“Sports and Society,” a new class added to the Upper School’s curriculum in the history department, offers a dive into the correlation between the history of sports and the history of the world.
According to Upper School’s curriculum guide, the Sports and Society class “utilizes an accessible avenue, sports, as a tool to illuminate issues in American history and to spotlight individuals and events that were especially impactful in promoting social change.”
“Because of its connection to sports, it is a very popular choice among juniors and seniors when deciding their classes,” senior Jack Paris said “I chose to take it because I love sports and wanted to understand deeper about the origins of sports and how it involved people in society.”
Similarly, senior Lauren McMackin is intrigued by the class.
“I can connect with the material more because of the mix of history and sports,” McMackin said.
That connection is causing interest among the student body, especially athletes.
While Mr. David Holm, Kinkaid’s athletic director, teaches the new course. He said he believes people will benefit from understanding “the connectivity between sports and society.”
“I love seeing the students make the realization that what is going on in the ‘sportsworld’ at any time is reflective of what is happening in American society and culture,” Mr. Holm said. “…I love the study of sports, American history, government and sociology. This class combines all of the above.”
Senior Gayle Robertson enrolled in the class because of the reviews she heard from her peers.
“Mr. Holm is a great teacher and keeps the class engaged really well. He makes sports history really fun. ”
As part of his curriculum, Mr. Holm teaches his students about the origins of “Jump Around,” a tradition at the University of Wisconsin, his alma mater. When the song “Jump Around” is played between the third and fourth quarters at every home football game, students jump and sing the song in the stands.
Mr. Holm also teaches about the origins lacrosse and baseball.
