"The Flight of the Millennials in Higher Education" by Michele Monaco and Malissa Martin (2009)

In this reading, Monaco and Martin (2009) do a background check on my generation, the Millennials (1981-2000). Following the introduction of the Millennial generation the article begins to focus on the parental generations, Boomers and Gen Xers, of the Millenials and the influential role they play as parents. Honestly, before reading this article I was clueless as to what my generation is called and how it is characterized.

Although I may not have agreed with every description, I saw myself and my friends in descriptions such as, multi-tasking, social, and technologically proficient (Monaco & Martin, 2009). I agree with the article about the high involvement of parents in the education of the Millennial generation. The involvement of the parents can be attributed to the value placed on education for their generations. My own personal experiences can attest to this high parental involvement. My parents were very involved in my decisions regarding where I went to college, keeping track of my grades, and encouraging me to get the most out of my education.

What I found most interesting about reading this article was how it made me feel. I felt a sense of belonging. In an earlier reading by Mills (2000), the point was made that a person cannot truly know the importance of their life without realizing the role they play in the history of their society. I think the categorization of society into generations is one way to help individuals understand where they fit in the daily evolving history of the world.

Introduction

Hi!

My name is Courtney Robinson. I am a graduate student in the kinesiology program at Bowling Green State University. This is the first blog I have ever had, and I am writing it as component of a sport and society class. My posts will consist of analyses of different readings and my thoughts and personal understanding of the readings. I am very excited and slightly nervous about potentially sharing my thoughts with people across the world, although I know most of my readers will be my classmates. Since this first post is supposed to be an introduction, I guess I should give you a little more information about myself.

I was born and raised in Louisiana but my childhood consisted of several moves. Sport was always my constant when moving from place to place, and just as much of a coping mechanism as it was a competitive and recreational outlet for me. I played several sports growing up including softball, basketball, soccer, tennis, track, and golf. During high school, I focused my attention on tennis and golf in hopes of receiving a college scholarship. I did receive a college scholarship but it was for playing the French horn. Yes, I am a band nerd.

I am a graduate of Louisiana Tech University where I received a degree in Health and Physical Education...GO DAWGS! It was after I took a sport and society class at Tech, that I began to think about graduate school. My search for the right program began and by luck, I found the perfect fit here at BGSU. While studying at BGSU, my concentration area is sport psychology. I do not have a topic for my thesis yet but I hope to have one soon!

Through this class, I hope to learn more about the interactions between sport and the society we live in. I truly believe sport can bring people together as athletes, fans, and communities. It is the story of the underdog that gives us hope when times are hard, the tale of a legend that reminds of greatness past, and the passion of a rising star that makes us remember why we love the game.