Leah Newton: Fieldwork at Curtis School of Excellence

 Why Football?

Knopp and Bale argue that students cannot be truly educated unless they are educated in a liberated society which provides health care, community and cultural events, and green spaces for athletics and socializing. Football practice is arguably a form of preventative healthcare, football games are community and cultural events, and football fields serve as green spaces for recreation and socializing. So, my basic question emerged:

To what extent does football at Curtis School of Excellence have a positive impact upon the students and their wider cultural and political environment?

Knopp and Bale also argue that the school and the larger society have a dynamic relationship. So, I also wondered:

How is football at Curtis affected by current cultural and political conditions, including but not limited to the turnaround process and the increasing privatization of schools?