Tennis vs. Cricket

Today we got learn what tennis and cricket are all about in Australia! All in one day, we got to attend the Medibank Sydney International Tennis Tournament at the Sydney Olympic Park and watch a cricket game between the Sydney Sixers and the Melbourne Renegades. One notable difference between the two events was the patrons/fans that attended each of them. At the tennis tournament, the fans used “gentlemen’s etiquette”. There was minimal talking while the match was going on and there were no vulgar comments and booing towards the opposing tennis player(s). The majority of the crowd was middle age and older fans. The cricket game was a completely different scene! The fans were rowdy and in full spirits for their favorite team. Fans ranged through all ages. It was more of a social event where talking with your mates, drinking multiple beers, and cursing at the opposing team was the norm (all in good fun of course). One of the activities that some fan members took place in was “shooting the boot”. This is when you pour your whole beer into a shoe and chug it in front of the crowd. After someone “shot the boot”, there was a lot of cheering and a count down from eight, signaling the start of the Mexican Wave (known as the wave in the US).

Volunteers are crucial when running a major sports event. They are important for club and sport operations and in fostering the growth and development of the game. One area where I found volunteers to be extremely helpful with at the events today was crowd control. At the tennis match, the volunteers made sure that people did not enter while the match was in play. They kept a constant eye out for open spots and guided fans quickly and efficiently to the open seats when the match was not in play. They did a great job respecting the players, while also making sure that all of the fans were accommodated. At the cricket game, the volunteers were helpful getting fans through the gates quickly and guiding you where you needed to be.

             One bloggable moment…as my professor Shelly would say…was having the doors of the train shut on me while the rest of my group had already disembarked. With no phone and my nonexistent sense of direction, I was a bit worried. However, I was eventually reunited with my group safelyJ Below are pictures of my group at the cricket game, Anderson from South Africa, and the Bryan brothers from the USA!