Affordances

“The affordances of the environment are what it offers the animal, what it provides or furnishes either for good or ill” (Harris, 2009)

Affordances are about what the occupation/activity can lead onto. So by taking part in one activity you are getting involved in other things that only would have come about due to participation in that particular activity.  I will provide examples of how this sort of thing can happen/ has to happen at rugby.

Here is a grid that I worked on in class which briefly covers affordances that can come from playing rugby:

Communication	Connection (Whats the story)	Good & Bad aspects
Trust	Shared interest	Social misfit
Banter/joke	Bonding	Exploitation
Teaching/Learning	Fitness	Learning
Make plans	Learning	Rewards
Compliment(good pass/tackle)	Swapping	Inflicting damage

Communication:

Compliments are a big part of rugby as it encourages the individual to play better and also lifts the team spirit when they have been told what they are doing well. Normally when someone in the team does something well everyone gets in and lets them know by telling them. Just last weekend when we were playing the top team and we were down by 2 tries with 10 minutes to go one of my team mates scored a solo try and we all gave him a lot of compliments. Through these compliments we passed them onto each other to help lift everyones spirits. It worked because 2 minutes before half time we scored a massive team try to give us the win.

Planning is a big part of rugby as you always need to know what it is that your team is trying to achieve. You must also know all the moves and what the meaning of certain plays are. Trainings are a time for everyone to come together and have their say about what they think needs to happen and talk about the moves that people would like to incorporate into our game. this can lead to other conversations as well but it is best to stay on the topic. Every training I have taken part in this year has had a large part of planning in it for our weekend games. Every practice we talk about what we want to achieve on game day and look at the steps necassary for us to achieve the goals.

Trust is an important aspect of being in a rugby team. You have to be able to trust your teammates abilities at all times. You have to put your trust in them that they will make a the tackle and that they will help you if need be. You have to rely on them that they know what the moves are that have been called. Trust is built through team bonding that goes on at trainings and after the game. Nobody wants to be putting their body on the line for people that they don't trust. At trainings we all get together and before trainings start we have some yarns and talk some smack. The building of trust within a team does not just come from nothing, it has to be built throughout the year.

By taking part in rugby you are putting your name down for a sport that relies solely on the communication of the team members. Not only on the field do you have to communicate every second you are playing but also after the games and at training. Some of the things said at trainings is just some silly banter but helps to form bonds between the players which builds a stronger team. By being apart of this team I have made friends with common interests and have new buddies.

D. Harris (2009). Engineering Psychology and Cognitive Ergonomics. New York: Springer