Physical Literacy

Introduction

Literacy is more than just than just words. Literacy can also be physical. Your actions are like words on a paper. You actions express who you are or what you are doing instead of words. Football is how I expressed physical literacy. Physical literacy has allowed me to enhance my communication and leadership skills in a way school did not. Physical literacy has no negatives. Physical literacy has allowed me to express myself in a way school did not let me express myself. Football as allow me to communicate and cooperate with other people the way did not allow us to. Do you express yourself through physical literacy? If so how? Literacy is deeper than most people think about it. To me, literacy means expression. The same way someone can express themselves in writing, they can also express themselves through playing sports. There are endless possibilities in which literacy can be interpreted.

Physical Literacy

Literacy is knowledge that relates to a specified subject. Many people associate literacy with words. To me, literacy means expression. The way you can express yourself through literacy can be either mentally or physically. Mental expressions of literacy are often through poems or songs. In general literacy which is mental, your voice is what is used to express yourself. Physical expressions of literacy are body movements, usually like sports or dancing. Body language expresses how you feel. For example, when people are physically tired they often sleep or make little body movements. In physical literacy, the mind follows the body. Your body language sometimes expresses your mental thoughts.

Physical literacy helps me enhance my leadership and communication skills. Physical Literacy has helped me enhance all those skills because I am given the opportunity to. In school, you do not have the opportunity to enhance those skills. School is the place where general literacy is. In school, the teacher tells you to “be quiet” when you talk and that discourages communication. In school, you are not given the opportunity to show leadership because the teacher is the leader of the class and has all the authority. In school you are isolated; it lacks social communication and community.   I use football as my physical literacy. In football, leadership and communication is encouraged. In football you must communicate with your teammates and you cannot be isolated from them. Also, everyone on the team has a voice and you gain authority through the merit of your work. The football field serves as my place of literacy. The way I express myself through physical literacy is with poise, economy and confidence in the wide variety of physically challenging situations I face during practice and football games.

Communication through physical literacy is much different than communication through general literacy. In general literacy people communicate with words. In physical literacy people communicate with body actions such as through eye contact, different facial expressions or by body signals. Through all the noise in the football game, the coach signals and calls plays by doing different hand motions. Even when we come out of the huddle, the crowd still loud, when we need to change something about the play we usually tap the person that is suppose to move from their spot and direct them to where they suppose to be. When I am on the field, communication is a key part of us playing as a team and winning the game. Physical communication is more helpful and easier in a situation such as the football game because it is difficult to talk loud enough so that other players can hear me or for me to hear them.

Leadership can be shown in physical and general literacy. In general literacy, leadership is established by either the person who has the most knowledge or is the most outspoken. In physical literacy, leadership is established by the person who is the most involved or the most aggressive and fearless person. I think I am very brave on the football field because no matter how much bigger or stronger someone is than me, I do not get intimidated and not afraid to make tackles on defense. On the field I learned fear is mental. My first game I played defensive tackle. The offensive linemen that were trying to block me where much taller and weighed more than I do. One thing that made me play good and rip through the offensive line was confidence. I was full of confidence and had no fears on the football field. My body played freely with aggression. Collisions in football never cause physical pain because the pain is mental. That game I was player of the game. My body played football and my mind followed. When I have to make the tackle I never hesitate, my body is the one running the show and not my mind.

In physical literacy the mind follows the body. I compare my “football state of mind” to an infant’s use of physical literacy, just like an infant, my body is perceptive in reading all aspects of the physical environment, anticipating movement needs or possibilities and responding appropriately to these, with intelligence and imagination After a game I often have little memory and awareness of my actions on the field. It’s as if my mind goes unconscious and my body has natural reactions in football. Before a game I am usually nervous because I am thinking too much. Once I put my equipment on and get on the field, I am not nervous anymore. My body is in control and my thoughts fade away. On the field, I play football and the few thoughts that I have on the field are only about football. Football makes me feel free; it is as if all the problems I face in life do not exist when I am playing football.

Language is a systematic means of communicating ideas or feelings by the use of signs, sounds, gestures, or marks having understood meanings. Language is a key part of literacy. The body language used in football expresses how I feel when I am on the field. I might feel tired mentally but physically I express that I am ready, hype, and full of adrenaline. On the field, physical literacy means more to me than general literacy.

When I play football, I feel like a whole different person. Mentally I have a different personality then when I am playing football and express myself through physical literacy. When I am playing football I feel more confident, less fearful of life, and all my problems that are not related to football seem not to exist. When I am not playing football, I am usually shy and also focused on fixing the problems I face in life. My personality is different because of a level of comfort I feel. I feel the most comfortable to express myself through football and I feel like I have no limitations on the football field. Slowly, I have been working on trying to make myself feel more comfortable whenever I am not playing football. As time passes, I have noticed I have became more social able and outgoing. My college English class has also help me social able and outgoing too. In English class, we are not isolated, communication and community is encouraged in the class. The professor has authority but he makes everyone feel equal. Everyone in the class has a voice and can state their opinion on any topic. Working with my teammates and coaches in football and also working with my fellow classmates and professor in English class has enhanced my personality.