Autobiography of Jenna Bonaccorso:
In 1993, I was born prematurely at St. Agnes hospital in New York, where I was immediately transferred to Westchester Medical due to serious health conditions. Growing up, I lived in a very structured home environment with my parents and older brother. I followed a routine each day of school, snack, homework and there was family dinner every evening, except when my dad was traveling for work, followed by sports practice. I was fortunate enough to be able to do a lot of sports and activities growing up, which was really important to be because it helped me form friendships and manage my time when I was younger, through college, and now. My parents were at almost every sporting event, dance recital, awards show, showing pride in whatever I accomplished. I played soccer, softball, basketball, volleyball, took dance class, and even tried lacrosse and field hockey. Sports were important to me growing up because it brought my family together. My parents would cheer so loud and we’d celebrate after, as long as I did my best. When I didn’t get chosen for the volleyball team in high school, my parents were there to support me and helped continue my love for the sport, by encouraging me to coach children instead, which I loved. If they hadn’t been there, I would have stopped playing because I was so hurt that a coach could take that love away from me in high school. When I went to college, I played intramural sports, where I made new friends and just had fun. Even now, I enjoy playing sports on the beach with friends and family and hope to find another coaching job soon.
Biography of Martin Skelton:
Martin Skelton was born in 1990 right outside of London, England. He grew up with his parents and older brother. As a child, his home life was very controlled by his parents concerning what choices he could make (after school plans, friends, etc) , but as Martin and his brother got older, tension arose when his parents were still fighting for control, even as their two sons had begun their own lives as adults. Martin also grew up in a non-religious home environment, where holidays like Christmas, had no religious connection, but were rather a celebration of family. Even with that family celebration during Christmas, there was that underlying emphasis on soccer (referred to as “football” in England). Boxing Day, the day after Christmas, was always spent watching soccer. Even growing up, Martin had soccer every evening, which resulted in many TV dinners and dinners where he only ate with his mom before going to soccer. Because of the control exhibited by his parents growing up, many of Martin’s major life events were significant to him, due to the self-discovery that they elicited inside himself. For example, through soccer, he learned the importance of believing in himself and not letting nerves get in the way after an important tournament was lost. Martin had a choice to make at a young age. He could pursue a professional career in soccer or attend university. Being old enough to finally make his own choices, Martin decided to put school first. Nowadays, Martin is coaching and still playing in a recreational soccer league. Soccer was a part of him and his family growing up, and it will continue to be as he shares his love for the sport with others.
| Jenna Bonaccorso | Same | Martin Skelton |
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Analysis of Cultural Differences:
When I was growing up, there was an emphasis on routine to promote independence in me at a young age. My parents facilitated the routine but gave me choice in how I filled it, after the school aspects were complete. To fill my time, I turned to sports. I would play two sports a season, changing in the car to get from one game to the next on a Saturday, only if my work was done. For Martin, on the other hand, soccer came first in his family. His parents were the big decision makers and he learned the most about himself through the sport. Eventually, he even realized that while soccer was important in his life, school was important too, and chose to attend university rather than pursuing a career in soccer. I believe that these differences in our lives are related to the parenting styles that we grew up surrounded by. I had structure and support, with an emphasis on school and sports, and Martin had parental led decisions with the emphasis only on sports at a young age. For me, having school come first and having the choice in my extracurriculars is the main reason I am where I am at today: age 23, second year teacher, partway through my second master’s degree, still enjoying sports leisurely and with children. I can’t imagine my parents pushing me to play sports because it was always presented as a choice. It was interesting to hear though, that as an adult, Martin did end up putting his education first, so while we started on two different paths, they did collide when we hit adulthood.