Sports And Games example essay topic

During the early 20th Century, Barbados was seen basically as a two-class society, founded principally on social status and colour prejudice. In spite of the clearly divided, segregated society, sport provided one of the few avenues for upward social mobility in a society that was not totally closed. Limited social mobility was possible mainly because of the mingling of sportsmen of low social status with elite members of the society, but yet the restrictive social barriers remained intact within the society generally. In the late 1920's and dearly 1930's, both cricket and soccer provided means by which the poor could experience some degree of social mobility. Soccer was more popular than it is today, and the best athletes in both sports were given the opportunity to play for representative national teams in spite of their social status. Although life was harsh for the Barbadian people, they tend to look for relief in the area of sports and recreation.

Indeed sports played a very major role within the lives of many Ba jans it served as a time when families as well as friends could come together, and share the fellowship of unity. Of course, modern forms of recreation were also important within a centenarian's life. Mrs. Payne also remembers those days of which she would go to the garrison and watch the horses parading around the savannah. For her this was a time filled with joy, and one of the fond times, she remembers sharing with her now deceased husband, Elliot. She reports by saying that horseracing was a very popular sport and was literally enjoyed by almost all persons; persons of all classes and races attended, and a great deal of gambling was involved as well as cheating, drinking and minor fights.

Another favourite pastime that was enjoyed wholly by Mrs. Payne was that of cricket. Being an advent fan of the game, she was still able to relate to one, the rules of the game and also all of the dos and don " ts of this wonderful pastime. However, although she has only been to the oval to watch a cricket match once, she said that she would never miss a game, or at least, never try to miss one. She relates that as a child, there was a sense of 'cricket fever' in everyone's hearts. "Every open space could become a cricket pitch, even a street if necessary."An oil tin would serve for the wicket and a palm leaf rib for the bat". Along with the passion of cricket, she also enjoyed many other games that can be said to be quite indigenous to the shores of Barbados.

She gaily recalls engaging herself in certain games as a child growing up in the St. George village such as 'rounders' or 'chinese skip'. She then added without a slight hesitation - "The ladies would be playing these games, while the men would be engaged in activities such as dominoes or the ever popular 'warri'". This game (warri) is one of the oldest in the world, and is one in which the player tries to 'capture' as many as possible of his opponents pieces. Warri is a stimulant war game, ending when one player captures more than half of his opponent's pieces. This game is still alive in some areas e.g. Speightstown, although it is declining in Barbados due to the rise in popularity of dominoes. Apart from the sports and games, Mrs. Payne remembers other recreational activities including certain families or church excursions, which was anticipated yearly by both the youth and the elderly.

This she stated helped to bring the young ones and the older folk into a closer relationship. All of these said events and activities are what contributed to the health and longevity of the older generations who are the proud centenarians of our country. Tops and marbles seem almost the only sport of the school children, but when encouraged, take kindly to cricket. The Barbadian village was a close-knit society, where young and old lived together in relative peace and harmony. The social homogeneity of the situation was intensified by recreation. Play was thus seen as a village past time in which all shared, either as spectators or contestants regardless of age or sex.

Village games required little organisation, no expense, and could be quickly put into effect. Most of these games were informal and spontaneous. The games casted the Barbadian love of singing, rhyme and rhythm; their delight in make belief and the pleasure associated with simple everyday happenings. It was a custom for all villagers to be part of these games were labelled by names such as: 'participation dips', 'clapping games', 'guessing games', 'imitative games', 'miming' and 'dancing games'. In terms of festivals, Christmas was a time of year, which was looked forward to by almost all Barbadians. Some families began preparations even weeks before.

These Christmas celebrations began early in the morning as choirs, made up of male, female, and sometimes children sang Christmas carols. At Christmas time, the people usually dug male out of the quarry to spread all around their houses to make them look presentable. Those who could afford it would buy paint for their houses and varnish for their floors. There was a lot of cleaning done around this time of year as everyone washed their houses and changed the appearance of its interior.

Some used to send their children to pick tall grass from the pasture or nearby gully and made it into a broom to sweep and 'cob web' the house, while straw b romes were used for the yard, this was also home made; by bundling together the grass and tying with three strings at separate areas. The straw broom was made from dried coconut stems and a mackerel tin that was place at the top, people also made them to sell. The people did this because they could not afford the type of brooms used today. Food was a widely used word around this time. The people made a food called 'Jug Jug', which was made from green peas and ginny-cornflower. Sorrel was a drink, which the people enjoyed, this was made after the sorrel was ct and dried, and water was added as well as spice to give it a flavour.

Cakes and homemade bread was baked. Fruits were also plentiful at this time. On a special occasion like Christmas, salt or fresh meat was usually distributed. Church services began at 5 o'clock in the morning and then everyone would look forward to going into the Queen's Park afterwards. Everyone would be cl added in their best clothes, as they would have probably bought new church clothes. Four (4) or five (5) men, moved about the district in the early hours of Christmas morning, singing carols and making speeches for the house holders.

They carefully selected a house where there were signs that the occupants were awake; for these men did not entertain for entertainment's sake, but in the hope of gaining either small monetary rewards, or some Christmas food or drink, or both. After delivering their speeches and rendering a carol or two, they gave one of the following speeches making their intentions known: Hark the herald angel sing, Glory to the newborn King, Peace on Earth and Mercy mild One pint for man and one for chile. Hark the herald angel sing, Open de larder an gi we sum tin, Peace on Earth and Mercy mild Two rums for a man and one for chile. Apart from the Christmas and crop over festivities, the people also celebrated Easter and Whitsuntide, which were the main Christian festivals. Although the Easter holiday was not ass celebrated as the Christmas festival, it was seen as being more Christian like. Holly week started on Palm Sunday, with the people gathering their palms that they had previously cut, and marched in a process, on through the streets.

Following this was Holy Thursday and then Good Friday. On Good Friday, which was the day the Lord was crucified, the people would go to church. On this day, it was custom to eat only fish, as there was to be no shedding of blood. At 12 o'clock, some of the people would gather as one person would stick a sand-box tree and blood would flow from it. This blood represented the blood, which flowed from the Lord as he was being nailed from the cross.

Three (3) days after Good Friday was the celebration of Easter Sunday, which was the day that the Lord rose from the dead. The people would celebrate this day in rejoice by having a big feast with a variety of foods, they also went on picnics and engaged in kite flying. The Tuk-band was very much a part of the Easter festivities on these occasions, the band would travel from village to village playing popular tunes and inviting persons to contribute their own musical talent. This was where the Donkey man, Mother Sally and other figures came into the band.

Whitsuntide bank holiday was celebrated with a variety of activities including excursions, sports and parties. Other festivals including the Crop over festival, which was symbolic of the ending of the Crop season, which meant less work and lower wages.