Women’s basketball team of Vytautas Magnus University: subcultural identity

Straipsnyje analizuojamas Vytauto Didžiojo universiteto merginų krepšinio komandos subkultūrinis tapatumas: grupės savivoka, grupės narių laisvalaikio ir sportinės motyvacijos, tarpusavio santykių kūrimas, kuris formuojasi bendraujant su artimiausiomis grupės aplinkomis (sirgaliais, kitomis komandomis, treneriais, universiteto vadovybe). Aptariama bendruomeniškumo ir sportinio efektyvumo sąveika, merginų komandos situacija socialinės lyčių hierarchijos kontekste. Straipsnio autorė yra jos tyrinėjamos komandos narė. Straipsnis parengtas bakalauro tezių pagrindu.The present article outlines an ethnographic study of the women’s basketball team of Vytautas Magnus University. The study is mostly focused on the group members’ subcultural identity, namely on their values, their development of interpersonal relations and contacts with their immediate environment including fans, rival teams, coaches and the university administration. The article also discusses the general situation of women’s sports teams within the context of a gender-related social hierarchy. The author of the article is herself a member of the team. The analysis which lasted from October 2007 to May 2008 involved 13 respondents aged 19 to 28 years. It combined methods of observation, interview, data analysis and questionnaire including the questionnaire prepared for the research of small social groups by VMU Centre of Culture Studies. Observations were recorded in a diary, and the matches were filmed to spot patterns of the group members’ demeanor and their relations with the coach. The study revealed the unique features of the formation and development of the VMU women’s basketball team and also helped to manifest the specific problems of other women’s sports teams. The collective identity of VMU women’s basketball team appeared to reflect the values, activities, image and structure typical of other similar groups. It also revealed that the gender-related social hierarchy affects the women’s team through the particular behaviour of the university men’s team and through the inclination of the university administration to pay more attention to the latter team. Moreover, the university press and the rest of the media give priority to the men’s team, which reflects the general tendency in Lithuanian and elsewhere. The lower degree of preference for the women’s team can be explained by objective physical factors such as women being slower in the game and thus less exciting to watch. As in the case of other sports teams, the VMU women’s basketball team is marked by a sense of collectivism that is created through the need to strive for a common goal. Their collectivism is especially visible while discussing the team’s sports-related values and common actions as well as the eagerness to play and win. One should note the important factors of team formation which determines its success, including not only the common team work and the consequent mutual understanding but also the common leisure activities of clubbing, traveling and friendly relations before entering the team