Class Personal Reflection

            My personal experiences with money and class in our society closely matches what was discussed in the article Shadowy Lines That Still Divide. The article states “class is still a powerful force in American life.” With this I completely agree, and I believe that class in America will be a force that never declines in importance, or even gains importance with the future generations.

            A passage from the given text that stood out to me since I have witnessed the exact scene playing out many times was “The scramble to scoop up a house in the best school district, channel a child into the right preschool program or land the best medical specialist are all part of a quiet contest among social groups that the affluent and educated are winning in a rout.” My family and I are members of Nakoma Country Club in Madison, and every summer without fail I overhear mothers at the pool, down by the tennis courts, and in the clubhouse dressing rooms discussing the best preschools and grammar schools that they may place their children in during the coming school year. Most learning institutions discussed by these parents at the club are private schools with hefty price tags—which would be out of reach for anyone under that upper-middle class to which most families that are members of my club associate with.

            Another observation that goes hand in hand with the prior, was the connection I noted with my life to the passage in the article that reads: “But merit, it turns out, is at least partly class-based. Parents with money, education and connections cultivate in their children the habits that the meritocracy rewards. When their children succeed, their success is seen as earned.” A specific way that excerpt connects to my life is through soccer. I play for the top team in the Madison area, the Madison 56ers, and have for some time now. Our club has coaches that have experience coaching at the NCAA Division 1 level, and employs some of the best trainers as well. As a club, and specifically my team, we are very successful. This article started to make me question how much of that success was due to the class our families belong to. My team’s roster has 21 girls on it, and I’d safely say that only one of my team mates family would be considered out of the high middle class, and even her family is still middle class. Sure, as players we are all dedicated and put in a lot of time and hard work to our soccer, but we are also provided with some of the best coaches, and resources that a club can provide—and at a high cost which may very well be out of reach of many families. I’d have to say that a large portion of the reason I personally have had so much success in my sport is due to the fact that my family had the resources that others did not, and I was able to play for a club like the 56ers.