflict with rules, laws or agreements with your athletic department. I'm simply arguing that it is good to be very conscious of who you are and what you're about on a personal level.

Alright, I’ve just read through the last couple of paragraphs and realized how boring they are. I promise better in the future. This was just an ice-breaker. I’ll try to have a new installment in every week…so don’t pee yourself with anticipation. Also, I’d love to hear from you. Please email your criticism, ideas, suggestions, questions, threats, etc. to me whenever you get the chance.

Until next time….
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