Blog Post #8: "The Short Game" Summary/Analysis/Rhetorical

                   Josh Greenbaum's film "The Short Game" is a documentary on seven/eight year old child prodigies in the sport of golf. The nine kids featured in the film are on their way to become the sport's next phenomenon and the World Champions of US Kids Golf. The main argument Greenbaum addresses is that kids who are especially talented in their sports are thrown into too much too soon. Popular belief of the American culture is when a child excels in a sport their parents and coaches push them to work harder than a seven or eight year old kid should. They are forced to train for ridiculous hours at high rates. This can take away the sense of being a kid, such as being careless and having fun. "The Short Game" displays both sides of this argument. It takes nine kids from various cultural backgrounds and gives their personal view on their lifestyle. The kids train 5-7 hours a day, some lift weights, and do aggressive physical workouts that high school athletes should be doing, not seven or eight year old children. Some may believe this is all necessary, considering the kids continue to decorate themselves with championship trophies. However, the film includes clips of each kid having fun with their friends and doing other things they enjoy despite having to work so hard. One of the kids Greenbaum focused on was Allan Kournikova. He quotes, "I don't think I'm giving up my childhood." The kids themselves have a drive to work hard and strive for being the best player golf has ever seen. On the contrary, the child athletes still find time insure that they do not completely miss out on their childhood because they were so invested on something they will continue to do for the next 50 years of their lives. "The Short Game" allows the audience to see both components of the main idea with intriguing stories to support it.

                    In my opinion, the kids in "The Short Game" in addition to any kid like them make their own decision to devote themselves to golf while also having a childhood. The kids work as hard as they do because they truly love the sport and want to be the best. Since the kids work this hard, it is teaching them perseverance and dedication at a very early age which they will need for the rest of their lives to succeed. For example, World Champion Alexa works very hard for long hours each day, because she wants to be the best at all times. However, she also allows herself to have fun with her friends when she is done working. This way she and many kids who find this balance are not disposing of their childhood while devoting themselves to working hard at the sport they love and want to succeed in.

                   Greenbaum exposes the fact that parents from different cultures do not always pressure their kids to be the best at their sport to make sure they still have a childhood. He uses different families from various ethnic cultures to demonstrate that despite conflicting views, parents of professional child athletes share common philosophies. The director displays one of these philosophies which is that parents of these types of kids do not always push their kids too far too soon and ruin their childhood because of a sport. Greenbaum exposes this because it is contrary to the popular belief of the public. His tone is happy and humorous to show the fun and young side of the kids, but also informative to expose the frustrating and overwhelming side of both the kids and parents when the sport presents adversity. The rational or logical appeals of the film mainly consist of the parents teaching their kids to overcome obstacles and never give up, despite how hard it gets. The director includes clips of the parents encouraging their kids when they have a bad hole or bad day. Ethical appeals Greenbaum displays are treating the kids as if they are 28 years old instead of 8 years old. Greenbaum shows clips of the kids lifting weights which they are too young to do. He also informs the audience that Jed, an autistic yet expected champion, was given a 10 stroke penalty for being late when it was not his fault and ultimately put him out of the running. Emotional appeals in the documentary consist of the argument that the parents of the children allow their son or daughter to take on too much at a young age. On the contrary, the idea that parents are supportive and allow their child to work hard but have fun as well is addressed.