Michael Roth Rebecca Agosta English 1101-68 18 November 2013 You just cant beat Off Constantly The

Discourse Community (DC) studied is one I am an inside member of. At the University of North Carolina at Charlotte playing intramural sports is extremely popular. The most popular sport is Flag Football. With over 215 teams with at least 8 players there are around 1,700 people who play. That is about the size of most American high schools. I play on a team consisting of myself and 11 others. Our specific team (Off Constantly) is the DC. We are each linked independently and brought together to be a part of this DC. Our team was brought together by various friendships and connections. This DC does not try to prove value or come to some existential understanding. It simply tries to win games together. This ethnography is an insiders view into a relatively small discourse community. We meet once, sometimes twice, per week. We always meet for games weekly and sometimes for a practice. This is the first time I have been a part of this DC and therefore am a novice. However most within the community (8 members) are also novices and this has helped ease my discomfort. We have 3 captains but this isnt determined by seniority or talent. When registering as a team online you must input 3 captains. The game is played 7v7 meaning 7 offensive players against 7 defensive players. You must have at least a quarterback on offense. The game is divided into 10 minute quarters to score

more than the other team. Defense is organized in any formation. We choose to have 2 people rush (try to pull the flags) the opposing quarterback and 5 in coverage based on the opposing offense. Our offense is far more structured with one Quarterback, 2 blockers and 4 receivers. The offense uses a code of plays and routes by number. 2 1 4 2 is a play and each number from left to right correlates to a route for each receiver. Each even number means to run the route toward the Quarterback and each odd number means to run away. There are a variety of other signals used on offense as well. Each receiver is well timed and coordinated with our Quarterback. The research methods include active and environmental observations at a practice and games. The interview was conducted with Austin Handy the Quarterback. Most players attended the practice and all attended the games. Practices were more relaxed and informal than games. The DC usually meets for a practice before their weekly games. The practices are informal and held at a variety of locations including game fields and various fields on the UNC Charlotte campus. Most members attended practice and bring their equipment. The practices are held in the evening time before dinners. Most members wear gym shorts, gym shirts, cleats and gloves. There is a short 5-10 minute warm-up which consists of the quarterback (Austin) throwing a football to various other players, some players begin to stretch at this time. The full offense begins running routes (plays and tactics to advance the ball via runs and passes) and the defense practices their weaknesses. The several practices have all been run similarly; they also include friendly banter, jokes and socializing. We are a team and DC but also a group of friends and that is an important distinction to make.

In this practice the defense worked on catching the quarterback to pull his flag. As the weather grew colder throughout the evening an observer could see the entire pace begin to slowdown. Members began talking about food and the cold and practice was then adjourned after an hour or so. We were derailed from practice and that is one major fault of this community. As a troupe of guys, we can be overly confident in our abilities (leading us to practice less than necessary), distracted by other interests like food or underestimate an opponent. Each of these traits is equally a part of this DC as are those of communication, lexis, etc. Within this community we use very specialized language; each player has a unique position and plays which they must understand. For example a sneak is where the Quarterback fakes as if he is looking to pass and then runs the ball himself when he sees an opening. This is a common play we use along with other teams. Alternatively, on defense we have a spy or a defensive player who is charged with watching the Quarterback to prevent such plays. On both offense and defense we use specific lexis to convey information. An outside to this community wouldnt understand these terms so the terms are therefore exclusive to insiders. We all come together for common goals to win games together. Each player has unique roles and when one person falls short, we replace him with another teammate. Much like the advent of interchangeable parts, this allows the machine to run even when a single part doesnt function properly because it can be exchanged. Each of the defensive players can play offense and the inverse is true. This allows us to work continually toward our communal goal and that is to successfully win games. We also have secondary goals that contribute to our primary goal. For example some secondary goals include having successful practices, knowing all plays on offense and defense and being able to effectively communicate. Within even these there are tertiary goals which break down into simpler parts, to learn a route, to learn to read a defense or quarterback

and so forth. Each practice is based on completing each of these smaller goals in the hopes of reaching a successful outcome at a game. Our first game began poorly. At halftime we were down 20-0 and we decided to make a change in our scheme. This was only possible via communication. Each player was able to communicate to others about their weaknesses. The offense was able to watch from the sideline and see where the defense had made mistakes and the inverse was possible as well. Additionally other players on offense and defense were able to give feedback. At the start of the second half we changed most of our set up. The second half was far more successful and ended in a 21-20 win. This come-back win is a testament to the power and importance of communication in this DC. Communication occurs in many places. For example during practice and games players give each other feedback and advice. Before or after practices the members communicate via group text message. Players also cultivate personal friendships through this medium. Additionally the website Imleagues.com acts as our liaison between the DC and the larger community. This website is what organizes the DC and guides many of our activities. Our offense is led by our Quarterback, Austin. When asked if he would rejoin the team next year, Austin responded with Yup. It has been fun so far and weve won all our games. Everyone on the team gets along and its the closest Ive been back to real football. Austins position is likely the most influential. He runs the offense and is our charismatic leader on and off the field. He also is well versed in Football as he has played most of his life. This allows him to easily help and give advice to other players.

According to Austin on what worked well in games our communication and flexibility allowed us to identify problems and make changes where needed. This again is confirmation of the importance of communication within this community. There hasnt been much contention over who plays what position either. Each member plays a position which they are most suited. For example those who can catch a football best play receiver and those who can chase best play defense. The same players play the same positions each week and this builds confidence in yourself and teammates. We dont hold a hierarchy and all players sit equally. This is fairly unique to our community. While we do have captains, they are in name only. Any member can lead the team and there is no chain of authority. Much like a rag-tag group of rough-riders we lack structure but we do have a clear direction and goals. Our discourse community holds several internal values. While there is no actual formalized code of values, we all tend to understand the unspoken values. Obviously each player giving their total effort during practice and games is valued. When on the sidelines, you cheer for your teammates as a form of support and camaraderie. While it isnt mandated, all members are expected to attend games and practices. The DC also values any members willing to make a difficult play to help the team. Our Discourse Community functions around games and is based on seasonal involvement. Each of the members understands their value within the community and how their contributions result in the success of the team.

Works Cited Handy, Austin. Personal Interview. 6 November 2013 Swales, John. The Concept of Discourse Community. 21-32. Print.